It is a fact that people are visual, which means that media content is more effective than written content.
As a result, the experts and developers behind WordPress have developed various ways of creating visual representations when editing websites.
Data visualization in WP presents different types of data visually. Website creators have used these techniques for many years, but they keep getting better over time.
Reasons to Use Data Visualization Reasons to Use Data Visualization
Now, let’s see some reasons to use data visualization in a WordPress install.
1) Easy Interpretation 1) Easy Interpretation
Another great reason for creating these visual techniques is to make it easy for readers to understand the data.
Graphs, charts, and art are easier to understand than text.
2) Convenient Interaction With Data 2) Convenient Interaction With Data
When website experts visualize data in WordPress, the main aim is to make it easy for them to understand the data they are about to present.
Even dealing with past data and relating it to the current data is still accessible. So, the experts also get to benefit from these techniques.
3) Fancy Visuals 3) Fancy Visuals
Apart from graphs and other basic representations, the use of art, illustrations, images, and videos is more appealing to viewers.
Research has shown that people will be glued to WP websites with striking visual representations to a greater degree than those bearing only art.
4) Customizable Data 4) Customizable Data
Most WordPress websites have an agenda, which might be to market a particular brand or convey specific information.
In this case, unique and customized data is necessary to make you authentic.
Data visualization allows a person to change the form of data with ease.
Currently, the plugins that are used make it possible to edit data at any time, which means that you can update it in the future.
5) Helps in Decision Making 5) Helps in Decision Making
Decision-makers are best guided by factual data as it appears in various representations.
Researchers and website owners rely on the results from charts, graphs, and other visual data in WP.
How Data Is Visualized in WordPress How Data Is Visualized in WordPress
When web designers and experts create content using data visualization, particular methods come to mind.
The good thing is that they have many options.
When any of them is used in the right way, the results are not only amazing but easy to interpret and fun to interact with.
Here are some common ideas for visualizing data.
1) Charts and Graphs 1) Charts and Graphs
This is a basic idea for visualizing data.
Line charts, pie charts, and bar graphs are common examples used.
Various plugins allow us to create these charts and graphs, as we will see later.
Experts find them very simple to use, while users understand them very quickly.
Bar graphs compare different data groups, but they also present data change over time.
Line graphs simply present the change of data over a considerable period. The good thing is that they can show these changes for two or more groups.
Lastly, the pie chart compares different groups of data as a whole.
2) Timeline With Event Graphs 2) Timeline With Event Graphs
These are almost like graphs discussed above, but they are more complex.
They tend to compare events that have occurred over time. Therefore, they combine a line graph with area graphs.
They are detailed in that they will mark the events that brought about the changes indicated on the graph.
WordPress websites meant to present research data heavily rely on the timeline and event graphs.
For the readers and end-users, interpreting the data will require a second look to get it right.
However, a good presentation that marks and explains the events makes it clear and easy to comprehend.
3) Data Tables 3) Data Tables
They are also called comparison tables, and they include the use of different columns to show various types of data.
The rows show the considered analysis factor, and users can easily follow this.
Data from comparison tables can be extracted to create line graphs for further clarification and straightforward interpretation.
4) Maps 4) Maps
Most of us might have interacted with maps. Today, they are popularly added to WP websites to show directions.
Initially, maps were added to present people, resources, and much more.
Today, they are still used for such purposes.
Maps can also have figures displayed in each geographical location, or they can be shaded with different colors with a key to explain what each color means.
Maps are fun and easy to interact with for both the experts and users.
5) Pictorial and Video Presentations 5) Pictorial and Video Presentations
Simple pictures were initially used in WordPress, but actual images are becoming prevalent as things get more sophisticated.
They are more appealing and colorful to the users and add more value.
The use of videos with data is also prevalent.
The good thing about the video is that you can present any data and explain it using all the above methods discussed.
The ActiveWizards experts are good at presenting accessible data for you and the users at large.
Best WordPress Data Visualization Plugins Best WordPress Data Visualization Plugins
Now that you know the basic styles and ways of presenting data in WP, it is time to look at the standard plugins and tools used by experts to create these presentations.
We will examine seven of the best and explain how they work.
1) WordPress Graphs & Charts 1) WordPress Graphs & Charts
It is readily available to make interactive, appealing, statistical, and versatile graphs and pie charts.
They make use of both HTML5 and SVG in combination.
Your visualization will enjoy the latest browser and graphics technology with such power.
More Info & Download
2) wpDataTables 2) wpDataTables
This more detailed plugin provides visual representations like comparison tables, charts, and graphs.
The good thing is that it allows you to import Excel and Google document tables.
If you have administrative rights, you can just edit the data from either the back end or the front end of the WP page.
When it comes to data security, the plugin has a security layer where you can regulate the use of data. Besides this one, there are other WordPress table plugin options you can check out.
More Info & Download
3) Snowball 3) Snowball
If your wish is to deliver well-articulated data as a blogger or web content writer, this is the option to choose.
If you have already interacted with it, you will agree that it is not just a visual representation plugin as it offers more.
The UI provides blocks customized to suit different styles and tastes. Therefore, it is easy to maintain the authenticity of your WordPress website through customization.
It has more sophisticated graphs like the Choropleth graph and Scatters plots on the standard charts and line graphs.
More Info & Download
4) WP Google Maps 4) WP Google Maps
This is another free plugin that allows experts to add maps to give travel directions to users.
Markers are easy to drag and drop, even for readers.
If you are trying to present data from research, this plugin will also come in handy.
It is a valuable technology that is free of charge.
Therefore, writers and bloggers who want to add value to their websites can easily use it.
More Info & Download
5) WP Business Intelligence Lite 5) WP Business Intelligence Lite
This last plugin is highly detailed for business people who want to keep their loyal and potential clients updated in real-time.
When connected to the MySQL database, it will show the data in graphs and charts.
There is more to unlock from this plugin, and it is better to have an expert explore it for you.
More Info & Download
Conclusion Conclusion
Many WordPress website owners and writers know how data visualization is essential to attract new traffic and lock in loyal users.
With the insights above, all have a better understanding of how to go about enhancing a WordPress website for more benefits.
Note: This guide on the Best WordPress Data Visualization Plugins was contributed by Benard Njuguna. Check our guest posting guidelines if you have an interesting topic to contribute.
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