A Beginner Guide To WordPress Text To Speech Plugins

“Hey Alexa”, “Hey Siri” or “Hey Google” are some of the commands that we all use to avoid reading and typing. With the advancement in technology, the way people search, and the way people read is changing. Instead of text forms, Podcasts and Youtube videos are gaining traction. So, is it the end of text content? Not really, but if you want your users to visit you again and again, we have a hook for you –TTS (Text to speech) module.  Today, we are living in a world of competition. Many big and successful sites, such as Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg, are using TTS plugins to improve their user experience and expand their audience reach. So why lag behind? This article will help you make the best use of WordPress Text-to-Speech plugins like a pro (No coding, No technical knowledge required) Before we dive into any further discussion, let’s understand what TTS is exactly and how it can contribute to your website’s growth.

What is the text-to-speech plugin for WordPress?

Text To Speech Plugin is a software that’s developed to convert a whole blog article into a voice clip. This voice clip is typically displayed at the top of each published article on your website. WordPress text-to-speech plugins can seamlessly integrate with text editors, email clients, web pages, e-books, and other software.     Look at the snapshot below to see what it looks like:   So, now, your visitors can read or listen to the text in your article.  

Benefits Of Installing A Text To Speech Plugins 

As per cheapandbesthosting.com installing a text-to-speech (TTS) plugin can provide several benefits, both for individuals and businesses. Here are some advantages of using TTS plugins:

1. User Experience

User experience is of utmost importance for any website, as it creates a magnetic field that attracts audiences to revisit. Google is very particular about both UI and UX and better user experience results in better search rankings. User experience is not solely dependent on the visual appearance of your site, but also on how easily users comprehend or interact with your blogs/articles. If you’re wondering how it helps in improving user experience on your site, you need to consider it from the user’s perspective. The eye relaxing reading is so awesome, isn’t it? You don’t have to strain your eyes staring at your phone to read every word. Simply turn on the play button, put on your earphones, and start listening. The spoken-word audio also provides the ability to multitask. Whether you’re cooking, walking, travelling, relaxing, driving, or exercising, you can listen to the entire blog on the go while performing other tasks. Moreover, it ultimately reduces screen time and protects visitors’ eyes from harmful rays.

2. Increases Content Value

Having audio content in your blog ultimately enhances the value of your content. Since these plugins are highly trained and specialized, visitors can hear the correct pronunciation of the words you have used, which helps improve their speaking skills.  Additionally, it can serve as a proofreading tool. By listening to the audio version of your content, you can assess how it will sound to visitors.

3. Bounce Rate:

Text-To-Speech is a bounce rate saviour. It eventually increases the user engagement from 5-30% and significantly decreases the bounce rate by upto 280%. There are many people with visual weakness, dyslexia, and a preference for audio. You can now cater for them with the audio version of your blog.  By providing an audio option, people are more likely to engage with your content and stay on your page instead of moving on to another website.  In fact, it is interesting to note that almost 75% of the US audience prefers listening to audio content.

4. Covering Large Audience:

Most TTS plugins offer a variety of text-to-speech voices in multiple languages, genders, ages, and accents. This allows you to find the most engaging and comfortable ‘listening voice’ for your audience. It’s true that not everyone may like or use this feature, or they may prefer reading over listening. However, there’s no need to worry because by implementing Text-to-Speech, you can cater to both listeners and readers.

5. Branding And Monetization

By adding a brand voice, you can establish and strengthen your brand identity. Many businesses use their own customized voice for the audio version of their blog, which adds a touch of professionalism to their site and enhances trust among their audience. Some websites like Medium, offer the TTS feature exclusively to their premium subscribers while others provide it for free. Tip: You can offer TTS to your subscribers as a tool to upgrade from free to premium. Incorporating TTS into your website can be an additional perk that sets you apart from other blogsites.  

How To Pick A Good WordPress Text-To-Speech Plugin

Here’s the checklist for an ideal TTS plugin that is recommended by renowned agencies like digitalvishesh.in .

• Ensure the tool offers human like voice, which shouldn’t be robotic.
• Check for compatibility issues, It should be compatible with new-age browsers and devices.
• It’ll be better if it has any audio customization by which you can adjust the tone, speed, pitch, and voice type.
• Little scope of upsell or cross-sell (at least in their premium).
• It must be easy to use and suitable for non-coders.
• Pocket friendly upgrade options, The premium should be within your budget. Also, It must have a free trial or free version to test.

