Update: Easy Pagination for WordPress is the closest thing I have found to the Bleacher Report Slideshows. Go check it out.
Some people can’t stand the Bleacher Report and the main reason they are hated is because of their slideshows. This is the one reason that I love them!
The slideshow is genius for several reasons! In Bleacher Report’s post Green Bay Packers: 10 Most Underrated Players on the Super Bowl Champs, they have the whole post split into 10 slides.
So one person equals one hit of traffic but if they read the whole post mentioned above, then that one person equals 10 page views!
And the only real reason a blogger wants to increase their page views is so that they can increase their ad revenue (and that is all that I will mention about ads because Google restricts me).
Just so you know, please click on the next arrow right below this.
Why WordPress Slideshows Fall Way Short
There are a lot of good slideshows for WordPress if all one wants to do is show pictures. I spent 7 days searching in vain for a good slide show plugin. I am here to tell you not to waste your time because they don’t exist!
In order for the slideshow plugin to be awesome they need to do two things.
- Have Unique URL’s
- Not Refresh the Whole Page
Remember on the first page what I said about increasing page views? This only happens if each page in our slideshow has a unique url.
It is also annoying for the whole page to reload when accessing the next page. I want only the text to reload but so fast that I couldn’t even tell. The Bleacher Report does this very well.
Next Page is the Only Option
WordPress use to give one the option to split up longer post. The option was located in your post editing dashboard. Though the option is no longer there it is easy to put back with a plugin. Just search for next page on the add new plugin area and you will be given a few options.
One problem I have found with this is that the next page links are below my author box and related posts. I bet you didn’t see them until I told you this.
Image Heat Map
If it has even been working correctly you have probably been clicking the next tab underneath the text. I spent two hours learning (Image Heat Map) how to add more than one link for a photo.
Every time I would save this post half of the code for the image heat map would vanish. Very frustrating!
To my regular readers, don’t worry about seeing the next page option on this blog because it took me several hours to write this one post!
Until somebody creates a plugin for slideshows that works 100% like Bleacher Report slideshows I am not going to be having multiple pages on one post.
I think it took me longer to read than you to make. haha
I just published it two hours ago but I forgot that there is a 6 hour time difference between Germany and Ohio so you actually read it rather quick.
A whole 4 hours before I published it!
Guess who figured out the buttons, Mel!?
This is a very proud moment for me! The most impressive thing I’ve done all week.
*click*
We are all so very proud of y Sig!
But I couldn’t figure out which button to click. Maybe you should label them with a flashing “PUSH THIS BUTTON NOW” or something subtle like that.
Maybe you are right. Maybe I should make my site more like Las Vegas.
Hey! Maybe I could offer blogging wedding services.
Ahem. There were a series of posters about saving fuel during World War 2 (whose phrase also showed up in period cartoons) that summarises this post beautifully.
“Was this trip REALLY necessary?”
Actually, on my screen, the “Next” button showed up right after your post. I use Mozilla Firefox – maybe that’s helpful?
The trip was necessary to show a comparison between my “homemade” slideshow and Bleacher Report’s professional slideshow.
Theirs loads so quick that it isn’t inconvenient to read where this post is a pain in everybody’s butt.
Side note: Glad to see that you submitted a comment and it didn’t go to spam!
A-ha! I see the problem – I was supposed to watch the sports slideshow! Sorry, I see the word “sports” and kinda glaze over.
It’s nice to see my comments, even if WordPress still won’t retain my information. I’ll have to ask the wife when she gets home – she understands the oddities of Mozilla. If it’s WordPress, I’m screwed!
Does everybody that reads my site hate sports? Anyways the slideshow on the “sports” site was just an example.
Your info should be retained. I use Chrome and it remembers my info for me with its cookies… or something like that.
“Does everybody that reads my site hate sports?”
Well I wouldn’t say hate, but unless it has rockets in it, or chocolate, it isn’t really a sport anyway.
Oh yeah? Which sports would those be, Binky?
Hmm.. This could be used to make a chess
Like the old board game?
That was pretty cool, and I liked it, but if it’s gonna mean a whole lotta extra work for you, then don’t worry about it. I’d rather you be happy, Mr. Mel.
I won’t be doing that again unless somebody creates a Bleacher Report Plugin. Way too much work!
Perhaps you can edit your CSS and copy the slide show portion from Bleacher Report.
I think their slideshow was custom built and that is probably what I would need to succeed.
Also, I think I would have to edit more than the CSS.
All the rich people have the very best toys. Oh well…