Sustainable delivery comes in a variety of forms and is both the responsibility of the food delivery service and the restaurant that is making the food. Yet, it is no secret that the industry is struggling to adopt more sustainable options.

Food delivery is one of the biggest contributors to single-use plastics. These include things like plastic straws, utensils, food packaging material, and the bag it is delivered in. This doesn’t even factor in the gas used during the delivery.

Today, we are going to explain the problems that the food delivery service faces when it comes to sustainable delivery options.

How Does Online Food Delivery Work?

Online food delivery has become a staple of modern life due to its convenience. The actual process is simple enough.

Customers begin by visiting the food delivery services website or app if using a smartphone. They then browse a series of restaurants that the delivery service supports and place an order that is sent to the restaurant.

While the restaurant is preparing the food, a delivery driver is selected and sent to the restaurant to pick up the order. When they arrive, they pick up the food or wait until it is ready, and then make the final journey to the customer’s address.

Once the food is delivered the transaction is complete. While the process is simple to understand, it is far more complex behind the scenes. For example, the app will locate drivers that are already in the vicinity of the location and not on a different order.

In some cases, it will try to group up orders if there are multiple at a single restaurant to reduce the number of trips a driver makes. They also calculate fees that customers pay based on the availability of drivers in certain areas, or the volume of orders.

With all that said, from the consumer’s point of view, it is simple to order food online, which is why the services are so popular.

How Does Online Food Delivery Impact the Environment?

The truth is that it is not as simple as pointing at one aspect of food delivery and saying that is the problem. There are a variety of factors that come together to create a major problem for the industry.

Let’s take a look at some of these issues individually.

Plastic Waste

The food delivery service is one of the largest users of single-use plastics. Utensils, straws, packaging, bags, and more are all examples of single-use plastics. Naturally, this is adding to the world’s plastic pollution problem.

A report in 2021 found that 44% of plastic waste found in the ocean came from takeout food and drinks. While there is no way to distinguish products from food delivery and regular takeout, it is safe to say a portion came from food delivery services.

Now, you may be thinking, it’s not a problem if I recycle everything I use, but you would be mistaken.

The truth is that while most food containers are recyclable, most consumers do not bother to clean them. In many cases, if a food container contains too many remnants of food, it can be seen as contaminated. Instead of being recycled, it ends up in a landfill.

And it’s also worth pointing out that recycling rates in general are not very good. On average, the recycling rate for residential areas in the United States is only 21%. Thus, there’s a good chance it just gets thrown out regardless of whether it is recyclable.

Car Emissions

Since the food is delivered to your home, in most cases, it is done via car. Naturally, this will lead to an emissions problem. And it is no small amount.

DoorDash alone has over 7 million drivers and couriers that deliver food to customers. Not every driver uses a car, but many do. DoorDash is not the only delivery service in the market.

Uber Eats, Grubhub, Instacart and more exist. With millions of delivery drivers on the road, this adds more to the emissions problem. The average passenger vehicle that these drivers normally use produces 4.6 metric tons of greenhouse gasses each year.

The routes drivers take are getting more optimized, but the industry is still facing an efficiency problem. For example, it is very common for multiple drivers to show up at a restaurant collecting different orders.

It is worth pointing out that many drivers work for multiple food delivery services. That means there is most likely a very big overlap between the drivers for each business. As such, the true number of unique drivers is lower than the number suggests.

Food Waste

Food waste is a very common problem in the delivery industry. In fact, I am willing to bet anyone who frequently uses these apps has run into an issue where they were handed the wrong order or got extra items they never ordered.

In some cases, customers are happy when this happens, but it creates a tremendous problem for the industry.

For example, imagine your typical order pickup. The driver enters the restaurant is directed to the bag they need to pick up, and accidently grabs the wrong one. The driver leaves and drives to the customer’s location to make the delivery.

The customer opens the bag and realizes it isn’t their order. As a result, they call the delivery service, and their order gets remade and another driver is sent to pick up the food and deliver it again. This simple mistake not only wastes the food but results in repeated trips.

Server Emissions

Data centers around the US make up about 2% of the total energy usage. Naturally, the delivery services websites and phone apps all use access on top of the technology behind the scenes that customers don’t see.

For example, the industry employs powerful logistics software that utilizes AI to help locate the closest drivers to a restaurant to make a delivery, plot out the course for them, and in some cases, assign multiple orders together for greater efficiency.

Customers can follow the entire process by viewing a driver’s location at any time.

Naturally, all of that uses an enormous amount of power, and as AI becomes more powerful and a bigger part of the industry, it is expected to grow energy usage substantially. Thus, emissions will also increase as a direct result.

How Can They Achieve a Sustainable Delivery Model?

While the industry has a lot of problems to solve, the truth is that there are solutions to all of them and most food delivery services are moving towards a more sustainable delivery model.

Here are how these problems can be addressed by both companies and consumers.

Reduce Single-Use Plastic

One of the simplest ways to reduce plastic waste is to reduce the amount of plastic delivered with every order.

A simple way to do this would be if stores required consumers to check a box to receive utensils with their order. In fact, this is already done by many restaurants as it not only reduces plastic waste but saves the business money.

One of the most famous introductions of this would be in China, which saw utensil orders decrease by 600%. It did this by simply making the default option to not include utensils. The same concept can be applied to straws.

Another solution includes replacing plastic packaging with more sustainable options like cardboard. While this is not always an option for certain types of food, it does work for many popular items like burgers, pizza, and so on.

It’s also worth pointing out that in many cases, packaging is unnecessarily large. Not only does this create more plastic waste, but it also just makes delivering the food harder as it takes up more space in a vehicle.

Businesses should have their packaging optimized to perfectly fit their products. And in the case of food, it can help make your portions look bigger. After all, no one likes opening a container and seeing that it is only filled halfway.

Use Electric Vehicles & Bicycles

Reducing the emissions of millions of drivers is already achievable and many delivery services are trying to do just that.

Instead of using traditional internal combustion engines (ICE), these vehicles should be replaced with electric vehicles (EVs). Or in some cases, could be replaced with a bicycle in urban areas to eliminate emissions.

Uber Eats already has plans to reach zero emissions by 2030 and electrifying its car fleet is part of the plan. DoorDash is also moving in a similar direction and is helping its drivers (Dashers) secure affordable EV leases.

It is worth noting that while using a bicycle is also a very eco-friendly option, it is not always a good option in more rural locations where orders will typically require multiple miles before they can arrive.

However, in an urban area, bicycles are the best option. Not only from an emissions perspective but in crowded cities, reducing the number of cars on the road helps reduce the amount of traffic, thus shortening trips for all drivers.

Improve Delivery Efficiency

Perhaps one of the most impactful changes this industry can make to achieve a sustainable delivery model is to improve the efficiency of the delivery system. Ensuring that drivers close to a location get first pick at an order is a great way to reduce the distance goods travel.

Even more importantly, ensuring that drivers can pick up multiple orders at once can help reduce emissions drastically.

Without a doubt, this is where AI can help improve the delivery experience. AI can be utilized to quickly determine the most optimal route food will travel and the closest driver to take it. This will not only help ensure deliveries arrive faster but travel less distance.

It is also worth pointing out that stores can do a better job to help ensure drivers take the correct order, and that drivers deliver the right meals when handling multiple bags from the same location.

Naturally, this will require more training for employees at these restaurants, but it is something worth striving for as it will save money.

Power Data Centers with Renewable Energy

Virtually all businesses today utilize data centers around the globe to host their website. Users connect to these servers whenever they access the website, or use the app on their phones, thus these servers are on 24/7.

The electricity usage of these servers is massive. The computing power required continues to increase as AI is further incorporated into most businesses, and the power they require will also increase. Luckily, we already have a solution to this issue: renewable energy.

The good news is that most larger data centers are already moving towards renewable energy sources like solar and wind to power them.

Data centers are very large, thus the roofs make the perfect location to place solar panels and are typically far enough away where wind turbines can be present without issue. Many data centers are already built in locations with these factors in mind.

Most tech companies, the primary customers of these facilities, also want green energy. Because of the demand, the transition is already underway.

The Most Sustainable Delivery Is From Home

It’s worth pointing out that as a consumer, perhaps the best way to have a sustainable delivery is to not have one in the first place. While this may not be the best move, the truth is driving to a restaurant yourself is far more efficient.

You’ll order exactly what you want from where you want it. And you can choose to dine in the restaurant and avoid plastic packaging altogether. Or even better, don’t eat out as often.

A home-cooked meal is a superior option when it comes to a carbon footprint. You don’t have to travel, completely avoid plastic packaging, and you can even have leftovers for the next day.

How often do you order from a food delivery service? How important is a sustainable delivery model for you?

The post Food Delivery’s Hidden Cost: Rising Emissions & Packaging Waste appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

In 2024, less than 3% of EVs on the market were priced below $37,000. And those are budget variants. On average, EVs cost $56,351 in comparison to ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicles which average $48,397.

Vehicles are currently at the highest price they have ever been due to a variety of factors from high financing rates to manufacturing costs. While these prices will eventually return to normal, even in as inflation returns to normal, EVs are still more expensive.

Let’s take a look at what is slowing down EV adoption rates and when that will turn around.

Why Are EVs So Expensive to Produce?

There are several factors that go into determining the price of a vehicle. The price of an EV is no exception as it is a major concern for sales. Companies are trying to optimize the process to reduce costs, but there are a lot of moving parts.

Here are some of the reasons why EVs are still so expensive to produce:

Batteries

This probably won’t come as a surprise, but the batteries that power EVs are the most expensive part of the entire production process.

Batteries are composed of a variety of materials, but the two biggest are lithium and semiconductors. The world is rapidly expanding lithium mining operations to keep up with the unprecedented demand that EVs have caused.

However, currently, the world does not have enough supply. As a result, lithium prices are very high. Yet, the good news is that prices are rapidly falling. In 2022, the price for 1 tonne was $81,360, whereas in 2023 the price for 1 tonne was $41,166.

That’s nearly a 50% decrease in the price of lithium as more supply has been added. And 2024 is likely to see another big decrease.

The other major component for batteries is the semiconductors. These are what help the batteries deliver better performance and can help optimize the electricity distribution throughout the vehicle.

It’s no secret that in the wake of the pandemic, there was an incredible shortage of semiconductors that increased the price. Naturally, this ballooned the cost of EVs as not only do batteries require them, but nearly every component in an EV does as well.

Not Mass Produced

While there is a lot of buzz about EV sales making up a larger portion of total auto sales, the truth is they only accounted for about 8.9% of cars sold in Q3 of 2024. In most cases, automakers still mass-produce ICE vehicles.

As a result, the limited production of EVs keeps prices higher than if they were produced at the same scale as ICE vehicles.

You might think that this is an easy solution to fix, but that’s not really the case. Car manufacturing is an extremely complicated process and to build factories that can mass produces EVs is a very expensive process.

Combine that with the high production costs, and you will quickly realize it is a big financial risk to anyone that isn’t Tesla. And as we have just discussed, while EV demand will grow, it just isn’t high enough for companies to put this level of resources in yet.

