WordPress is one of the most popular platforms for website development, and with good reason. It’s easy to use, stable, and versatile. However, like anything else, WordPress development can be tricky and challenging. If you’re looking to up your game, these WordPress development tips and practices are for you.
1. Use a Test Environment to Update Your WordPress Site
When you’re ready to update your WordPress site, it’s important to do so in a test environment first. This way, you can ensure that all of your content is preserved, your themes and plugins are up-to-date, and any security issues have been addressed. You can also use a test environment to troubleshoot any problems that may arise during the update process.
A staging site is the best place to do quick fixes. It’s easy to make changes and see how they look before you commit them to your live site. This way, you can fix typos or misspellings without affecting your users. If you have time and want to take the extra step, you can also use a live site as a development environment for testing new features before they go live.
2. Learn the Gutenberg Editor
The Gutenberg Editor, which was introduced in WordPress 5.0, is a new editing interface that offers a more user-friendly experience. If you’re looking to learn more about the Gutenberg Editor, here are some WordPress development tips to help you get started:
First, be sure to have a basic understanding of how the WordPress platform works. Then, download the Gutenberg Editor plugin and install it on your site. Once you’ve installed the plugin, open it up and explore its features. You’ll need to familiarize yourself with the different types of blocks (such as text, audio, and video blocks) and how they work together. Finally, experiment with different layouts and see what looks best on your site.
If you’re a content creator, try creating a new post with Gutenberg and see how it works. You can also use the Gutenberg Editor to create menus and widgets.
However, if you are creating a new website, update your existing website to WordPress 5.0. This will allow you to take advantage of the latest updates and features without affecting your live site.
3. Update Your Themes and Plugins
Theme and plugin updates are important for keeping your site running smoothly. Here are some tips to help you update your themes and plugins:
- Check the Updates page on your WordPress admin panel to see if any new or updated themes or plugins are available.
- If there are updates available, click on the “Update Now” button to download and install them.
- Once the updates have been installed, make sure to check the “Updates Applied” notification bar at the top of your WordPress admin panel to confirm that they’ve been successful.
- If you notice any problems after updating your theme or plugin, be sure to report them on the WordPress support forum so that others can benefit from the fixes that have been made.
Always keep your WordPress installation and themes and plugins up to date to ensure that you have the latest security and bug fixes.
4. Your Website Needs to Be Mobile-Friendly
According to a study by Forrester Research, 78 percent of US adults use their smartphones to research products or services before making a purchase. That means your website needs to be mobile-friendly if you want visitors to stick around long enough for you to convert them into customers.
One way to make your website more mobile-friendly is to ensure that all content is easily accessible and searchable on a phone. Make sure titles and headings are highlighted, remove unnecessary images and videos, and break up your text into short, easy-to-read chunks. You can also try designing your website specifically for mobile devices with smaller resolutions and low bandwidths.
The bottom line is that if you want visitors to stay on your site longer, make it as mobile-friendly as possible, especially when doing updates. If you don’t do this, people might have a strange experience on your site as you update it.
5. Add SSL Certificates
WordPress is a popular content management system that can be used to create a website or blog. The WordPress codebase is made up of PHP and MySQL, which makes it easy for developers to create a custom plugin or theme. However, one downside of WordPress is that it doesn’t include WordPress support for SSL certificates.
If you want to provide your visitors with a more secure experience, you’ll need to add an SSL certificate to your WordPress site. There are several ways to do this, and the most common approach is to use a third-party service provider. Alternatively, you can install an SSL certificate on your own server using instructions from the Certificate Authority (CA) that issued the certificate.
6. Don’t Use Too Many WordPress Tools
A downside of WordPress is that it’s a popular platform for creating websites and blogs. This popularity means that there are a lot of different tools available to developers who want to use WordPress to create a site or blog.
When you’re starting out with WordPress, it’s tempting to use as many tools as possible. But don’t overdo it. There are plenty of free or cheap tools available that will do the job just fine. Instead, focus on learning how to use the built-in features of WordPress. Once you’ve got a good understanding of how WordPress works, you can start using external tools if necessary.
Too many tools can make it difficult to find what you’re looking for, and it can also lead to confusion as you try to work on your site or blog. Instead, use only the essential tools necessary for your project. This will help keep your site organized and make the development process easier.
7. Prioritize Client Feedback Regularly
Many WordPress development tips focus on creating a great website first and foremost, but neglect giving importance to client feedback. This can be deadly for businesses, as customer feedback is an essential part of making changes or updates to their site.
Regularly soliciting and incorporating customer feedback can help to ensure that your site is meeting the needs of your customers and keeps them coming back. Be sure to keep all feedback in mind when making changes or updates; it’s important that you take everything into account so that you can continue providing a great experience for your visitors.
Conclusion
By following the best WordPress development tips and practices that we have shared in this article, you will be able to create high-quality WordPress applications that are easy to maintain. If you need a website audit check, or you need a new website for your business, call our Atlanta Digital Marketing Team for a free strategy session today.
