May 9, 2023 | 

 4.7  Minute read

A news ticker can be a great addition to your website if you want to keep your visitors up-to-date on the latest news and announcements in an eye-catching way. News tickers are usually horizontal or vertical scrolling bars that display text information such as headlines, news stories, stock quotes, weather updates, and more. News tickers can be used to promote, engage, and inform your audience while adding a modern motion element to your website. In this blog post, we will discuss what a news ticker is and when you should add one to your website.

What is a News Ticker?

A news ticker is a feature that displays headlines, summaries, and other content in a scrolling bar. It allows you to keep your website visitors informed about the latest updates without them having to click away to another page or scroll through lengthy content. Additionally, since they are displayed prominently on your site, they can help increase engagement by drawing the user’s attention with motion and visuals.

Adding a ticker to your website design can elevate your website to the next level. With strategic placement, it can draw attention to specific content or stories while keeping users informed of current events. Additionally, news tickers are very flexible and can be easily customized with different fonts, colors, and content. Using a scrolling banner instead of stagnant text on your website home page can be a great way to grab the attention of your visitors.

Things you can display in a ticker

  • Headlines, summaries, and other content related to news stories
  • Stock quotes and other financial information
  • Weather updates
  • Sports scores
  • Social media posts
  • Media such as image galleries
  • Blog posts
  • Testimonials/Reviews

When to Use a News Ticker in Web Design

With the many use cases for news tickers, every website design can benefit from using a ticker plugin. If your brand or business has updating announcements, social media, or news stories, adding a ticker can help keep your visitors informed. If you have content such as financial information or weather updates that need to be regularly updated and monitored, a news ticker is a perfect solution. You can share information without long pages of text and improve your user expierence.

Web design is constantly evolving, and the latest trends are geared toward dynamic visuals along with interactive components like scrolling headline bars. These elements not only help to create a more engaging and visually appealing website design but serve as a way to grab the user’s attention and focus on specific content.

Choosing the Right Ticker Plugin

When it comes to adding a news ticker to your website, there are several plugins available to help you get started. When selecting a plugin, it is important to consider factors such as customization options, compatibility with your existing website framework, and ease of implementation. You should look for plugins that allow you to easily update the content in the ticker so that visitors can stay informed about the latest news stories. The Ditty plugin for WordPress is a great option for creating news tickers that provides an easy-to-use interface, multiple display styles, and compatibility with any existing WordPress theme.

When adding a news ticker to your website, adhere to the following tips:

  • Use a plugin like Ditty for an easy setup and customization
  • Place your news ticker at the top of the page in order to grab user’s attention
  • Update it regularly with fresh content in order to keep users informed
  • Create a dynamic look with custom fonts, colors, and animations
  • Consider elements such as page speed, user experience, and design when selecting a plugin
  • Test out different placements to find the best location for your ticker.
  • Keep it concise and limit the amount of content to keep visitors engaged.

How to Add a Scrolling News Ticker to Your WordPress Website

Adding a news ticker to your WordPress website is easy with the help of a plugin such as Ditty. After downloading and installing the plugin, you can create a new ticker from the “Ditty” page in the WordPress admin dashboard. Here you can customize the display settings for the ticker such as speed and item spacing, as well as design elements like padding, colors, title settings and much more. You can then add content to the ticker such as headlines or summaries. Once you have added your content, select where to display it on your website by copy-pasting the shortcode provided after saving your changes. The ticker will then be displayed on the page according to your settings and will automatically update with the latest news stories or content that you have added.

  • 1
    Go to the WordPress plugin repository and search for Ditty
  • 2
    Download and activate the Ditty plugin
  • 3
    Go into Ditty and create and customize your ticker
  • 4
    Copy the shortcode
  • 5
    Paste your shortcode where you want your ticker to be displayed

Choosing the Right Ticker Plugin

Adding a news ticker to your website is an effective way to keep visitors informed of the latest updates without cluttering up the page with long pieces of text. With a plugin like Ditty, you can easily customize its display settings and content in order to meet the needs of your website. The scrolling headline bar is also great for grabbing the user’s attention and directing it to specific content. With a news ticker, you can easily make sure your visitors are kept up-to-date on the latest news stories while enhancing the overall website design. Check out our extensions for more WordPress display plugins or download dittyeverything for access to all Metaphor Creation’s Ditty plugins!