R&D

Traditional ICE cars have been around since 1886, and while cars look different and perform better today, the truth is that combustion engines have not really changed that much, but instead, have optimized their performance.

The same cannot be said for EVs. The technology is still effectively in its infancy and creating major breakthroughs is expensive.

For example, Tesla, the most recognizable name in the EV market spent over $4 billion on R&D in 2023. Naturally, businesses need to recoup those costs, which lead to higher-priced cars to make up for what was spent.

And R&D is likely to continue increasing as more models are made available. Each one requires testing to ensure a high performance, and more importantly, to meet the safety standards that customers expect.

Import Tariffs & Labor Costs

Perhaps one of the more expensive issues that the US faces would be the amount of protection it provides to the US auto industry.

The United States imposes a 100% tariff on all EVs produced in China. This is to prevent China from over-flooding our car market with cheap EVs that home producers cannot compete with. And just to be clear, other nations do the same.

For reference, the average price of EVs in China is $34,400 and has budget models as low as $12,000.

If these were to be allowed into the country, it would completely overwhelm home producers. At the same time, it would force consumers to pay for more expensive models. One major reason why the EVs can be built so cheaply in China is the labor costs.

In the US the average auto worker’s hourly pay is $18.46, whereas in China, the ranges are from 14 yuan ($1.93) to 31 yuan ($4.27). While this is just one advantage China has, it can explain the substantially lower price tag.

Another major factor is that most car components are made in China. Thus, unlike US automakers that need to import the materials from abroad, China already has them being produced in their own country, further reducing the price.

Repairs

Not all of the price concerns are directly related to the initial purchase of an electric vehicle. EVs have become rather infamous for expensive repairs. On average, EVs are around 28% more expensive to repair than ICE vehicles.

For comparison, an EV would cost around $6,018 to repair as opposed to ICE vehicles at $4,696.

That said, repair fees are coming down on EVs, and actually increasing on ICE vehicles, so this may change in the future. However, there is one huge problem you could encounter with an EV, and that is the battery.

Depending on the make and model, if you find yourself in a position where you need to replace the battery pack, you could be looking somewhere between $5,000 and $20,000 to replace the battery.

It is worth pointing out that as long as you don’t get into any major accidents, this shouldn’t be a concern, but it’s best to be aware.

Don’t EVs Save Drivers Money on Gas?

Perhaps one of the most well-known aspects of EV ownership is that you save a lot of money by not having to buy gas. And this is completely true. In the US, EV drivers save about $2200 each year by driving a fully electric car.

In the case of hybrids, drivers save $1500 per year, so it is pretty significant.

However, the problem is that someone needs to buy that EV first before they can start saving, and unfortunately, most Americans live paycheck to paycheck, which means they have trouble making a downpayment and swinging those higher monthly payments.

As a result, for most Americans looking to buy a new car, the money you save after making the purchase is something that is generally ignored. And this is a common trend for more expensive purchases that could save people money.

A great example of this would be homeowners purchasing solar panels. In most cases, a solar panel will pay for itself in around 9 to 12 years. Solar panels typically last 25-30 years, so the ROI on solar panels is incredibly high, but installing them is too much for many.

As such, many Americans miss out on saving because of the higher initial price that most simply cannot afford.

On the other side of that coin, though, you would have to consider the increase in your electric bill for charging an EV. If you have solar panels, then this isn’t much of an issue. But the power for the vehicle has to come from somewhere, and that usually means increasing power demands of the household.

Luckily, these additional charging costs at home are still cheaper than a full tank of gas. An average full charge for an EV will cost around $6 while a full tank of gas could set you back $50 to $60, depending on the size of your tank.

This means that EV owners are still saving quite a bit of money from gasoline every year even after plugging an electric car into their power sockets.

Is Price the Only Thing Holding Back EV Sales?

While price may be the single most important factor for most shoppers, it is not the only factor to consider.

One of the main advantages of an EV is that it doesn’t need gas. Instead, users charge the batteries and can travel. However, there is a lot of misinformation when it comes to how often you need to charge your car and how long it takes.

While a lot of this depends on the car model you buy, on average, an EV will get 200-250 miles per charge. This average is quickly rising with some of the latest models able to travel 600 miles.

To put that into perspective, the average driver in the United States drives 39.7 miles per day.

This means that for the average driver, you can comfortably do an entire day of driving without even going below half of your charge. And you could charge your car at night while sleeping, thus you would never be waiting around.

However, if you are planning for a road trip, this is where things get a bit messy.

EV charge stations are not as plentiful as gas stations. As such, it requires more planning from drivers to find a charge station on their route. And then comes the charging itself, which varies greatly on what model you are driving and the charge station you use.

Charging is broken up into 3 levels. The first is Level 1, which is not quick and intended for home use overnight. Level 2 is what you will typically see at charge stations can take 1-2 hours to charge a battery to full.

And then there is Level 3, which is often dubbed “Fast Charging” that can see you with 80% charge in just 20 minutes.

Unfortunately, many people do not like to wait, and that presents a problem for EV adoption. But the perception is changing as fast charge stations become more popular across the country.

What Are the Most Affordable Models in the US?

EVs are a crucial part of the US as the world works to achieve climate goals. Purchasing an EV is a great choice and can save you money over the long term once gas is factored into the equation. For those struggling to find the right model, here are the 3 cheapest models to buy.

Note: Prices may vary depending on location and financial rates. There are also taxes and other fees to consider when purchasing a new car, but these are not exclusive to EVs.

These three models fall well below the national average for EVs and are competitive with traditional ICE vehicle prices. It is worth pointing out that these prices represent the cheapest models. Prices can vary wildly as you add different features to your order.

It’s also worth pointing out that shoppers can score some major discounts by aiming for sales during holiday weekends like Labor Day or July 4th. Many dealers offer lower rates, but it really comes down to location.

How Do EV Subsidies Impact Sales?

Another huge component of EV sales is that the government will subsidize your purchase. This comes in the form of a tax credit that typically changes yearly and is highly dependent on the current administration.

Currently purchasing a new EV will result in a $7,500 tax credit, while purchasing a used EV will result in a $4,000 tax credit.

The reason governments subsidize EVs is to help incentivize people to purchase them. EVs help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and lower air pollution when compared to traditional vehicles, thus they benefit society.

However, since it is difficult to get consumers to purchase more expensive goods, the government offers a tax incentive to sweeten the deal. As EVs become more popular, subsidies will undoubtedly get smaller and eventually disappear as they are no longer needed.

That will take many years, however. Be sure to look into the current tax credit you may be eligible for in your area and if your car qualifies.

Where Do Hybrids Fit into This?

Hybrid vehicles are those that use both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. The electric motor helps the vehicles move short distances by expending the energy that was charged, thus increasing fuel efficiency.

Price-wise, hybrids typically exist as more expensive than ICE vehicles but are cheaper than EVs.

They are also growing in popularity. They offer many benefits to drivers including better gas mileage, but also don’t have the charging station restrictions that intimidate buyers. And the price tag is more reasonable.

While ultimately hybrids will fall to the wayside like ICE vehicles, they have several advantages and offer a reasonable purchase for many Americans today.

If you cannot afford an EV, hybrids are the second-best solution.

EV Sales Are Imperative to Achieve Climate Goals

The transformation of the world’s car fleet from ICE to EV is going to be one of the most significant ways the world can lower greenhouse gas emissions.

In 2023, greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles made up 16% of the global total. By incentivizing EV sales, we can help bring that to zero, but as we have discussed, there are many hurdles.

Yet, the future is clear. EV sales will replace ICE vehicles around the world over the coming decades. But today, prices remain the biggest obstacle.

The good news is how that will change in just a few years as estimations point that EVs will be price-competitive by 2028.

And remember, it’s not just big purchases that matter when going green. Purchasing other green products and services like web hosting, solar panels, and more can help make a huge difference.

Do you plan on purchasing an EV or do you already own one? If not, why?

The post EV Sales Drop: High Prices Block Electric Car Market Growth appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

All of the hurricanes in 2024 had something in common; they were all fueled by warmer waters created by climate change. There is no better example of climate change than Hurricane Milton which went from a Category 1 Hurricane to Category 5 in less than a 24-hour period.

This was only possible because the water was abnormally warmer for this time of the year. According to the World Weather Attribution, climate change made winds 10% stronger and rainfall greater by 20-30%.

As the world continues to warm up, the greater the impact hurricanes will have on the economy, and more importantly, human life.

How Do Hurricanes Form?

Forecasting allows us to prepare for a hurricane’s arrival, and over the years, forecasts have become extremely accurate. This is because we understand exactly what conditions are necessary for a hurricane to form.

That said, pathing a storm is an entirely different thing, which is where a lot of the frustration lies with forecasters.

Hurricanes form when humid air flows upwards in a low-pressure zone over warm water. This will generate clouds that turn into powerful storm clouds. As they rise, the air begins to rotate from right to left due to the Coriolis effect.

This is the start of a hurricane, and it will continue to grow in size or maintain its current size as long as there is a constant supply of warm water. Warm water acts as fuel for the hurricane, which is why hurricanes weaken as they make landfall.

Once they hit land, they lose access to their fuel source.

How Does Climate Change Impact Hurricanes?

Since warm water acts as the fuel of a hurricane, climate change has a direct impact when it comes to their formation. Climate change is causing the world to get warmer, which by extension is creating more warm water, and pockets of water much warmer than normal.

This creates more fuel to aid in the formation of hurricanes, more fuel to help them rapidly intensify, and more fuel to maintain that level of intensity. Simply put, the warmer temperatures from climate change allow them to form more often and become more powerful.

However, while many think of hurricanes as just swirls of intense wind, the real threat is the storm surge.

Storm surge is created by the force of the wind pressing down against the ocean underneath it. The stronger the winds, and the lower pressure, the stronger the storm surge. In extreme cases, a shoreline could face 15-25 feet of storm surge.

Climate change has made coastal areas that regularly face hurricanes far more susceptible to storm surges due to the rising water levels. Climate change is causing the ocean to rise because it is melting glacial ice sheets.

That water is returning to the ocean causing sea levels to rise. Since 1880 the global sea level has risen by 8-9 inches. While this might not sound like a lot, for coastal regions, this is the difference between your home flooding or not.

The higher water level makes it easy for storm surges to be more impactful and reach further inland. And as the temperature continues to rise, the melting of ice sheets will only intensify causing the problem to be more severe.

Is Hurricane Season Getting Longer?

While officially, hurricane season remains the same length (June 1st through November 30th), there is no denying that major storms are forming before and after the season ends, and that is expected to continue due to climate change.

Over the last eight years, seven years had named storms formed before the beginning of hurricane season (June 1st).

As stated earlier, climate change is causing waters to warm faster and remain at higher temperatures for longer durations. This translates into hurricanes being able to form earlier than normal because warm water is available.

Decades ago, the water would have been too cool for major storms to form, and the water temperature needed to be at least 80F.

