Magento 2 Blog extension FREE

Magento 2 Blog by Mageplaza is integrated right into the Magento backend so you can manage your blog and your e-commerce store all in the one place. It is the perfect marketing tool for your bussiness that not only provides update information to your existing customers but also drive more visitors to your online store.

1. Documentation

• Installation guide: https://www.mageplaza.com/install-magento-2-extension/
• User guide: https://docs.mageplaza.com/blog-m2/index.html
• Download from our Live site: https://www.mageplaza.com/magento-2-blog-extension/
• Marketplace: https://marketplace.magento.com/mageplaza-magento-2-blog-extension.html
• Get Support: https://github.com/mageplaza/magento-2-blog-extension/issues
• Contribute on Github: https://github.com/mageplaza/magento-2-blog/
• Changelog: https://www.mageplaza.com/changelog/m2-blog.txt
• License https://www.mageplaza.com/LICENSE.txt

2. FAQs

Q: I got error: Mageplaza_Core has been already defined

A: Read solution: https://github.com/mageplaza/module-core/issues/3

3. How to install

✓ Install via composer (recommend)

Run the following command in Magento 2 root folder:

composer require mageplaza/magento-2-blog-extension
php bin/magento setup:upgrade
php bin/magento setup:static-content:deploy

✓ Install ready-to-paste package

• Download the latest version at Mageplaza Blog for Magento 2
• Installation guide

4. Contribute to this module

Feel free to Fork and contrinute to this module and create a pull request so we will merge your changes to master branch.

Thanks the contributors

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5. SWEET MAGEPLAZA EXTENSIONS TO BRING YOU MORE MONEY

✓ One Step Checkout

☞ ↑30% INCREASE CONVERSION RATE

☞ ↓66% DECREASE ABANDONMENT CART

☞ ↓80% REDUCE CHECKOUT TIME

✓ Layered Navigation

☞ ↑84% USER'S FILTERING EXPERIENCE

☞ ↑25% CONVERSION RATE

☞ ↓67% SHOPPING TIME

✓ Frequently Bought Together

☞ Amazon Product Recommendation Solution

☞ AJAX loading for better performance

☞ Support Custom Options and all product types

✓ Gift Card

☞ Physical, virtual or combined gift cards

☞ Different gift card values from prices

☞ Send cards via email, SMS, post office or messenger

✓ Who Bought This Also Bought

☞ Display on Product Page, Category Page, Shopping Cart page

☞ AJAX loading for better performance.

☞ Flexible layout and design.

✓ Social Login

☞ Increase signup rate up-to 30%

☞ Supports 11 Types: Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram, Yahoo, Github, Foursquare, VK, Live, Amazon

☞ Easy custom design fit with your store design

☞ Social Login on Github

✓ Shop By Brand

☞ Fully Compatible with Layered Navigation

☞ Instant Search brands

☞ Import brands

✓ Affiliate

☞ Multiple Affiliate Campaigns

☞ Smart Referral Links

☞ Affiliate Report

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6. Blog benefits

Magento 2 blog extension can give you a greate opportunity to communicate with your potential and existing customers. Blog posts can help you to create a 2-way communication platform to publish new information such as news, promotions, comming products. Read more benefits of Blog.

Drive more traffics

“Raise your hand if you need more targeted visitors. Sure, me too.”

Think of total number of pages you can find on your online store. Maybe not a ton, right? And think of how frequently you update those pages. Maybe not that usually, right? Well, running a blog helps resolve both of those problems.

Writing a blog helps as well you get discovered via social networks. Any time you write a blog post, you are building content that many people can share on social networking sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest – which will help expose your web business to a new one audience that will not know you yet.

It may help convert that traffic into leads.

Similar to every blog post you write is yet another indexed page, each post is really a new chance to generate new leads. The way in which this works is absolutely simple: Just put in a lead-generating call-to-action to each blog post.

Boost Search Engine Optimization Ranking

Search Engines like Google loves fresh content. What better method to deliver frequent content compared to blog posts. By writing blog consistently, you provide Google and other search engines new content to index and you also create chances to plug in those all-important keywords to boost your visibility on search engine results pages (SERPS).

Build relationships with your customers

Writing a blog enables you to interact with your website visitors. You can accomplish this by asking your visitors questions at the conclusion of your posts to obtain the conversation going or simply by allowing comments and feedback. By reviewing and answering readers’ comments, you may create a rapport together with your audience, build trust, and gain valuable insight into what your visitors are seeking.

Magento 2 Blog full feature list

• Responsive design
• SEO friendly
• Post attributes
• Multiselect tags
• Numerous Comment engine: Magento Built-in comments, Facebook Comment, Disqus Comment.
• RSS Optimization
• WYSIWYG editor in admin
• Blog breadcrumbs
• Integrate Magento Sitemap or Blog sitemap
• Multistores support

Blog features for Magento 2

A better blog for your e-commerce store without adding any 3rd-party framework. Better blog extension allows you manage categories, posts, comments on Magento 2 back-end. The system will update you when there is a new comment submit. This is a great solution for building relevant SEO-friendly text links, and serves as assistance in building sales strategy.

