Having a stellar team behind your business, brand or organization is invaluable. But if visitors to your website can‘t easily get to know the people that make your company tick, you‘re missing out on making meaningful connections.
That‘s why having an engaging, well-designed team page on your WordPress site is so important. But setting one up manually can be time-consuming and limiting.
That‘s where WordPress team member plugins come in…
The Power of Showcasing Your Team
Integrating a team member showcase into your website offers many benefits, including:
- Building trust and credibility by highlighting real people
- Enabling visitors to connect with individuals in your company
- Humanizing your brand and making it more relatable
- Showing the breadth and depth of expertise you have
- Making your culture and values transparent
- Helping with recruitment by profiling your talent
Key Features to Look for in Team Plugins
With the right WordPress team member plugin, setting up and managing a polished, professional team page is simple. But with dozens to choose from, how do you select the best one for your needs?
Here are some key features to keep in mind as you evaluate your options:
- Easy member management: Add, edit and organize team member profiles
- Different page layouts/styles: Present your team in diverse, engaging ways
- Detail pop-ups/modals: Allow visitors to access detailed profiles
- Filtering: Let visitors drill down into subgroups like departments, locations etc.
- Social media integration: Link and showcase team members‘ social profiles
- Feature specific members: Highlight important personnel or new hires
- Mobile responsiveness: Ensure your team page looks great on all devices
- Custom branding: Match your team page to your website design/style
The Best WordPress Team Plugins for 2023
Based on the above criteria, these WordPress plugins rise to the top for beautifully showcasing a team.
1. WP Team Members
WP Team Members wins our vote for the best WordPress team plugin. It strikes the perfect balance of an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, tons of customization options and a budget-friendly price.
With WP Team Members, you can:
- Select from 5 modern, responsive layouts including grid, carousel and more
- Easily manage members and teams from one centralized dashboard
- Add detailed profiles with photos, bios, contact forms and social media integration
- Create color-coded groups and location filters
- Implement capsules that slide out for member spotlights
- Match the styling to your brand with unlimited color options
Other advantages are fast setup, top-notch support and stellar documentation. With both free and paid plans, WP Team Members is a fantastic choice for any business.
2. Team Pro
Team Pro comes packed with powerful features, making it one of the most versatile team showcase plugins out there.
Some highlights include:
- A huge selection of 8 layout presets and 20+ style options
- Seamless integration with the popular Visual Composer page builder (sold separately)
- Mobile-friendly responsive design
- Easy sorting and organization features
With Team Pro, you can design a polished, professional team page tailored to your brand – complete with hover effects and slick CSS animations. It‘s perfect for companies ready for a high-end look.
3. Employee Spotlight
As the name suggests, Employee Spotlight makes it a breeze to call attention to stand-out team members right from your WordPress site.
Employee Spotlight offers:
- Multiple display modes including detailed profiles
- Criteria-based groups using locations, departments, tags etc.
- Sidebar widgets to feature top employees
- A drag-and-drop builder (in paid plans)
- Unique custom styling options (in paid plans)
For small to medium-sized businesses on a budget, Employee Spotlight hits a sweet spot of ease-of-use and customization capabilities.
Setting Up Your Team Plugin
Once you‘ve selected the right WordPress team plugin for your website and installed it, getting set up is straightforward. Here‘s an overview of the process:
- Add Team Members: Create detailed profiles for each staff member you want to feature.
- Organize Into Teams: Group members by department, location or other criteria as desired.
- Select Display Options: Choose page layouts and styles that match your brand.
- Create Member Pages: Use shortcodes to display your team wherever you want.
- Customize and Tweak: Refine the design, colors, photos etc.
Refer to your plugin‘s documentation for specifics. Most have settings pages where you can manage your members, teams, and displays all from your WordPress dashboard.
Presenting Your Team for Maximum Impact
Now that you‘ve installed your team plugin and uploaded your members, how do you effectively showcase everyone for the greatest engagement?
Keep these tips in mind:
Spotlight Featured Members
Draw attention to new team members, employee anniversaries, award winners or other VIPs by calling them out separately from the full group. Some plugins have dedicated widgets or featured team options.
Use Filters Wisely
Add dropdown filters by department, office location or member grouping so visitors can delve into the teams relevant to them.
Well-written, interesting bios make your team more relatable and human. Share backgrounds, personalities, passions and achievements.
Select Photos Strategically
Pictures make a huge visual impact. Choose professional headshots for each team member that feel real and approachable.
Following these best practices will take your team page from boring to bold!
Troubleshooting Common Team Page Issues
While most WordPress team plugins make it simple to create beautiful, functional member pages, occasionally some problems pop up. Here are fixes for the most common hiccups:
Members Not Displaying Properly
Double check that your shortcode matches the instructions and that CSS/JavaScript files loaded correctly. Try using default templates and disabling other plugins as a test.
Changes Not Showing Up
Make sure to publish changes and clear caches. If issues persist, manually refresh the page.
Images Appear Distorted or Pixelated
Compressed JPGs at least 200-300 px wide generally look best. Make sure you are uploading full-sized images then letting the plugin resize.
Formatting Is Messy on Mobile
Toggle responsive mode in the plugin settings or switch to a mobile-optimized layout option. Every plugin has solutions for making teams showcase beautifully on all devices and screens!
Over to You!
Adding an exceptional team page is a must for showcasing your organization‘s talent, humanizing your brand and thereby connecting with your audience.
A dedicated WordPress plugin makes managing and presenting your roster easier than ever while offering countless design choices. So explore your options and find the one tailored to your business needs and budget!