Climate Action Is Needed Today to Prevent Catastrophe

It is clear and without question that climate change poses one of the biggest threats to humanity. Action today can save lives and billions of dollars in preventable damage to coastal infrastructure.

Unfortunately, the world is currently not on track to limit global warming to 1.5C.

In fact, it is far worse than most think. If current climate pledges were carried out, emissions would only drop by 10% by 2030. And in many cases, many countries have not even created a plan to do so.

However, the reality of the situation is that emissions are still rising. Fossil fuel production is higher than it has ever been with energy usage at an all-time high. Even as renewable energy generates more electricity, the overall demand is too high.

And as technology continues to evolve, that energy demand will continue to evolve. Look no further than AI. One question on ChatGPT uses the same amount of energy at 10 Google searches.

With every company racing towards integrating AI into its existing systems, that demand is going to balloon to unfathomable heights.

A nasty hurricane is going to be the least of our worries if climate change persists.

Here are some ways you can help:

Buy Environmentally Friendly Products

When shopping, we need to be more mindful of what we are purchasing. Many products today have labels that can help identify more environmentally friendly products. Amazon actually has an entire section dedicated to these types of products.

What to look for depends entirely on the product type you are trying to purchase.

For example, if you are purchasing an appliance that uses electricity like a Washer & Dryer, you should be on the lookout for an Energy Star certification. This tells you that the product will use less energy than similar appliances.

In a different case, let’s say you were purchasing groceries. You should be on the lookout for the USDA Organic label. This indicates that the vegetables or fruit were grown using environmentally friendly practices.

That said, it is also worth considering where something comes from.

Buying goods that were locally sourced will outweigh anything, and the emissions from transport are negligible. If we vote with our wallets, more companies will make changes to qualify for these types of labels.

Recycle

Recycling is the process of breaking down existing products into their base materials so they can be used again.

Most commonly we recycle metals, plastics, and paper goods. Unfortunately, we are all guilty of not separating or garbage and recycling things we can. If we take the extra effort, it will make a massive difference.

However, it is important to point out that just sorting the goods is sometimes not enough. The truth is that many items that can be recycled are not because they are still dirty and could risk contamination.

In fact, one in four items recycled is discarded because of contamination. One of the biggest culprits is food contamination.

If you order out a lot, odds are you are receiving a ton of packaging materials to store your food during transport. If you finish your meal and toss them into the recycling bin, you are part of the problem.

In many cases, these containers need to be rinsed out to properly be recycled. Refer to your local recycling center for more information.

Conserve on Power

Power demand is a huge factor when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions. And while truthfully the average household is not a huge contributor, when you have billions of them, it begins to add up.

That said, in many cases, households can lower their average by 10 to 30% by following some simple tips.

First and foremost, if you are not using a device, turn it off. Let me say that again, if you are not using a device, turn it off, and do not leave it in rest mode. Rest mode only puts the device in a low power state, but still draws power.

In many cases, you may also want to consider unplugging the device entirely. Devices can still draw electricity when off, which is often referred to as a phantom load. If you are not going to use the device again on that day, unplugging it can help.

Another huge factor is controlling the thermostat. Air conditioning and heating make up a massive part of most household’s electricity usage. Avoid putting the thermostat too low or too high can save you a lot every month.

Everyone Needs to Do Their Part

Climate Change is having a massive impact on hurricane development. And while data suggests we are not on the right track, it doesn’t mean we can’t turn it around. As more people become more climate conscious we can have a positive impact.

That said, we really need governments to step up and start regulating businesses to enforce green practices. Without that, we are headed in a very dark direction for humanity.

The post Climate Change Fuels Record-Breaking 2024 Hurricane Season appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

Handmade gifts are charming and meaningful. Despite the prevalence of mass-produced items, there’s a growing trend towards DIY and personalized handmade crafts. In fact, the global art and craft market size is already at $50 billion in 2024.

The digital world is brimming with possibilities, and now is the perfect time to explore handmade and customized products.

One of the primary advantages of starting a handmade business from home is the low initial investment. Many crafts, such as knitted scarves, soaps, baked pet treats, bath bombs, crochet, and costume jewelry, do not require specialized skills or equipment, making them accessible to beginners.

For instance, Mush Studios’ founder Jacob Winter turned his tufting hobby into a successful business by documenting his process on TikTok, which went viral and helped launch his brand.

This article introduces 45 profitable items you can make and sell online, with tips to help you understand market trends and effective marketing strategies for your business.

The Importance of Creativity and Market Research in a DIY Business

Handmade businesses operating from home have seen a significant rise, driven by the accessibility of e-commerce platforms and the increasing consumer interest in unique, personalized items.

Various platforms like Shopify, Etsy, and Amazon Handmade have become popular venues for these businesses to reach a global audience.

In a DIY business, creativity, and market research are your main tools to stand out in a crowded market. Unique designs and patterns catch buyers’ eyes, and being creative helps you quickly adapt to trends and customer preferences.

The handmade market is diverse, with profitable niches including jewelry, printables, home decor, personal care products, and fabric crafts. Jewelry, in particular, remains highly profitable, with a consistent demand for personalized and unique pieces.

The global handmade crafts market reached $752.2 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow at an annual rate of 9.1%.

Market research gives you insights into what customers want. It helps you make smart decisions about pricing, marketing channels, and product ideas. Watching your competitors also enables you to find gaps in the market and use trends to your advantage.

Combining creativity with market research ensures your products connect with your audience. This approach improves your offerings and marketing, driving business growth and making your DIY make-and-sell online efforts successful.

The Handmade Market’s Major Trends for 2025

Platforms like Shopify and Amazon Handmade also offer opportunities for handmade businesses.

Shopify, for example, has over 4.4 billion online storefronts and provides tools for building and running an independent online store. This allows sellers to avoid the pitfalls of marketplace selling, such as price wars and limited promotion options.

Amazon Handmade, on the other hand, competes with Etsy by offering a dedicated space for handmade items, attracting a large audience due to Amazon’s extensive reach.

Let’s look at some significant trends that can inspire you for your next DIY business concept.

Personalized and Custom Products

Custom and personalized items like charm jewelry, pet portraits, and custom stamps are currently seeing a significant increase in demand online. People are looking for unique, one-of-a-kind products that reflect their tastes and personalities.

Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Products

There’s a growing emphasis on sustainability where consumers prefer environmentally friendly products. Upcycled and refurbished products, such as furniture, home decor, and clothing, are becoming more popular nowadays.

When starting your DIY business, it’s best to use recycled materials as much as possible. You can also promote the eco-friendly aspects of your products to appeal to environmentally-conscious buyers​

Technological Integration

E-commerce platforms like Etsy, Amazon Handmade, and Poshmark offer tools to help artisans reach broader audiences and manage their businesses more efficiently​​. Leverage these new technologies to market your products.

Etsy, a major player in the handmade market, reported that its top product categories include home and living (25%), art and collectibles (21%), jewelry (15%), and clothing (11%).

The platform has over 1.4 million sellers and 19.8 million buyers, emphasizing the significant market for handmade goods. Etsy’s success is attributed to its focus on handmade and vintage items, charging sellers a listing fee and commission while offering advertising services to boost product reach.

Aside from these platforms, using high-quality product photography and engaging in social media marketing best practices can help boost your DIY business online.

Comfort and Coziness

In the home decor market, there’s a strong trend toward cozy and inviting spaces. Products that exude warmth, such as handmade blankets, pillows, and other textiles, are in demand.

Biophilic and Nature-Inspired Design

Biophilic design, which integrates natural elements into living spaces, remains popular. Consumers are seeking products that incorporate natural materials and themes, like wooden decor, plant holders, and nature-inspired art.

Maximalism and Personalized Expression

Maximalism, characterized by bold patterns, strong colors, and eclectic decor, is trending. Consumers are looking for products that allow them to express their unique style and personality.

You can offer a range of vibrant and eclectic products that cater to this trend, such as colorful home decor items and statement jewelry​.

With these trends in mind, let’s now reveal 45 of the best products you can make and sell online.

Our Selection of the Best Products to Make and Sell Online

Selling handmade goods online requires a strategic approach to pricing and marketing. Pricing strategies should consider material costs, labor, overhead, and perceived value.

Established artists can often command higher prices due to demand and reputation. Marketing efforts should leverage social media platforms like Pinterest, TikTok, and YouTube to identify trends and reach potential customers.

For example, Rachel Pedersen used her one million TikTok followers to transition from a hairdresser to running a successful social media consulting business from home.

Handmade Jewelry

Handmade jewelry is a thriving market, projected to reach $472.5 billion by 2032 from its $151.5 billion market value in 2022. This growth is driven by the unique appeal and personalization of handmade pieces. 

As disposable incomes rise, more people are willing to invest in these special items. Environmental awareness also boosts the popularity of handmade jewelry, as it often involves sustainable practices.

Each piece of handmade jewelry is crafted by an artist without mass-manufacturing machines. This means every item, from simple wire-wrapped pendants to intricate designs, is made using only hands and basic tools. The result is a piece of jewelry that is truly unique, reflecting the skill and creativity of the artist.

In the handmade jewelry market, there is no standard look. Pieces can vary widely in style and complexity.

Benefits of Selling Homemade Jewelry Online

• Low Production Costs: Materials for handmade jewelry are often inexpensive, leading to higher profit margins.
• Creative Freedom: Sellers can experiment with various designs and techniques, keeping the product line fresh and exciting.
• Scalability: Jewelry pieces can be produced in small batches. It allows for easy scaling based on demand.

Drawbacks of Selling Homemade Jewelry Online

• Time-Consuming: Crafting each piece by hand can be time-intensive.
• Quality Control: Maintaining consistent quality across all pieces can be difficult.

Here are some standard handmade jewelry that you can make and sell online:

1. Beaded Jewelry

Beaded jewelry consists of pieces made by threading beads onto a string or wire. Each piece can range from simple designs like single-strand necklaces to intricate patterns involving multiple beads and detailed work. 

It’s relatively inexpensive to start making beaded jewelry, making it accessible for many hobbyists and small business owners​​.

Tools Needed:

Creating beaded jewelry requires a few essential materials and tools.

• An assortment of beads such as seed beads, glass beads, and gemstone beads. 
• Beading wire or cord, clasps, crimps, and jump rings 
• Tools like round-nose pliers, chain-nose pliers, crimping pliers, and wire cutters
• Proper storage solutions, such as small containers or organizers

2024 Trends for Beaded Jewelry

In 2024, beaded jewelry trends continue to evolve with a mix of classic and contemporary styles. Key trends include:

• Choker-style beaded necklaces layered with other necklaces for a beach-ready look are popular. Adding pendants to these pieces can enhance personal expression.
• Stacking colorful beaded bracelets remains a trend, offering vibrant options that can elevate simple outfits. Customizable bracelets with words or names are also in demand.
• Pearl bead earrings and asymmetrical designs are trendy, as they add a playful yet sophisticated touch to any outfit.

2. Metal and Wire Jewelry

These types of jewelry are made by manipulating metal and wire into intricate designs, allowing for a high level of customization and creativity. 

