WordPress Dynamic Content: 5 Proven Methods You Need to Know

Static websites fail to keep users engaged, offering the same content regardless of visitor preferences. This lack of personalization can lead to high bounce rates, poor user experience, and lost conversions. Visitors expect customized interactions, but without dynamic content, your WordPress site may fall behind to do so.

So, the only solution to this is, implementing WordPress dynamic content. It will allow various pages of your site to offer tailored content based on time, location, and their preferences. In this blog, we’ll help you learn how WordPress development experts build websites with dynamic content. With that said, let’s get started.

What is Dynamic Content?

Dynamic content refers to elements on a website that change or adapt based on user interactions, preferences, or other factors. Unlike static content, which remains the same for every visitor, dynamic content is customized to provide a personalized user experience. The dynamic content changes based on factors like:

• User preferences: Content is tailored to individual users based on their past behavior, interests, and demographics.   
• Time of day: Content can be adjusted to suit different time zones or to promote specific offers during certain hours.   
• Location: Content is customized based on the user’s geographic location, such as displaying relevant products or services.   
• Device type: Content can be optimized for different screen sizes and devices, ensuring a seamless user experience.   
• User behavior: Content is dynamically updated based on the user’s actions on the website, such as products viewed or added to cart.

Dynamic content improves user engagement, navigation, and overall website performance. WordPress offers various plugins like Toolset, JetEngine, and Dynamic.ooo to help create and manage dynamic content with ease. Using dynamic content is especially beneficial for content-heavy or complex websites.

How to Implement WordPress Dynamic Content?

Implementing dynamic content in WordPress can be done using various methods and tools, depending on your site’s complexity and customization needs. Here’s are stepwise process to achieve this using various ways:

Method 1: Using Content Blocks

WordPress Gutenberg editor introduced content blocks, which allow you to create dynamic and reusable content easily. You can use built-in blocks or create custom blocks to display dynamic content.

Step 1: Go to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to the post or page where you want to add dynamic content.

Step 2: Click the “+” icon to add a new block. Choose a block that supports dynamic content, such as the “Latest Posts” block or a custom HTML block.

Step 3: Customize the block settings to display the dynamic content you want. For example, you can configure the “Latest Posts” block to show the most recent posts from a specific category.

Step 4: Save your changes and publish the post or page.

Step 5: Preview the page to ensure the dynamic content behaves as expected.

Ideal For: Users who prefer a visual, drag-and-drop interface and websites that need simple dynamic content like recent posts, categories, or tags.

Method 2: Using Elementor Pro

Elementor Pro is a powerful page builder that integrates well with WordPress, enabling you to create dynamic content through a user-friendly, drag-and-drop interface. It supports dynamic content via its Dynamic Tags feature, which pulls data from custom fields and other sources.

Step 1: Install and activate Elementor Pro on your WordPress website.

Step 2: Navigate to the Elementor Theme Builder to customize templates for pages, posts, or custom post types.

Step 3: Add dynamic content elements using “Dynamic Tags” for fields like titles, images, or metadata.

Step 4: Use conditions to specify where dynamic templates should appear.

Step 5: Customize and save your templates for consistent styling across dynamic content.

Ideal For: Elementor Pro is best for users who want a code-free solution to add dynamic content to their pages. It’s perfect for designers and site owners building customized layouts with dynamic data.

Method 3: Using Advanced Custom Fields

Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) is a popular plugin that allows you to add custom fields to posts, pages, and other content types. These fields can then be displayed dynamically in your theme templates.

Step 1: Install and activate the Advanced Custom Fields plugin.

Step 2: Create a new custom field group under Custom Fields > Field Groups.

Step 3: Add custom fields (e.g., text, image, or date) and assign them to the relevant post types.

Step 4: Edit a post or page, and fill in the custom fields you created.

Step 5: Use the get_field() function in your theme’s PHP files to display the dynamic content. For example:

<?php echo get_field('your_custom_field'); ?>

Step 6: Save your template changes and publish the post or page.

Ideal For: Developers who are comfortable with PHP and need highly customized dynamic content and fields.

Method 4: Using Toolset

Toolset is a set of plugins that enables users to create custom post types, fields, and dynamic content without coding. It includes a visual interface for building complex websites and displaying dynamic content in custom layouts.

Step 1: Install and activate the Toolset Types and Toolset Views plugins.

Step 2: Create a custom post type or custom fields using Toolset Types.

Step 3: Add content to your custom post types and fill out the custom fields.

Step 4: Create a new template using Toolset Views and insert dynamic content from the custom fields into the layout.

Step 5: Use shortcodes or blocks to insert your Toolset View into pages or posts.

Step 6: Test the dynamic content to ensure it appears correctly on the front end.

Ideal For: Toolset is great for users who want a no-code solution for building dynamic content-driven sites. It is ideal for users creating custom post types, directories, or complex data-driven websites.

Method 5: Adding Custom Code with PHP

Adding custom PHP code provides the most flexibility for implementing dynamic content in WordPress. By writing custom functions and using WordPress hooks, you can pull in dynamic data from various sources such as custom fields, user profiles, or databases.

Step 1: Access your theme’s functions.php file or create a child theme to avoid overwriting changes.