Three Most Recommended WordPress Text To Speech Plugins To Use 

1. BeyondWords

BeyondWords is an easy-to-use plugin with a quick setup time which makes it highly compatible for beginners. What makes it even more appealing is the ability to customize the text-to-speech algorithm, resulting in human-like audio outputs. It offers 550+ AI voices in 140+ languages. Furthermore, you can track your progress by integrating BeyondWords with Google Analytics and Tag Manager. This allows you to gain valuable insights and analytics related to your audio content. Test it for free and later upgrade to its pro version which costs $89 per month.  

2. ResponsiveVoice

Looking for the cheapest option? Keep reading. ResponsiveVoice is a well-known TTS plugin that provides audio features for all types of devices. It is based on HTML5 and offers shortcodes that allow you to create audio clips of specific sections. With support for 51 languages and 168 voices, ResponsiveVoice offers a wide range of options to cater to diverse audiences.  ResponsiveVoice offers a lifetime free plan (with limited features) and the pro version is priced at $39 per month that provides unlimited text-to-speech conversions.  

3. TrinityAudio

TrinityAudio offers voice choice in upto 250 voices and over 125 languages. The special note of Trinity audio is it doesn’t affect the loading speed of your blog page. And also gives you all the statics and tracking reports. The free version of this plugin allows you to use 5 article audio per month. The basic paid plan starts at $15 per month. 

How Do I Add Text To Speech In WordPress?

If you are a beginner, we will help you install and activate text to speech on your website. Here’s a step to step guide on how you can add these plugins to your WordPress website.    Step 1: Log in to your WordPress dashboard and go to the plugin section. Click on “Add new”.  Step 2: Now you can search for some good Text To Speech plugins. You’ll see a number of TTS plugins to install on your WordPress website.    Here, I am choosing BeyondWords as it’s a freemium service with very good reviews. You can also look for other best text to speech plugins and try them.   Now, simply click on the “Install Now” button on your chosen plugin. Step 3: Within few seconds, your plugin will be installed. Click on “Activate” button to get started.  Step 4: Your job hasn’t been over yet. Once it’s activated, go to the plugins>installed plugins>activated plugins. Here, you’ll find your TTS plugin which is installed and activated. Now go to its “settings”. When you reach out to its settings page, you’ll be asked for BeyondWords’s “API key” and “ project ID”. Step 5: You need an API Key and project ID to integrate it to WordPress. To get this, click on “View Details” to get the link of its official website. Step 6: Now, click on the Author’s link to get reach out the website. Step 7: Click on the Sign-up button to create an account. The homepage of this plugin has a demo audio so you can check how good it sounds. Step 8: As BeyondWords has a free version, you don’t have pay anything. Just sign up with your Name, Email, and Password. Step 9: After logging in, click on “create new project”.  Enter the Title of your project and choose which language of audio output you want. Step 10: Now click on WordPress to get the API Key and ID. Step 11: Here you can adjust the Voice settings, and get the API credentials. It has different voices for titles and body content. After selecting the voice tone, save the changes and copy the API Key and Project ID. .   Step 12: Now get back to the “settings page” we have just opened before. Paste the API credentials here and choose the areas, you want to add Text To Speech feature. “Save the settings” and you’re all ready to use it. Step 13: Apply it on your desired post. It’ll appear next to the publish button. Tick on “Generate audio” and publish your article to see the results

Frequently Asked Questions

Does WordPress have text to speech? No. WordPress does not have built-in text-to-speech functionality.  Is text to speech plugin free? Usually, most the text-to-speech plugins have free versions or free trials. Advanced features however come with premium bundles. How do I make a text to speech website? You can simply install a WordPress text to speech plugin for it.

Bottom Line

Undoubtedly, Text to speech plugins are the next step to improve your SEO rankings. If you have doubts about the voice quality, stop assuming it is robotic. It was developed in 1968 and it’s 2023 now. The Text to Speech industry has evolved and revolutionized for human-like outputs.     If you have any further doubts or questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We are here to assist you.