Creating metal and wire jewelry requires several essential tools and techniques:

Tools:

• Pliers: Round-nose pliers for making loops, chain-nose pliers for gripping and bending wire, and crimping pliers for securing ends.
• Wire Cutters: Essential for cutting wire to the desired length.
• Hammer and Bench Block: Used for flattening or hardening wire.
• Mandrels: For shaping wire into rings or other circular forms.
• Files and Sanding Pads: To smooth rough edges and create a polished finish.

Techniques:

• Wire Wrapping: This involves wrapping wire around itself or beads to create secure loops and intricate designs.
• Soldering: Used to join metal pieces together, creating more complex structures.
• Hammering and Texturing: Adds visual interest and strength to the pieces.
• Shaping: Using mandrels and pliers to form the wire into various shapes​ 

3. Personalized Name Necklaces

These jewelry pieces feature an individual’s name or initials, often crafted from metals like gold, silver, or stainless steel. It can be further adorned with gems or other decorative elements to make each piece more unique.

Marketing Strategies for Personalized Name Necklaces​:

• Collaborate with influencers who can wear and promote your products, highlighting their customization features and the personal stories behind them. 
• Offer special promotions around key gifting occasions such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, birthdays, and anniversaries.
• Ensure that your product descriptions highlight the quality and durability of your necklaces.

Apparel and Accessories

Homemade apparel and accessories are items like clothing, bags, and other wearable items. 

These products are a great fit for your DIY projects to make and sell online because they offer personalization and a handmade touch that appeals to customers looking for distinct, one-of-a-kind items.

In addition, selling homemade apparel and accessories online allows creators to reach a global audience, cater to niche markets, and establish a brand based on creativity and craftsmanship​.

Benefits of Selling Homemade Apparel and Accessories Online

• Selling online allows you to directly gain feedback and customization requests.
• Unique and high-quality items can build you a loyal customer base.
• You can experiment with different designs, materials, and styles.

Drawback of Selling Homemade Apparel and Accessories

• Fashion trends change rapidly, which can affect sales consistency.

Here are some business ideas for you to make or sell online:

4. Custom T-Shirts

If you’re good at using a sewing machine, you can either make your own clothing or use print-on-demand services. This way, you can create and sell custom t-shirt designs without holding too much inventory. 

You can design unique graphics, slogans, or images and have them printed on-demand, reducing upfront costs and risk.

To stand out, focus on niche markets or themes such as pop culture references, inspirational quotes, or personalized designs. Seasonal designs or collaborations with local artists can also attract a diverse customer base​.

5. Handmade Scarves and Shawls

In making handmade scarves and shawls, you can knit or sew your products.

Knitting involves creating fabric from yarn using needles, resulting in textured, stretchy scarves. Sewing, on the other hand, typically uses fabric and sewing machines, offering more structured and versatile designs.

For 2024, trends include oversized and chunky knit scarves for winter, lightweight and printed shawls for spring, and eco-friendly materials like organic cotton and bamboo for all seasons​

6. Personalized Tote Bags

Tote bags are making a comeback. In 2024, the tote bags market was valued at USD 2.63 billion and is projected to grow 4.60% annually in the coming years. 

Use materials such as organic cotton, recycled fabrics, or biodegradable dyes in your tote bag to help your business align with the growing consumer preference for sustainable products.

The current trends in the tote bag space are minimalist designs, bold graphics, custom prints, and personalization options like monograms or hand-painted artwork. 

7. Handcrafted Hats

Hats are never out of style with popular types including beanies, which are great for colder months, and sun hats, which are perfect for summer. Each type can go with different seasonal demands and fashion needs.

In making your hats, use materials like wool, cotton, and straw. Patterns such as stripes, florals, and geometric designs can add a trendy touch to your handmade items​.

8. Stylish Gloves and Mittens

Knitting and crocheting allow for the creation of warm and stylish gloves and mittens. Using different yarns, textures, and patterns can make each pair unique.

Trends in this type of product include fingerless gloves, mittens with bold colors, and those incorporating tech-friendly features like touch-screen compatibility.

9. Unique Socks

Handmade socks can feature unique patterns like stripes, polka dots, or intricate knit designs. Materials such as merino wool or organic cotton can cater to customers seeking comfort and sustainability.

These can appeal to niche markets, including fashion enthusiasts looking for unique pieces, eco-conscious consumers, and those seeking personalized gifts​.

Home Décor and Accessories

Home décor and accessories include items such as furniture, wall art, lighting, rugs, vases, and other decorative objects that enhance the aesthetic appeal of a home. 

Benefits of Selling Homemade Home Décor and Accessories Online

• There is always a market for unique home décor items that stand out from mass-produced products.
• Home décor trends evolve, providing continuous opportunities to innovate and attract new customers.
• Many home décor items can be made from affordable materials. You don’t need a lot of upfront capital when creating these products.

Drawbacks of Selling Homemade Home Décor and Accessories Online

• Fragile or bulky items may have higher shipping costs and risks.
• Home decor handmade items can be time-intensive and may require a lot of creativity.

Here are some home décor DIY you can make and sell online:

10. Candles and Home Fragrances

Candles and home fragrances are products designed to enhance the scent and atmosphere of indoor spaces. They include items such as scented candles, diffusers, essential oil diffusers, and wax melts. 

These products are popular for their ability to create a pleasant ambiance, evoke memories, and mask unwanted odors​.

11. Hand-Painted Ceramics

Hand-painted ceramics, such as mugs and plates, are popular due to their uniqueness and personalized touch. Each piece can be a work of art, making it a desirable item for consumers looking for one-of-a-kind home décor.

Creating hand-painted ceramics involves using brushes, sponges, and stencils to apply designs to pre-made ceramic items. Key techniques include underglazing, overglazing, and using ceramic markers. The ceramics are then fired in a kiln to set the paint and make the designs permanent.

12. Wooden Décor Items

Wooden décor items such as signs and picture frames are favored for their rustic and natural look. They can be customized with paint, stains, and carvings to fit various interior design styles.

Basic woodworking skills are essential for creating these items. You should start with simple projects like cutting and painting wooden signs or frames. It’s also very important to ensure proper measurements and smooth finishes for a professional look​.

13. Vinyl Wall Art Decals

Design software such as Adobe Illustrator or CorelDRAW creates custom vinyl wall art decals. These programs allow for precise design and customization, enabling creators to produce intricate and detailed patterns.

Once the design is finalized, it can be printed onto vinyl sheets using a vinyl cutter. The application involves carefully peeling and sticking the decals onto walls, ensuring they are smooth and bubble-free.

14. Custom Name Signs

Custom name signs are popular in nurseries and other home areas. They add a personal touch and can be themed to match the room’s décor.

Creating custom name signs often involves using a scroll saw or laser cutter for precise lettering. After cutting, the signs can be sanded, painted, or stained. Finishing touches might include adding decorative elements like flowers or geometric shapes.

Crafts for Everyday Use

Items that people incorporate into their daily lives, such as personal care products, and practical accessories, are part of this niche. Since they are considered essentials, you can be sure that these items are always in high demand.

15. Handmade Soap and Bath Products

Handmade soaps typically use natural ingredients like olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter, and essential oils. Recipes can vary, so you can create a wide range of product lines with different scents and skin benefits.

In the soap and bath products business, effective packaging is crucial for attracting customers. Consider eco-friendly packaging such as recyclable paper or biodegradable bags. Creative labeling and attractive designs can also make a significant impact.

16. DIY Beauty Products

Similar to handmade soaps, other beauty products like hand creams and lotions can also be made using natural ingredients. Customizing the product’s scent and ingredients allows you to cater to different preferences and skin types.

When labeling your products, it’s best to emphasize the use of organic and natural ingredients to attract health-conscious consumers. You can do so by highlighting the benefits of each ingredient in your product descriptions.

17. Stationery and Notebooks

Offer personalized notebooks with custom covers, monograms, or unique designs. These are appealing gifts for students, professionals, or simply for people who prefer collecting stationery items.

Market your products as perfect for school, work, or personal journaling. Highlight their utility and personalization options to further attract customers into buying your items.

18. Personalized Keychains

Keychains can be made from various materials such as leather, metal, wood, or acrylic. You can offer keychains with customizable designs, including names, initials, or unique shapes.

19. Handcrafted Bookmarks

Themes of your handcrafted bookmarks can range from literary quotes and book characters to seasonal designs and inspirational messages. Cater to book lovers by offering a variety of designs that match different genres and tastes.

Use platforms like Goodreads, book clubs, and literary blogs to market your bookmarks. It’s also best to collaborate with authors or bookstores to reach a dedicated audience.

Kids and Pet Products

Parents and pet owners always seek unique, high-quality items for their loved ones, so kids and pet products are ideal for a DIY online store. Personalization increases their appeal, as customized products can meet specific preferences.

20. Custom Plush Toys

If you want to make custom plush toys and sell them online, you need to make sure the materials used are non-toxic and the designs meet safety regulations for children’s toys. Custom plush toys can include animals, fictional characters, and personalized items featuring children’s names or likenesses.

21. Educational Toys

Educational toys promote learning and development, making them attractive to parents and educators. Examples of these toys are kits that include all necessary materials and instructions for educational projects, such as science experiments or arts and crafts.

22. Pet Accessories

Pet accessories are always in demand, especially in the US which has 86.9 million pet owners. You can sell handmade collars and leashes using eco-friendly materials and offer personalized designs.

23. Pet Treats

Aside from pet accessories, you can try creating healthy, homemade pet treats using natural ingredients. You can also customize it for dietary needs, such as gluten-free or hypoallergenic options.

24. Costumes and Dress-Up Clothes

Create costumes for children and pets based on popular characters or seasonal themes. Use high-quality, safe materials to ensure customer satisfaction and repeat business.

Seasonal and Holiday Crafts

These are items created specifically for various holidays and seasons, such as Christmas, Halloween, Easter, and more. It includes decorations, gifts, and themed accessories that enhance the festive spirit.

Benefits of Selling Homemade Seasonal and Holiday Crafts Online

• There is always a significant market for festive and seasonal items.
• These products are perfect for gift-giving.
• Seasonal items can be adapted for different holidays, maximizing the use of materials and designs.

Drawback of Selling Homemade Seasonal and Holiday Crafts Online

• Sales can be highly seasonal. There are periods of high activity followed by slow times.
• Off-season inventory may require storage, which can add to costs.

Here are some holiday-themed ideas that you can make and sell online.

25. Holiday Ornaments

Common themes for holiday ornaments include Christmas characters like Santa, snowmen, reindeer, and more. They can be made from a variety of materials such as wood, glass, and clay, using techniques like painting, decoupage, and hand-lettering.

26. Gift Baskets

Gift baskets can be themed around specific holidays, such as Easter or Christmas, and include items like homemade jams, candles, and small crafts. Attractive packaging with ribbons and festive wrapping adds to their appeal.

27. Seasonal Wreaths

Wreaths can be designed for various holidays using materials like pine cones, flowers, ribbons, and ornaments. Each season brings different inspirations, from spring floral wreaths to Christmas tinsel wreaths.

