All of us knows that WP-polls plugin is a very good plugin for creating polls on WordPress blogs, but maybe people don’t know that you can add thumbnails and links to polls. So.. Today’s Trick is about how to enhance your poll and make it looks cool, specially if you are running a poll for a design contest, or a best blog contest.
Ching Ya of Social @ Blogging Tracker asked me about which plugin I am using to run Famous Bloggers Club contest as it’s limiting the votes to only one vote per person! so I am going to explain it and tell you also the trick I am using to add a thumbnail and a link to the participants blogs!
I have to say that I was inspired by Keller who runs the Best WordPress Design Contest of 2009, and oh.. By the way.. It’s a good chance to you to VOTE for new media bloggers blog if you think it has a good design that you really like!
OK! If you are looking for the best way to create a poll that prevent people from voting more than once on the poll then try out WP-polls plugin for WordPress, and following this simple trick will let you easily add thumbnails links to the poll items which will make it so easy for people to vote!
How to add Thumbnails and Links to WP-polls?
You can add any image you want simply by HTML to show the image or the link instead of using text, as some people will think that they are limited to add text only on the poll fields, but this is not true, you can add what ever HTML code you like, but don’t miss with that too much, just try to keep it simple and clean!
Check out this shot from inside of my admin panel and you will get it (click on photo to enlarge):
[nggallery id=6]
And here is a link to the Voting page of the best Blog at Famous Bloggers Club Contest, you will see it on action, and maybe it’s good to VOTE for the blog you think it’s the best while you are checking the voting page!
Now you got it right! So.. If you like this trick add a comment to tell me, if you have discovered a good voting system that really works good and looks nice then don’t leave this post with out telling us about it!
{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Hesham,
Thank you so much for taking the effort to write a post regarding the voting question, I appreciate it.
Sorry as I may not make it clearer in my question earlier. Actually I was referring to: since the vote can be done only once/person, then what if the voters come back, refresh the page and re-vote again, and again? How would you able to eliminate duplicate votes for the same voter(s)?
Just out of curiosity as I assume that’s the rule of the contest too? ^^
Thank you in advance.
@wchingya
Social/Blogging Tracker
.-= Ching Ya´s last blog ..16 Social Bookmarking Plugins to Promote Your Posts =-.
@Ching Ya, This is mostly done by storing your ip in the database when someone votes so the script will check the database to make sure that this is not a duplicate or this can be done using cookies not the bset way
@lawmacs, You are right, so this is why WP-polls use both Cookies and IP to prevent voting more than once!
.-= Hesham´s last blog ..How to add Thumbnails and links to WP-polls Plugin Voting System? =-.
@Ching Ya, There is an option to control who can votes, for example to prevent people from voting more than once is to log only people by Cookies and IP, so even if the person refresh the page or delete Cookies from his computer will not be able to vote more than once!
I have a little secret for you, I can not vote for anyone on the contest myself
because the plugin is saving my ip!
.-= Hesham´s last blog ..How to add Thumbnails and links to WP-polls Plugin Voting System? =-.
@Hesham, @lawmacs,
Thank you all so much for the enlightening. ^^ Good to know, as I was planning to hold a contest for my blog soon, still pondering whether should have the poll included or maybe do it another way around. It’s still under consideration so any bit of info helps! Appreciate the feedback, guys.
Hesham, no problem. We just assume you like all of the blogs on newmediabloggers. ha..
Thanks, for this post regarding Wordpress -polls Plugin voting system.Your pots are always very informative.
.-= Shabnam Sultan´s last blog ..Winners: 200 Custom Postcards Printing Giveaway from UPrinting =-.
@Shabnam Sultan, I feel happy allways to hear your opinion about my posts, thanks a lot!
All though I have really started to move away from Polls, I still do them from time to time and I really like the idea of spicing up future polls.
.-= Extreme John´s last blog ..9 Must Have Firefox Greasemonkey Scripts =-.
Thanks for the info. I have been scouring the net looking for a voting system for a contest I want to hold on one of my blogs but haven’t found anything even close to being suitable.
I had seen wp-polls but I really wanted to add images. Now that I know I can do that I will be giving this plugin a try. I am off to download it now.
.-= Paula from Affiliate Blog Online´s last blog ..I’m No Longer in a Twitter Over Twitter… =-.
@Paula from Affiliate Blog Online, You are welcome, I am so glad that you found it useful, I am going to post some other tips about voting if I can! and good luck with your future contest! don’t forget to invite us!
.-= Hesham´s last blog ..Vote Once vs Vote Everyday – What is the Best for Contest Organizing? Poll =-.
@Bill Bartmann, You are welcome Bill!
Nice share Hesham
.-= sham´s last blog ..Yahoo Meme Invitation Giveaway =-.
@sham, Thanks!
.-= Hesham´s last blog ..Vote Once vs Vote Everyday – What is the Best for Contest Organizing? Poll =-.
There are quite such effective plug-ins which many of bloggers may not be aware of. It’s admirable to see that you not only know efficient ways on wp but also share it.
.-= Chris Peterson´s last blog ..Building your online Business brand =-.
@Chris Peterson, Thanks for your nice comment, I like to help if I can and also this is my way to keep posting on this blog, I blog about problems I find while I am working or if I find a solution for one! Thanks Chris!
by the way I would like to hear your opinion about my latest post!
.-= Hesham´s last blog ..Vote Once vs Vote Everyday – What is the Best for Contest Organizing? Poll =-.
just to thank you
.-= Jage´s last blog ..New Hyundai Santro To Fight New Maruti Zen Estilo To Launch Soon =-.
very informative. I was wondering what plugin you were using. you are doing a great job with the contest.
.-= Tycoon Blogger´s last blog ..Sunday’s Best – week of September 6, 2009 =-.
@Tycoon Blogger, Oh .. come on
you are the one who is doing good on the contest!
.-= Hesham´s last blog ..What is the Feature of Famous Bloggers Club FBC100 =-.
Thanks, for this post regarding Wordpress -polls Plugin voting system
I’m doing a post on becoming a better blogger. Mind if I add a link to this post?
@Rose, You are welcome Rose, well.. no one will say no when it’s about to link to my post
I am glad you found this post useful, Good Luck on your contest!
.-= Hesham´s last blog ..What is the Feature of Famous Bloggers Club FBC100 =-.
Dear Hesham,
hehe
Thank you for ReTweeted my post http://www.reviewbestnow.com/link-love-to-blogging-friends-on-september-4-2009/
I have just be a 383 your readers
can you tell me how can you add a rss feed button in end of your post (before the comment) ?
Thanks and Regards !
@John, in your theme folder find the single.php file and add the code from FeedBurner right after this line:
< ?php the_content(); ?>
Tell me if it works for you!
hi what is the code to display wp-polls anywhere in the website for viewing the total poll rate
Thanks Hesh, ever since our friend Alfredo gave up on World Opinion Polls I have been looking for a way to do them again, while still using images like you could with Hiburrito. So the timing of your article could not have been better. It was also a great reminder for me to think about contests as well, not just polls.
.-= Dick´s last blog ..Word of Mouth Marketing =-.
Thanks Hesham,For taking so efforts to write such a amazing & informative article.
MUUUUUUUUITO Obrigado
Thank you, sooo much!