Step 2: Write a custom PHP function to fetch dynamic data, such as:

function display_dynamic_content() {
    $user = wp_get_current_user();
    if ($user->exists()) {
        echo 'Welcome back, ' . esc_html($user->display_name);
    }
}

Step 3: Insert the function where you want the dynamic content to appear within your theme files. For example, in header.php or single.php, use:

<?php display_dynamic_content(); ?>

Step 4: Use WordPress hooks like the_content, wp_footer, or custom hooks to add dynamic content at various points in your site.

Step 5: Save changes and check the website’s front end to ensure dynamic content is showing up as expected.

Ideal For: This method is best for web developers who want complete control over dynamic content and are comfortable with PHP. It’s ideal for custom solutions, integrations, and advanced functionality.

By choosing the ideal method that suits your needs and preferences, you can build a WordPress site with dynamic content. If you are finding it complex to build a dynamic website, get in touch with our WordPress development company.

Why Add Dynamic Content in WordPress Websites?

Adding dynamic content to WordPress websites can significantly enhance user experience, improve site functionality, and boost engagement. Here are the key reasons to incorporate dynamic content into your WordPress site:

Personalized User Experience

Dynamic content adapts based on user data such as login status, location, or browsing history. For example:

• Displaying “Welcome back, [User’s Name]!” for logged-in users.
• Showing products or blog posts based on user behavior.

Personalization increases user satisfaction and retention by providing tailored experiences.

Improve Engagement and Conversions

Dynamic elements such as personalized calls-to-action (CTAs), offers, and recommendations make your site more interactive, increasing the likelihood of conversions. For example:

• Displaying special offers for first-time visitors.
• Showing product recommendations in eCommerce stores based on previous purchases.

The dynamic content helps keep visitors on your site longer and encourages action.

Efficiency and Automation

Dynamic content updates automatically based on database changes or set criteria, reducing manual work. Examples include:

• Automatically showing the latest blog posts or related articles.
• Updating events in real-time from a database.

This automation saves time and ensures content remains current.

SEO Benefits

Dynamic content can improve WordPress SEO by providing fresh and relevant content to search engines. For example:

• Dynamic lists of “related posts” or “popular posts” keep pages updated and increase internal linking.
• Personalized content can reduce bounce rates and increase dwell time, which are positive SEO signals.

Using dynamic content eliminates the need for manual updation of websites and contributes to its optimization.

Enhanced User Interaction

Dynamic forms, quizzes, and search results based on user input can make your site more interactive. Examples include:

• Conditional contact forms that adapt based on user responses.
• Search filters that dynamically display relevant content.

This interactivity improves user satisfaction and provides a more engaging experience.

Scalability and Flexibility

Dynamic content allows your website to scale easily. As your site grows, dynamic content tools (e.g., custom fields, dynamic templates) simplify the management of large amounts of content. That’s a key reason why you should use dynamic content in WordPress sites rather than static ones.

These were some of the key reasons why you should build a WordPress site that uses dynamic content. Now let’s explore various types of dynamic content in WordPress.

Types of WordPress Dynamic Content

Dynamic content can transform a static WordPress site into an engaging, personalized experience for users. By integrating dynamic elements, you ensure that content automatically adapts to the user behavior and real-time data updates. Here are the key types of dynamic content you can use in WordPress:

By using these dynamic content types in WordPress, you can enhance your site’s functionality and increase user experience.

When to Use Dynamic Content in WordPress?

Dynamic content in WordPress is most beneficial when your site requires personalization, real-time updates, or tailored experiences. Here’s when you should consider using it:

• Frequent Content Updates: For websites that require regular updates (e.g., news, blogs, or job listings). The dynamic content simplifies content management by allowing non-technical users to make updates via the dashboard, reducing dependency on developers.
• Personalized User Experience: If you want to provide content based on user preferences, location, or past behavior. Using dynamic content can offer a more customized experience, such as personalized product recommendations or location-specific information.
• eCommerce Websites: Online stores benefit from dynamic content for showcasing product suggestions, promotions, and personalized offers based on user behavior and purchase history.
• Membership Sites or Client Portals: If your site has content for different types of users, dynamic content helps display appropriate content for each user type.
• Complex Data Display: When presenting data that frequently changes, dynamic content ensures changes are reflected across the site consistently.
• Multi-language Sites: For websites using multiple languages, dynamic content can adjust text, images, and offers based on the selected language. It provides a better user experience for international visitors.

If your website is static, like a simple portfolio or brochure site, dynamic content may not be necessary. On the other hand, if the data on a website needs to be updated regularly or in real-time using dynamic content becomes necessary.

FAQs About WordPress Dynamic Content

Wrapping Up

Implementing dynamic content in WordPress is key to creating personalized, engaging, and user-friendly websites. By leveraging methods like Content Blocks, Elementor Pro, Advanced Custom Fields, or custom PHP, it’s possible to change static pages into dynamic ones.

Choosing the right method depends on your technical skill and the complexity of your goals. Dynamic content not only enhances user engagement but also improves conversions and makes your site more versatile.

If you are looking to build a website that updates content dynamically, hire WordPress developers.