28. Handmade Greeting Cards

Greeting cards can feature unique designs and personal messages. Essential tools to create one include card stock, stamps, inks, and decorative embellishments like stickers and ribbons. There are also various techniques when creating greeting cards, including stamping, embossing, and hand-painting.

Digital and Print Products

Digital and print products include items such as digital downloads, printables, graphic designs, and photography prints. With these types of products, you don’t need to handle a lot of physical raw materials. Although you might need a lot of creativity and digital skills to pull it off.

Benefits of Selling Homemade Digital and Print Products Online

• There are no physical inventory or shipping costs.
• Easily scale your business as demand increases without significant additional costs.
• Once created, products can generate income with minimal ongoing effort.

Drawbacks of Selling Digital and Print Products

• Due to piracy risks, digital products can be easily copied and distributed illegally.
• Handling technical issues and customer inquiries can be time-consuming.

29. Printables and Digital Downloads

Calendars, planners, and educational materials are highly sought after when it comes to printables. These items are highly versatile and can cater to both personal and professional needs.

Platforms like Etsy and Gumroad are ideal for selling these products. If you prefer more freedom and customization, you can also make your own website to sell stuff.​ 

30. Graphic Design Services

Providing services like custom logos, wedding invitations, and business branding materials can be a profitable side hustle or even a full-time career. These items are in constant demand from small businesses and individuals.

If you’re planning to offer graphic design services, tools like Adobe Illustrator, Canva, and Procreate are essential for creating high-quality designs. Mastery of these tools can significantly enhance the quality and appeal of your digital products​.

31. Photography Prints

Use print-on-demand services like Printful to offer physical prints without holding inventory. This allows you to focus on the creative aspect while the service handles printing and shipping.

Upcycled and Sustainable Crafts

If you would like to emphasize creativity and environmental consciousness by reducing waste and promoting sustainability, then upcycled crafts are for you. This involves repurposing and transforming discarded materials into new, functional, or decorative items.

Benefits of Selling Homemade Upcycled and Sustainable Crafts Online

• You’ll immediately have a positive image enhancing your brand reputation as environmentally responsible.
• You can also educate consumers about sustainability and recycling.

Drawbacks of Selling Upcycled and Sustainable Crafts

• Finding consistent supplies of discarded materials can be challenging.
• Upcycling often requires more time and effort compared to using new materials.

32. Upcycled Clothing and Accessories

Techniques in upcycling clothes include patchwork, embroidery, and fabric dyeing. It also involves sourcing high-quality second-hand materials and focusing on popular fashion trends to appeal to a broader audience​.

33. Recycled Home Décor

Common items include furniture, picture frames, and wall art made from wood, metal, and glass. These materials are often sourced from discarded household items or thrift stores​.

34. Eco-Friendly Crafts

There is a high demand for eco-friendly crafts due to increasing consumer awareness about sustainability. Materials such as recycled paper, reclaimed wood, and organic fabrics are commonly used when creating these artworks. Aside from being sustainable, these materials also add a unique aesthetic to the products​.

Miscellaneous Profitable Crafts

35. Custom Phone Cases

This can include designs featuring trendy patterns, pop culture references, and personalized images. Print-on-demand services are also available for phone cases.

36. DIY Planters and Plant Accessories

Common materials when making DIY plant accessories include ceramic, wood, and recycled containers. Modern, minimalist designs and quirky, colorful pots are in demand.

37. Decorative Pillows

Basic sewing skills are needed if you want to make and sell decorative pillows, and it includes cutting fabric, sewing seams, and inserting zippers. Popular design trends include themed pillows for holidays, monogrammed pillows, and pillows with unique and cute patterns.

38. Handmade Kitchen Accessories

In-demand items in handmade kitchen accessories include cutting boards, coasters, and utensil holders. Personalizing these items with names, initials, or unique designs can make them more attractive.

39. Unique Clocks

Clocks can be made from wood, metal, or recycled materials, with designs ranging from rustic to modern. Customers looking for unique home décor pieces or personalized gifts will definitely love this product.

40. Custom Drinkware

Custom drinkware is an excellent product to make and sell online due to its versatility and widespread appeal. It serves as a practical item that people use daily, whether it’s a coffee mug, water bottle, or wine tumbler. The custom aspect allows for personalization, making these items great for gifts, promotional products, or personal keepsakes.

Moreover, custom drinkware is not just a consumer product; it also serves as a powerful marketing tool. Companies often use branded drinkware to increase brand visibility, as these items are frequently used and seen in public settings.

Advanced and Niche Crafts

Niche crafts offer a unique selling proposition in the online marketplace. With the right marketing strategies and platforms, artisans can successfully reach their target audience and turn their passion into a profitable business. 

These crafts are excellent for online sales because they cater to specific interests and markets. It allows sellers to offer unique and highly valued items that stand out from mass-produced goods.

Benefits of Selling Homemade Advanced and Niche Crafts Online

• Specialized crafts attract dedicated enthusiasts willing to pay a premium for unique items.
• Many advanced crafts can be customized, further enhancing their appeal.
• Fewer sellers focus on these specialized products. Competition is much lower.

Drawbacks of Selling Homemade Advanced and Niche Crafts

• Equipment and materials for advanced crafts can be expensive.
• As these are niche crafts, mastering the techniques to do the product can take significant time and effort.

41. Laser Engraved Items

Laser engraving allows for precise customization on various materials such as wood, metal, glass, leather, and acrylic. This technology enables the creation of personalized gifts, corporate merchandise, home decor, and more. Overall, it caters to a wide range of customer preferences.

One significant advantage of laser engraved products is their high perceived value. Personalized items like engraved pens, tumblers, jewelry, and plaques are often seen as thoughtful gifts, making them ideal for occasions such as weddings, anniversaries, and corporate events.

42. 3D Printed Crafts

With a 3D printer, you can create a wide range of unique and customizable products, from intricate miniatures and cosplay accessories to practical items like phone stands and planters​.

One of the significant advantages of selling 3D-printed crafts online is the relatively low cost of entry. Once you have a 3D printer, the primary expenses are materials and design time. Popular materials like Polylactic Acid (PLA) filaments are affordable and come in various colors and finishes. Moreover, the 3D printing community provides a wealth of open-source designs that can be customized, or you can create your own unique models.

43. Needle Felted Goods

Needle felting involves using barbed needles to shape and compact wool fibers into detailed figures or designs. Popular items to create using this technique include toys, animal figures, and home decor items like wall hangings and ornaments.

44. Handmade Musical Instruments

Common handmade instruments that you can make and sell online include ukuleles, drums, and flutes. The materials and tools used can vary; they can be wood, metal, and others. You’ll also need specialized tools for shaping and tuning the instruments. Most importantly, craftsmanship and sound quality are critical to your product’s appeal.

45. Craft Kits for DIY Enthusiasts

With these kits, you offer a fun and convenient way for people to explore new hobbies from the comfort of their homes. The crafts kits should typically include all the necessary materials and instructions to make them accessible even for beginners. This ease of use, combined with the satisfaction of creating something unique, makes them highly appealing to a broad audience.

Kits for jewelry making, painting, knitting, and model building are currently popular among consumers. When selling these items, it’s best to use clear, high-quality images and detailed descriptions to create sample products out of the kit.

FAQs On How To DIY Make and Sell Online

Final Thoughts

The rise of e-commerce has significantly impacted the handmade industry, providing artisans with the tools and platforms needed to reach a broader audience.

Platforms like Shopify, Etsy, and Amazon Handmade offer various features to support sellers, from website-building tools to integrated payment processing and shipping solutions.

These platforms also provide analytics and marketing tools to help sellers understand their audience and optimize their sales strategies.

However, there are challenges associated with running a handmade business from home. Sellers must navigate regulations for their industry, such as food hygiene standards or relevant permits, and compete with larger, established businesses that have access to more capital.

Additionally, working from home can be isolating, and sellers must find ways to stay motivated and connected with their customers and peers.

The market for handmade and customized products is growing. Aside from having the creative flair for handmade DIY crafts, your unique creations should also stand out in this competitive landscape.

Now is the perfect time to start creating and selling. Instead of using major e-commerce platforms to sell your products, you can also build a fast and beautifully designed website. If you choose to do so, make sure to invest in reliable web hosting. These steps will set you on the path to success.

The post 45 Things to Make and Sell Online for Profit in 2025 appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

To many owners, pets are more than just animals; they are members of the family. In fact, according to statistics, 66% of U.S. households have at least one pet, which totals about 86.9 million homes.

This strong emotional bond with pets calls for a website that shows the same care and affection that owners feel. If you have a business that caters to pets and their owners, building a website of this quality is a must.

The good news is that WordPress makes this easier with its themes that are highly specific for various pet-related activities. These are ideal for veterinarians, pet shop owners, and animal lovers.

Now, let’s explore below the best WordPress themes designed specifically for pets.

Our Picks for the Best Pet Themes for WordPress         

Neve

The Neve WordPress theme is a top pick for pet-related websites because it blends its sleek aesthetics with functionality. Its pet shop template has all the features to help you set up a blog or a portal for a pet care service.

One of its key features is its AMP support. This gives you a faster browsing experience on mobile devices, an important feature in today’s mobile-centric world. 

Moreover, Neve works well with popular page builders like Elementor and Beaver Builder. You can design your site visually without needing to code, simplifying the process of building a unique and functional website.

If you’re looking to sell pet products online, Neve’s WooCommerce compatibility provides a straightforward way to set up an online store.

The theme also offers innovative features such as saving your templates in the Neve Cloud. You can transfer these templates to other websites, providing flexibility and consistency across your projects.

Benefits of Neve

• Less than 1 second  loading times
• Variety of pre-built demo content for quick and easy setup
• SEO optimized to help achieve better search engine rankings
• Regular updates keep the theme secure and up-to-date with the latest WordPress versions
• The theme meets web accessibility standards

Drawback of Neve

• Limited color options in the default customizer                          

Pets

The Pets WordPress Theme by Haustiere is a great option for a fury-friendly business. It comes with WooCommerce integration that makes selling pet products like toys, food, and accessories easy.

This theme lets you customize your website with different headers, footers, and menu styles to match every part of your pet care business.

Additionally, the pet theme works well with WPML and Polylang plugins and supports multiple languages and right-to-left writing. It’s accessible to pet enthusiasts who speak different languages and helps them overcome language barriers.

The theme also works well with popular WordPress plugins like Contact Form 7 and Slider Revolution. These plugins make it easy for your customers to contact you and add visually dynamic elements to your pages.

Lastly, the theme includes features like social sharing and mega menus. These features improve navigation and make the website more interactive, which can encourage visitors to spend more time exploring your content.

Benefits of Pets

• Regular updates and responsive support from theme developers
• Includes PSD files for deeper customization
• Offers over 40 styles for grid posts
• Compatible with all major browsers like Firefox, Safari, Chrome, Opera, and IE 9+
• Has great social sharing features

Drawback of Pets

• The theme is not optimized for Gutenberg

PetsGroom

Specifically made for pet grooming services, the PetsGroom WordPress theme provides an ideal solution for these types of businesses. 