Responsive design

Mobile-friendly design will make allow you customers to read your blog posts with maximum comfort on tablets and smartphones. Using the off-canvas menu, they will be able to see widgets and interact with the blog search. Tested on Madison, Ultimo, Porto theme.

Flexible display posts

It is very easy to add recent posts, post in specific category in homepage. Your customers also see recent posts in sidebar.

SEO friendly

Properly optimized blog can get your site higher in search results and lead more potential customers. Better Blog allows you to create meta information not only for posts, but also for categories and tags.

Post attributes

You can create unlimited attributes for post. It is extremely customized your blog by adding as many post attributes as you want to. It displays right in Post Edit and Frontend. No code modification required.

Comments

Better Blog supports 3 types of comments: built-in comment, Disqus comment (coming soon), and Facebook comment (coming soon). You can switch comment solution in configuration.

Sharing posts

Better blog is integrated with Addthis, that why your customers can share posts via about hundred social networks such as Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, Delicious, Digg , StubmleUpon, Linkedin, Reddit or email ….

RSS Optimization

Full RSS integration into Magento 2. The blog RSS feed appears right next to the standard product and Magento 2 RSS feeds, allowing users that are familiar with your website to easily find all the blog RSS feeds easily and simply.

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7. USER GUIDE

General Configuration

• Login to Magento Admin, Better Blog > Settings.

• Open General section,

  • Enable the module when choosing “Yes” in the required field.

  • Set name for the new blog

  • Enter the URL Prefix and URL Suffix. If leave empty for no suffix, use the default configuration (html)

  • To make the blog link visible on the top/ footer links on your site, set Show Blog Link in Top/ Footer Links to "Yes".

  • To show the sidebar on the storefront, select "Yes" in the Show Sidebar Right/ Left field.

• Open Sidebar section,

  • Enter Number of recent posts that display on the sidebar.

  • Enter Number of most view posts that display on the sidebar.

• Open Comments section,

  • Set Number of recent posts to one of the following options:

    • Disqus Comment
    • Facebook Comment
    • Disable Completely

• Open SEO section, you can configure the meta that is useful for your better SEO

  • Set Meta title for posts list page
  • Set Meta description for posts list page
  • Set Meta keywords for posts list page

• Open Social section,

  • Enable social buttons on the blog page
  • In the Pubid field, insert ID for Share buttons that get from https://addthis.com.

  In Social share session, we use Addthis.com to add more than 200 share buttons, and display only 4 most popular share buttons. You can custom these buttons by add your own Addthis Pub-id

• Click on Save Config when complete.

How to Create a New Post

• Step 1: Complete the post information
• Step 2: Assign to Topic
• Step 3: Assign to Categorie
• Step 4: Assign Tags to the post

Step 1: Complete the post information

• To display the new post, choose "Yes" in the Enabled field

• Login to Magento Admin, Better Blog > Posts

• On the upper-right corner, tap Add New Posts button

• Set Name for the new post

• Enter Short Description if you need

• Use WYSIWYG Mode to insert the post content that allows showing right as in the storefront.

  If you want to show the content under code, tap Show/ Hide Editor button.

• Upload image from your brower in the Image option.

• Enter the URL Key that the visitor can access the blog post

• To allow the readers leave comments on your post, choose "Yes" in the Allow Comment field.

• Complete Meta Title, Meta Description,and Meta Keywords for your better SEO.

• Set Meta Robots to one of the following opitons:

  • Index, Follow
  • NoIndex, NoFollow
  • NoIndex, Follow
  • Index, NoFollow

• Tap Save and Continue Edit

Step 2: Assign the post to Topic

• You can do it when you create a new post in the Topics tab, or go to Posts tab

• In the list of the available posts, mark the checkbox that is next to the posts you want to assign

• Tap Save and Continue Edit

Step 3: Assign to Categories

• You can do it when you create a new post in the Categories tab, or go to Posts tab

• In the list of the available posts, mark the checkbox that is next to the posts you want to assign

• Tap Save and Continue Edit

Step 4: Assign Tags to the post

• You can do it when you create a new post in the Tags tab, or go to Posts tab

• In the list of the available posts, mark the checkbox that is next to the posts you want to assign

• Tap Save and Continue Edit, then hit Save Post to finish.

How to create a new Tag

• Login to Magento Admin, Better Blog > Categories

• To active the new tag, set Enabled to "Yes"

• Set Name for the new tag

• Use WYSIWYG Mode to enter the description of the tag

• Enter the URL Key that the visitor can access the tag

• If need, you can assign the new tag to specific post.