This theme merges attractive design with functional features. Its design and tools are tailored to meet the specific demands of grooming professionals, making it a standout choice in the pet themes WordPress category.

It has advanced theme options that allow for extensive customization. You can adjust colors, fonts, and layout settings to align perfectly with your pet grooming shop.

Additionally, its integrated booking form is a crucial feature, enabling clients to easily schedule grooming appointments directly through the website.

To enhance client communication, PetsGroom includes a setup for newsletter subscriptions. This feature keeps your clients informed about new services, special offers, or changes in scheduling. 

Widgets for testimonials and team profiles are also integrated into this theme, which is essential for building trust with potential clients by showcasing your expertise and positive customer feedback.

Benefits of PetsGroom

• Google Maps integration makes it easy for clients to find your location
• Elementor Page Builder provides drag-and-drop functionality for effortless website building and customization
• Social media integration enhances engagement and extends your reach online
• Supports multimedia content so you can showcase your services through images and videos
• Regular updates to keep the theme secure

Drawback of PetsGroom

• Reliance on Elementor for customization might be limiting for those who prefer other builders

Wild Safari

The Wild Safari WordPress theme combines the splendor of nature with a polished website. This free theme was made with a deep appreciation for conservation and wildlife in mind.

The theme is cross-browser compatible with a seamless experience across different web browsers. You can easily reach a broader audience without technical hindrances.

Additionally, Wild Safari includes three slider options that help you captivate visitors with striking visuals of animals and nature.

The inclusion of multiple custom widgets also offers significant flexibility in customization and functionality. You can tailor the site to meet specific needs while maintaining a clean and engaging user interface. 

Lastly, its full-width page template provides a broader visual style, which can be particularly impactful for showcasing large, beautiful wildlife photography. It can also help raise awareness and educate the public about natural environments and the animals within them.

Benefits of Wild Safari

• Has strong support and documentation to troubleshoot issues and customize your site
• Translation-ready so you can translate your content into multiple languages
• Integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce for handling online sales
• Social media integration that helps you connect to various platforms
• Offers numerous tools for modifying layout and appearance

Drawback of Wild Safari

• Advanced features might require purchasing the full version or additional plugins

PawFriends

PawFriends is a standout among pet themes for WordPress, designed specifically for pet shop or veterinary clinic websites. With its user-friendly features, it promises to simplify the creation of an online presence for pet care services.

The theme’s WooCommerce compatibility allows pet shop owners to set up an online store effortlessly, making it possible to sell pet products directly to consumers. 

Additionally, the WPBakery Page Builder integration offers drag-and-drop functionality. You can customize your shop with all your creative processes. 

The theme also includes a Slider Revolution plugin. This tool provides beautiful sliders that showcase services or products in a visually appealing manner. Moreover, the One-Click Demo Import function ensures that site setup is both quick and straightforward, using pre-built demo content that can be customized as needed.

And in today’s digital world where many users access the internet via smartphones and tablets, PawFriends boasts a responsive design.

Benefits of PawFriends

• Includes major plugins like WPBakery at no additional cost
• Regular updates keep the theme compatible with the latest web technologies
• Offers multiple blog layouts and custom shortcodes for enhanced versatility
• Features social media integration to promote services effectively
• Adapts seamlessly across various displays and browsers

Drawback of PawFriends

• Reliance on premium plugins may require ongoing subscriptions for updates

Eclipse

The Eclipse WordPress theme was originally created for photographers, although it can also be used for pet-related websites. Its simple yet highly functional design makes it perfect for showcasing pet photography, animal galleries, or promoting pet services. 

With its retina-ready display, every element on your website will look great on all devices. Expect your photos to appear sharp and engaging when using this theme.

Additionally, the visual customizer feature allows you to easily adjust colors and fonts on your website.

Eclipse also supports WooCommerce to help smoothen any transaction process right from your website. The theme further includes gallery and blog templates, which are perfect for displaying pet photos or sharing care tips. 

Lastly, its widgetized homepage adds flexibility and enables you to feature different types of content. Combined with its infinite scroll capability, you’ll surely keep your website visitors engaged.

Benefits of Eclipse

• Comprehensive theme options panel allows for detailed customization to suit your needs
• Social media integration enhances your online presence and reach
• Provides a 14-day money-back guarantee
• Detailed documentation and support are available
• Mobile responsiveness provides an optimal browsing experience across all devices

Drawbacks of Eclipse

• The theme is primarily designed for photography, which might require additional customization for typical pet business functionalities
• Has limited color options in the default setup

Pet World

The Pet World theme offers a full range of features to meet the needs of pet care businesses, including options for showcasing services, managing pet sitter listings, and creating job directories for pet-related roles.

A key feature of the theme is its advanced search functionality, which allows users to easily filter and find pet sitters or specific services.

The theme also includes pre-built forms and detailed service pages, simplifying the connection between pet owners and service providers.

With Pet World’s integration with Visual Composer, users can build custom pages easily with a drag-and-drop interface. Anyone, regardless of their technical skills, can create attractive and functional layouts with ease.

Additionally, the theme is responsive and retina-ready. It also supports WooCommerce, allowing for immediate e-commerce capabilities post-installation.

Benefits of Pet World

• Includes a mega menu to improve navigation
• Comprehensive documentation and customer support to help with setup and management
• Detailed pages for products and services that provide clear information to potential clients
• Inclusion of premium plugins at no extra cost, which saves money and adds extra features

Drawback of Pet World

• Does not offer a free version

The Pet Clinic

With Pet Clinic as your WordPress theme, you’ll never go wrong. It provides you with a professional set of tools to bring your pet-centered business online.

One of its main features is its online appointment booking system. With this, your clients can easily schedule visits online and also see if your clinic is open for business.

Another great aspect of this theme is the team profiles section, which allows you to introduce your veterinary professionals to potential clients. It also helps in building trust and credibility on your site.

In addition, the theme includes a blog section where you can share valuable pet care tips and news updates. You can also share your veterinary clinic milestones and case studies.

Lastly, its photo gallery feature lets you showcase images of your facilities and happy patients. This enhances your site’s visual appeal and can reassure potential clients of the quality of your services.

Benefits of Pet Clinic

• Available in both free and paid versions
• Has an SEO-friendly design
• Translation-ready and accessible to non-English speakers 
• You can use the license on unlimited sites
• Regularly updates and enhances security features

Drawback of Pet Clinic

• You may need some time to fully explore and utilize the functionalities of the theme

Veterinary Pet Care

From the name itself, this pet theme for WordPress is perfect for veterinary clinics and pet care companies. It’s a free theme with a modern, minimalist design that’s both eye-catching and effective for engaging customers.

It has a user-friendly interface where you can easily manage and update the website. This allows your clinic staff to spend more time caring for animals and less on dealing with website issues.

Furthermore, the theme offers comprehensive support and documentation. It’s also compatible with WooCommerce for your online selling needs.

The Veterinary Pet Care WordPress theme supports extensive customization through advanced options, allowing you to adjust colors, layouts, and features. It’s also ready for translation, which can help you reach a diverse audience.

On top of all these features, the theme integrates smoothly with social media, enhancing your ability to share content and expand your reach.

Benefits of Veterinary Pet Care

• Built-in blog features for posting informative content
• Supports RTL languages
• Modern and eye-catching design helps attract and retain customers
• Fast loading times improve user experience and enhance SEO performance
• Includes pre-designed page layouts to simplify the initial setup process and speed up site deployment

Drawback of Veterinary Pet Care

• Some of the themes plugins and widgets may not be compatible with certain browsers

OceanWP

The OceanWP WordPress theme is an excellent option for creating a professional website, especially for pet-themed businesses. 

It offers extensive customization options directly within the WordPress Customizer. This theme is perfect for pet stores, veterinary clinics, or any pet-related service that wants a distinctive look.

OceanWP has professional demo layouts including animal themes that can be set up with just one click. These demos are designed to provide a high-quality foundation for your website without all the complexities of building one.

But for those who would like to further customize their website, this theme is also compatible with popular page builders like Elementor and Beaver Builder, making it easy to create complex layouts.

Additionally, OceanWP is responsive and supports multiple languages.

Benefits of OceanWP 

• Dedicated settings enhance mobile responsiveness and page loading speeds
• Affordable pricing for the premium version, which includes extra features and dedicated customer support
• Features a real-time custom CSS editor for additional customization
• Extensive documentation and community support simplify usage and customization
• The theme is continuously updated by the developer

Drawback of  OceanWP

• Users might find the number of settings and options daunting if they prefer simpler themes

Pet Business

If you run a pet store, grooming service, or veterinary clinic, The Pet Business WordPress theme can help you build a strong online presence. It comes in both free and paid versions to fit various budgets.

Its prominent features are its hero sections and image sliders that help you display your main services or products. It has six demo sites to choose from including medical, blog, and magazine templates for your furry friends.

The theme also loads quickly and efficiently, enhancing user experience and boosting your website’s search engine performance. A fast and responsive site keeps visitors engaged and makes them browse your site longer.

In addition, the Pet Business theme is highly customizable. You can easily change colors and logos to align with your branding. It also includes custom menus and flexible headers for easy navigation.

And if you have an international audience, this theme has got you covered with its translation features.

Benefits of Pet Business

• Has a testimonial section to build a good reputation with visitors
• Clear call to action section
• Translation-ready
• Advanced font family option to change text style easily
• Uses infinite scroll for easy site navigation

Drawback of Pet Business

• Not as feature-rich as some premium themes

PopularFx

The PopularFX WordPress theme is a great choice for anyone building a pet-related website. This pet care theme offers user-friendly features and a versatile toolkit that comes in very handy.

Its library of over 500 pre-made templates makes it very easy to choose your preferred design. And if you’re not yet satisfied, you can customize each template to match your branding and look.

The theme also includes a drag-and-drop builder, which greatly simplifies your design process. The builder lets you visually create your page layout, seeing changes as they happen and making adjustments easily without needing to code. 

PopularFX also excels in typography due to its integration with Google Fonts. This gives you a wide range of font styles to choose from, improving your site’s readability and style.

Benefits of PopularFX

• Affordable pricing, with different options to suit various needs
• Integrated social media features to boost engagement and reach
• Has a fast performance, thanks to its lightweight design
• Offers a high degree of customization with numerous design elements and widgets
• WooCommerce compatible

Drawback of PopularFX

• Premium support is tied to subscription plans, which might be a recurring cost

VW Pet Shop

The VW Pet Shop WordPress theme is designed for pet-related businesses like pet stores, veterinary clinics, pet groomers, and animal welfare organizations. It provides a strong foundation for anyone involved with animal products, services, or welfare.

This theme is part of a comprehensive WordPress bundle that includes over 240 themes, including animal care themes that are distinctive and highly functional. The VW Pet Shop allows you to modify text, colors, and fonts across different sections to align with your brand.

A key feature of this theme is its translation readiness, which makes your website accessible in different languages. It is also compatible with WooCommerce.

Lastly, the theme has great social media integration which is vital for modern businesses. The theme also includes SEO optimization to enhance your site’s visibility, improve search engine rankings, and attract more visitors.

Benefits of VW Pet Shop 

• Has a beautiful page layout with a handy left or right sidebar
• Direct support from theme developers ensures you can get help when you need it
• Contact Us page templates are available for use
• Compatible with the latest WordPress release
• Unlimited number of slides for photo galleries

Drawback of VW Pet Shop

• As this is a popular theme, creating a unique look may require more customization work

Horsieside

Horsieside is an exemplary choice for equestrian centers, horse farms, and riding stables. This theme is specifically designed to cater to the unique needs of equestrian sports and activities.

It features a charming design and ready-made layouts that present your club’s information attractively and effectively.

This theme also has a subscription form feature. It serves as a powerful email marketing tool, allowing you to keep customers informed about news and events while also helping you generate leads.

Additionally, Horsieside integrates Google Maps, which is incredibly useful for location-based services and in helping customers find your center easily.

The theme also includes an events calendar, perfect for scheduling and managing upcoming events, competitions, or social gatherings.

Benefits of Horsieside 

• Has a blog and gallery for content and media presentation
• The admin panel allows complete customization of the template
• User-friendly design with drag-and-drop building features 
• Has an online booking system included in the theme 
• Supports multiple browsers and devices

Drawback of Horsieside

• Predominantly suited for equestrian sites, which may limit its use in other fields.

OnLeash

OnLeash has dog walking and animal care themes available for WordPress.

This theme features its online booking system that streamlines the process of scheduling appointments, making it more convenient for customers to book services directly through the website.

OnLeash also supports Visual Composer, a powerful tool that provides easy customization of the website through a drag-and-drop interface. 

In addition, the inclusion of Revolution Slider in this theme enhances its visual appeal. It enables dynamic sliders that showcase services, special offers, or customer testimonials engagingly.

The theme is also designed to be responsive and retina-ready so that it looks sharp and functions smoothly across all devices.

Benefits of OnLeash

• Integrates with popular plugins, extending the site’s capabilities and functionality
• Offers nine demo styles for blogs and professional support to assist with any technical issues
• Includes pre-designed pages, which speed up the website setup process
• WooCommerce compatible
• Has custom designs for headers and footers

Drawbacks of OnLeash

• The advanced features and reliance on Visual Composer may require a learning curve for those new to page builders
• Does not offer a free version

Pet Rescue

Pet Rescue is the perfect choice for those involved in animal welfare and nature conservation efforts. It’s designed for animal shelters, nature movement websites, and fundraising campaigns. 

This theme has seamless integration with The Events Calendar and its plugin. With this, organizations can easily schedule, manage, and promote upcoming events directly on their website.

Additionally, the theme includes PayPal donation functionality, making it straightforward for supporters to contribute financially to your causes.

Pet Rescue also features a custom admin panel that greatly expands the capabilities of the standard WordPress dashboard. This provides you with plenty of options and settings to customize your website.

Lastly, this theme comes with the Layer Slider and Revolution Slider plugins. It offers dynamic, engaging ways to present content from success stories of rescued animals to highlights of ongoing conservation projects. 

Benefits of Pet Rescue

• Comprehensive theme documentation simplifies setup and customization
• Offers hundreds of Google fonts for extensive customization
• Retina-ready design enhances visual appeal on high-resolution displays
• Unlimited menu colors allow for complete branding alignment
• Content animations add interactivity to engage visitors effectively

Drawback of Pet Rescue

• Customer support needs to be improved

Petito

Petito is an engaging WooCommerce WordPress theme made for the pet supplies industry.

The theme boasts an effective homepage slider and hover effects that highlight products. This design strategy is excellent for showcasing top-selling items or promotions. 

Additionally, the newsletter popup is a strategic tool integrated into the theme. It aims to increase customer engagement and retention by encouraging visitors to subscribe to updates and special offers.

Navigation in this theme is seamless thanks to its Mega Menu functionality, which includes a dropdown navigation panel. It allows for a multicolumn arrangement of links and the inclusion of customized HTML blocks, making it easier for customers to find what they need without hassle. 

Moreover, installation of the Petito theme is a breeze with its one-click demo import feature.

Benefits of Petito

• Offers six different homepage layouts for varied design preferences
• Free lifetime updates to ensure ongoing improvements and security
• Ajax login and registration for a streamlined user experience
• Instagram Feed integration to enhance social media presence and engagement
• Product filter by categories to help customers browse with ease

Drawbacks of Petito

• The theme’s updates may take a while
• Does not offer a free version

FAQs About Pet Themes for WordPress

Wrapping Things Up

With more people, especially younger generations, viewing pets as family members, there’s a growing demand for online pet services.

For those with businesses in the animal niche, selecting the right WordPress theme for your website is more than just about looks. It’s about choosing a platform that works well, connects with your audience, and makes managing your online activities easier. 

A good WordPress theme can greatly improve your pet business. So if I were you, I’d start exploring these top themes for pets and animals to find your ideal one.

The post 17 Best Themes for Pets and Animals for WordPress appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

Registration for this event is free unless you want to donate. Although donations aren’t necessary to enjoy the event, they are helpful in making sure events such as this continue in the future.

Plus, you can add a bit extra to your donation to receive a shirt specific to WordPress Accessibility Day.

Personally, I rather enjoy memorabilia and merch from events such as this. In fact, my daughter still walks around with one of our WordCamp shirts from four years ago.

What is WordPress Accessibility Day?

Started in 2020, WordPress Accessibility Day is essentially a day of recognizing those with disabilities using the Internet. This includes those who suffer from various visual impairments, hearing loss, mobility complications, epilepsy, dyslexia, and a host of other complications.

As roughly 16% of the world’s population has a significant disability, a more accessible way to use the Internet is ideal for everyone. This event helps bring to light the importance of accessibility and why it’s vital for online success.

The event is held online as attendees are able to register for free and watch the live streams during Zoom webinars. And because WordPress Accessibility Day is a 24-hour event, attendees can watch live streams regardless of where they live across the globe.

If you miss a specific talk, don’t worry; recordings are available on the WordPress Accessibility Day’s YouTube channel.

I like the idea that recordings are becoming more apparent today. There have been a lot of talks I would have loved to see but were in a WordCamp on the other side of the world. This lets everyone enjoy the content at their leisure.

What to Expect from WordPress Accessibility Day

The event starts on September 27, 2023, and begins at 14:45 UTC with opening remarks from Amber Hinds, Co-lead organizer. Afterward, you can attend more than 20 webinars covering a variety of topics.

Some of the talks that stand out most to me include:

• Is my WordPress site accessible? How to Perform Accessibility and Usability Tests
  Do you know if your website is accessible? Depending on location, having accessibility options may actually be enforceable by law. In this talk, Maria Gabriela Gandica helps you test for and improve the accessibility of your website.
• Go Beyond Checklists to Build a Great Course Learning Experience
  For those who are interested in building learning courses with a Learning Management System, Sandi Gauder walks you through going beyond simple checklists to create learning content that is great for everyone to use.
• Let’s Build an Accessible WordPress Page & Post
  Do you know what it takes to create an accessible post or page in WordPress? In this webinar, Peter Ingersoll demonstrates the best practices for including accessibility in your content.
• Mobile Accessibility: Building Accessible Mobile Sites and Native Apps for Accessibility
  Did you know that currently, more than 54% of Internet users are on mobile devices? Mobile accessibility is just as important as it is for desktop computers, and Gian Wild will break down the best practices to accommodate those who use those devices.
• Accessibility Pitfalls of WordPress Menus
  Not everyone puts a lot of thought into the accessibility of menus in WordPress. In this discussion, Deneb Pulsipher goes over why you should include accessibility in menus and what to avoid by showing how certain WordPress themes fail to accommodate.

These are just a handful of the talks you’ll have access to on WordPress Accessibility Day. Others include everything from accessible email methods to creating animation pause buttons.

Regardless of the type of website you build with WordPress, there are topics for virtually everyone…figuratively and literally.

Register for Free!

Don’t forget that registration is free. This one-day event has a lot of great webinars, available, and you don’t want to miss out on the information provided. And if you miss a few because of timing, you can also access them on YouTube, as I mentioned earlier.

I’d like to end by thanking all of the organizers, attendees, volunteers, and sponsors for helping maintain the WordPress Accessibility Day event. You all demonstrate how an amazing community can bring together so many creative and awesome minds.

The post WordPress Accessibility Day, September 2023 appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

En este webinar Rita Robles le llevará desde la instalación de Elementor Builder hasta la creación de una Landing Page básica.

¿Qué aprenderá acerca de Elementor Builder?

Este video contiene información acerca Elementor Builder, potente maquetador visual de páginas web que le permitirá crear páginas web a su gusto y de una forma muy amigable.

Hoy aprenderá cómo instalar Elementor Builder desde la instalación deWordPress y así comenzar a crear una landing page básica del tema desu preferencia. Aprenderá cómo utilizarlo de forma correcta y cómo obtener provecho de todas las herramientas que ofrece.

La versión de Elementor utilizada en este webinar será la versión gratuita.

En futuros webinars se hará uso de Elementor Pro, ¡así que permanezca atento a ellos!Algunas de las cosas que aprenderá sobre Elementor incluyen:

Instalando complementos

Rita lo guiará através de la instalación de los complementos que se utilizarán para la creación de su página. Primeramente, instalará el tema Hello Elementor, con el cual llevará a cabo la creación de la landing page de ejemplo.

Este tema es 100% compatible con Elementor Builder, cuando se lanza una nueva versión de Elementor, lamayoría de las pruebas se llevan a cabo con el tema Hello Elementor, por lo que es una excelente forma de comenzar a darle forma a su landing page.

Otro de los plugins que Rita instalará es Elementor Header, Footer & Blocks, el cual será utilizado para la creación de una cabecera y pie de página hechas a su gusto, podrá hacer uso de estas secciones en cualquier lugar de su sitio web de una forma muy sencilla.

Por ultimo, instalará WPForms Lite, con el cual Rita le mostrará comocrear paso a paso un formulario de contacto en WordPress con solamente arrastrar y soltar los elementos, y de esta manera usted pueda obtener los mensajes que su audiencia desee enviarle y así estar en comunicación.

Personalizando la identidad del sitio

Rita repasará la configuración general de su sitio web, en esta sección aprenderá a agregar su logo, título y descripción de su sitio web. Es importante que su sitio tenga una identidad que lo represente en internet.

Además, verá como crear un menú con los distintos enlaces que se utilizarán en la landing page de ejemplo, como lo son: Inicio, Variedades, Métodos y Contacto, usted agregará sus enlaces de menu de acuerdo con el contenido que desea mostrar, en este ejemplo Rita creará su landing page con un tema que le apasiona, como lo es el café.

Creando la página de Inicio

Como primer paso para la creación de su landing page, Rita le mostrará como crear la página de Inicio desde cero, la cual, va a contener toda la información del tema que desea dar a conocer y será su página de portada.