• Click on Save Tag when complete.

How to Create a new Topic

• Login to Magento Admin, Better Blog > Topics

• To active the new topic, set Enabled to "Yes"

• Set Name for the new topic

• Use WYSIWYG Mode to enter the description of the topic

• Enter the URL Key that the visitor can access the topic

• Complete Meta Title, Meta Description,and Meta Keywords for your better SEO.

• Set Meta Robots to one of the following opitons:

  • Index, Follow
  • NoIndex, NoFollow
  • NoIndex, Follow
  • Index, NoFollow

• If need, you can assign the new topic to specific post.

• Click on Save Topic when complete.

How to Create a new category

• Login to Magento Admin, Better Blog > Categories

• To active the new category, set Enabled to "Yes"

• Set Name for the new category

• Use WYSIWYG Mode to enter the description of the category

• Enter the URL Key that the visitor can access the category

• Complete Meta Title, Meta Description,and Meta Keywords for your better SEO.

• Set Meta Robots to one of the following opitons:

  • Index, Follow
  • NoIndex, NoFollow
  • NoIndex, Follow
  • Index, NoFollow

• If need, you can assign the new category to specific post.

• Click on Save Category when complete.

How to add custom CMS Static Block in Blog Post

In this guide, we will show you how to add a custom content in Blog post such as: Call to action, promoted banner ...

There are few hidden tricks in Mageplza Blog for Magento 2. Here are hidden CMS Static Block:

• mageplaza_blog_view_under_content : Under Content section
• mageplaza_blog_view_above_comment : Above Comment section
• mageplaza_blog_sidebar_above_popular_widget : Above Popular/Recent posts widgets
• mageplaza_blog_sidebar_above_categories_widget : Above Categories widgets
• mageplaza_blog_sidebar_above_tags_widget : Above Tags widgets
• mageplaza_blog_sidebar_under_tags_widget : Under Tags wigets

See this:

How to create CMS static block in Magento 2

From Admin panel > Content > Blocks > Add New Block

Then fill the content of block such as Name, idenity, content ...

then click on Save and continue

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8. BLOG CHANGELOG

Blog v2.4.5

Released on 2017-08-16 Release notes:

• Improve Style and Top Nav menu

Blog v2.4.4

Released on 2017-08-13 Release notes:

• add related product to post view
• fixed conflict with Mageplaza Shop By Brand
• #79 compatible with YOURSTORE theme
• Hotfix #81 Area code not set Area code must be set before starting a session.

Blog v2.4.3

Released on 2017-07-25 Release notes:

• Fixed RSS Date issue
• Fixed posts does not show up in frontend
• Improving fresh installation #76 (CE2.1.7)

Blog v2.4.2

Released on 2017-06-26 Release notes:

• Update admin menu
• Update admin configuration
• Change composer version

Blog v2.4.1

Released on 2017-06-13 Release notes:

Fix responsive design issue

Blog v2.4.0

Released on 2017-05-16 Release notes:

• Product related posts
• Improve date options
• Update csv i18n file

Blog v2.3.0

Released on 2017-04-28 Release notes:

• Fixed sitemap bugs
• Fixed meta robot bug
• Added monthly archive widget
• Added cloud tags widget
• Added Magento comment engine. There is Magento comment, Facebook, and Disqus comment engine.
• Added Author feature
• Added Ajax Search box in Blog
• Added Topic widget
• Improved router

Blog v2.2.2

Released on 2017-04-24 Release notes:

• Edit composer.json to require mageplazamodule-core instead of mageplazacore-m2

Blog v2.2.1

Released on 2017-04-09 Release notes:

Blog v2.2.0

Released on 2017-03-01 Release notes:

Added Features

• Post limit options
• Multistores
• Top menu link

Bug fixes

• Compilation
• Date format

Blog v2.1.0

Released on 2016-07-22 Release notes:

• Add CMS static Block in Blog Post, Sidebar
• Fix styling bug

Blog v2.0.0

Released on 2016-07-18 Release notes:

• New style
• Tags, Categories, Popular, Recent posts
• Related posts
• Better Share buttons
• Improve Post meta information
• Performance improvements

Blog v1.0.1

Released on 2016-05-25 Release notes:

Blog v1.0.0

Released on 2016-05-19 Release notes:

Release first version

Mageplaza extensions on Magento Marketplace, Github

☞ Magento 2 One Step Checkout extension

☞ Magento 2 SEO Module

☞ Magento 2 Blog extension

☞ Magento 2 Layered Navigation extension

☞ Magento One Step Checkout

☞ Magento Blog on Github

☞ Magento Blog

☞ Magento 2 Social Login on Github

☞ Magento 2 SEO on Github

☞ Magento 2 SMTP on Github

☞ Magento 2 Product Slider on Github

☞ Magento 2 Banner on Github