Conocerá que existen dos tipos de plantillas con el tema Hello Elementor, Elementor ancho completo y Elementor canvas.

Con Elementor ancho completo, su página heredará la cabecera y pie de página creados y personalizados que usted haya compuesto. Si selecciona Elementor Canvas, lo que obtendrá es una página en blanco, con la cual usted podrá crear su página a su gusto sin heredar la cabecera y pie de páginas, esto es útil cuando no desee que todas sus páginas luzcan de la misma manera.

Para el ejemplo que muestra este webinar, se utilizará la plantilla Elementor ancho completo.

Creando un encabezado con Elementor

Con el plugin Elementor Header, Footer & Blocks que instaló previamente, usted puede crear con Elementor, una cabecera para su landing page. Rita le mostrará como realizar todo el proceso paso a paso, usted puede elegir en qué páginas de su sitio web se visualice la cabecera.

En esta parte del webinar profundizará en las herramientas que ofrece Elementor Builder, las cuales encontrará al lado izquierdo de su páginaweb, en un panel de control en el cual puede seleccionar la herramienta que necesite.

En este panel, también visualizará las herramientas de WordPress.

Rita mostrará la estructura de columnas en la cual está basado Elementor Builder y explicará detallamente como manipular cada sección. Comenzará a agregar los elementos como el logo, menu, título del sitio web, y así dar forma al encabezado.

¡Es momento de comenzar a crear la magia!

Creando un pie de página con Elementor

Es tiempo de crear el pie de página que adornará su landing page y Rita está lista para mostrarle como hacerlo. En esta parte del webinar, aprenderá como agregar una nuestras Green Tags a travésdel enlace GreenGeeks Seal que se encuentra en el dashboard que como cliente puede acceder en cualquier momento.

Es una asombrosa forma de mostrarle al mundo que su sitio es verde y “reductor de carbono”, puede sentirse feliz de estar ayudando a marcar la diferencia alojando sus páginas web en una plataforma que es ecológica.

Creando un formulario de contacto

Toda sitio web necesitará de un formulario de contacto, con el cual las personas que accedan a su sitio pueden establecer comunicación con usted.

Rita le mostrará como hacer un formulario de contacto en pocos minutos mediante el plugin WPForms Lite que permite crear un formulario sencillo y funcional.

Más adelante cuando proceda a crear todo el contenido de su landing page, hará uso del formulario de contacto para incorporarlo a la misma.

Creando contenido

La creación de contenido es la parte esencial para que su landing pagepueda mostrar a su público espectador lo que desea transmitir, mediante texto, imágenes, video y demás elementos disponibles.

Rita le mostrará el proceso de realizar esto con Elementor Builder, aprenderá como colocar todo el contenido en un solo lugar de una forma amigable y entretenida.

Ya cuenta con la cabecera y pie de página, entonces es momento de agregar el contenido que va a ir en el medio de ambas secciones. En esta parte del webinar, Rita le mostrará como agregar cada una de las imágenes descargadas previamente acerca del café.

Como buena práctica, Rita recomienda tener todas las imágenes descargadas con anterioridad y en un tamaño optimizado.

También, profundizará en cómo hacer uso de las distintas funciones que contiene Elementor Builder para manipular las imágenes, como por ejemplo, crear una opacidad a la imagen y dar una forma medianteel divisor de forma.

Echará un vistazo a demás opciones que este maquetador visual de WordPress le ofrece, como la opción de División Interior con la cual aprenderá como duplicar contenido de una forma sencilla y que le ahorrará tiempo.

Creará un carrusel de imágenes dándole un estilo agradable a la vista y añadirá un contador para mostrar las variedadesy métodos para preparar el café.

¡Aquí es donde su imaginación le permitirá ser tan creativo como quiera!

Por ultimo, Rita le mostrará como agregar la información de contacto para su landing page, agregando los campos de teléfono y correo electrónico. Así como también agregando el formulario de contacto creado anteriormente y el mapa de Google Maps.

¡Espero verte de nuevo para aprender más sobre Elementor Page Builder!

Nos gustaría agradecer a todos los que sintonizaron nuestro webinar. Esperamos poder ayudarlo a mejorar su aprendizaje sobre Elementor yWordPress en general.

Permanece atento a nuestras redes sociales para saber cuándo estará disponible el próximo webinar, muy pronto tendremos algunos webinars con Elementor Pro.

¡Muchas Gracias y feliz aprendizaje!

The post Elementor Básico: Contruyendo una Landing Page appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

As you can certainly imagine, there are some very good reasons why researchers are not allowed to travel there at the moment. If you contract coronavirus in the Antarctic, you will not be able to receive the necessary medical treatment.

Traveling to Antarctica is not easy. It is not like there is one flight to Antarctica available at every airport. Instead, it typically takes multiple flights to reach the frozen continent. This puts researchers at a high risk considering the current pandemic.

As a result, BAS will be ending research trips for the time being.

Impact on Research

Without a doubt, stopping expeditions and measurements of the Antarctic ice sheets will have an impact on research in the region.

The Antarctic is the perfect place to view the effects of climate change. Since 1994, over 4,000 gigatons of ice has melted. That is enough water to fill the Grand Canyon!

Yet, modern technology has improved dramatically. With simulations and satellite imagery, researchers can still gather quite a bit of information, so not all research will end outright. Instead, a large amount of research can still continue.

But, we are losing access to a place to accurately judge just how far climate change has come.

Expeditions Likely to Resume in 2021

It is very likely that once conditions improve, expeditions will resume.

An exact date can not be given until progress is made containing COVID-19, and a vaccination will play a major role in this. After all, there simply is no way to deal with a patient in Antarctica.

The post COVID-19 Will Prevent Research in Antarctica appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

But first, what does a CRM do?

A CRM—Customer Relationship Manager—is a piece of software that stores information about your business contacts all in one place. You can use the information from your CRM to build relationships with your contacts, market to them, and ultimately turn them into happy customers.

If you’re not already using a CRM to store essential business data, you’ll want to install a CRM plugin for your WordPress site today.

A CRM plugin makes it easy to operate your business within the backend of WordPress, so you’re not switching between multiple tools all day long. In this post, we’ll cover the five best WordPress CRM plugins for your WordPress site so you can choose the one that’s best for you.

The Best WordPress CRM Plugins

1. HubSpot

HubSpot is a CRM, live chat, and marketing tool all rolled into one.

With the free HubSpot WordPress plugin, HubSpot works seamlessly within the WordPress interface. The plugin gives you the ability to manage contacts, send emails, oversee form completions and access business analytics without losing sleep over having to track everything manually.

The free plugin essentially kills the need for logging into a dozen different services to measure your business growth.

Benefits

• Can use HubSpot within the WordPress environment.
• HubSpot has many powerful integrations. With access to 300 plus integrations, you have a powerful piece of software that extends many times over from a simple CRM.
• With built-in live chat options, you can engage site visitors in real-time. Live chat is a proven way to improve conversions.

Pricing

Both HubSpot CRM and HubSpot’s WordPress plugin are free.

2. vCita

vCita is a powerful integrated CRM and leads management solution. Track new sales, integrations, get insights into what’s working and collect payments all from a single point.

There’s a lot you can do with vCita’s plugin. Send messages, set appointments, and upload documents. Even payment services are integrated letting you pay for services from your WordPress dashboard.

With iOS and Android apps, you can view customer messages, manage and reply to them all from the convenience of an app.

Benefits

• It’s a handy extension to the vCita platform.
• Native iOS and Android apps.
• Offers integrated SMS and email solutions.
• It’s an advanced solution that integrates a boatload of features.

Pricing

There’s no free version of vCita. There’s a limited free trial, though. And the paid plan starts at $15 per month.

3. WP ERP

WP ERP is an enterprise-level CRM most suited for medium to large size businesses that work with WordPress. The suite of tools doesn’t end with a CRM but includes recruitment, accounting, and CRM relationship tools.

You’re able to go beyond the basic functionalities of a CRM and extend to integrating HR functionalities, accounting, and CRM systems into WordPress. The HR module helps the HR team communicate with employees from a single dashboard.

The CRM gives you access to plenty of features and manages them all from a single dashboard.

The CRM essentially enables personalizing customer lifecycles for clients. That means automatically keeping track of insights from customer interactions, logs of communications and tracking the conversion paths of leads.

With the integrated CRM, you can assign different sets of tasks to different team members in the organization.

Benefits

• The CRM is a great tool because it helps you manage multiple ends of the business from a single point.
• An all-in-one solution that focuses on end to end interactions.
• The list of functions ranges from recruitment to document handling, human resources management, and accounting.
• Manage interactions with clients from your WordPress dashboard.
• The plugin is free to use.
• Hundreds of integrations make the plugin even more powerful. It easily integrates with Mailchimp, Salesforce, Woocommerce to name a few.

Pricing

WP ERP starts at $149 per user per year. They also offer a completely free option as well.

With the premium plan, you get access to WP ERP’s cloud-based solution.

4. Agile CRM

Agile CRM provides access to sales features, marketing automation, and CRM solutions all of which are integrated into a single tool.

Another exciting feature is popups. Popups are a proven way to generate more leads. Communicate with clients in a much more personalized manner. Convert visiting traffic into leads and contacts.

Other features include sales tracking, deep analytics into lead behavior and email automation.

Benefits

• There are a number of features. With Agile, automate your marketing processes by tying sales and customer retention into a single process flow.
• Track your leads from a single place and assign scores to them.
• From within your dashboard call up prospects, message them on social media or send an email.
• See a record of communication history on a single page with data collected from other apps.
• Free for 10 team members.

Pricing

With the free plan you can manage up to 5000 contacts. You get access to features like lead scoring, unlimited tasks and documents. Schedule appointments and track emails. It supports 2-way email integration. Custom deal tracking and telephony.

The software is free for up to 10 users. The basic plan starts at $8.99 per month.

5. Zoho CRM

Zoho’s star feature is compartmentalizing your lead’s sales cycle. You see ongoing deals and closed sales in one place.

Lead scoring is automated. Engage with new leads to grow business. There are tons of useful additions that help. The mobile app, CRM analytics, mass email feature, and document library to name a few.

The document library is an especially useful feature that you will find referencing back and forth several times.

Integrate Zoho CRM to your WordPress site with a one-click addon.

Benefits

• AI-based automation tool that packs in automated alerts, reminders, suggestions for automating contact based on the best time to reach out to customers, while also providing ready access to past interactions.
• Automate a number of things like lead nurturing.
• Built-in lead performance reporting module, a list of trends and predictions for the future.

Pricing

There’s a free tier that allows up to 3 members. Zoho CRM paid plans start at $8 per month per user and go up to $12 per month per user.

Find What Works Best for You

There are several great WordPress CRM plugins to choose from. The trick is to find the one that works for your business. At any rate, it’s worth the time exploring your options as it could easily improve efficiency.

Do you have any favorites in our list of the top CRMs? Let us know in the comments below.

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