If you own a website, you’ve probably heard of WordPress. In case you’ve been living under a digital rock, this is one of the most popular platforms, powering over 40% of the internet’s websites.
WordPress, in particular, is the go-to content management system (CMS) for most bloggers and site owners seeking ease of use as well as explorable and useable complexity if desired.
WP will be the backbone of most site owners’ whole digital ecosystem or their blog area. Unfortunately for some, both may be difficult paths with far too many roadblocks.
Third time lucky, how I Conquered WordPress may sound like a corny headline, but the CMS platform can (and frequently does) give bloggers and other site owners fits.
As a result, this blog article will go over everything you need to know to get the most out of WordPress.
On the other hand, if you don’t want to, you don’t have to muck around with code and page creation. This might be especially difficult if you already have a successful business and need a website to dominate the online world as well. In these circumstances, it is preferable to avoid DIY and instead use expert WordPress web design services.
Third Time Lucky, or How I Conquered WordPress – Failure Doesn’t Have to Mean Failure
While it is somewhat canonical that WordPress is an easy platform to use, some users will inevitably have a disastrous time configuring and figuring out the system. Especially if you are doing it alone and just wing it, chances are you will end up with a site or blog that is a complete disaster.
Trying to customise the website to match your needs might be difficult, and you may find yourself tinkering with the platform for weeks with no good results.
There are other site owners that learn the basics quickly the second time around and wind up with a decent-looking site but lacks speed and is in desperate need of SEO love.
The third time was the charm in our instance. This is where every piece of the puzzle fell into place. The end result was a stunningly gorgeous site with quick loading times, an optimised site structure, simple navigation, and SEO-friendly content.
Still, this may need much research and effort. This is why we’ve compiled a list of best practises for you to follow right away, so you don’t have to create your own “Third Time Lucky, or How I Conquered WordPress” narrative.
Dominating the CMS Made Simple With WordPress
You don’t have to fight with the system for months or even years if you take the appropriate approach. While it can still be difficult, the advice below will help you avoid some of the most frequent problems and rapidly develop an attractive, optimised, and high-quality WordPress site.
Choosing the Best Hosting Plan
To be honest, this is critical in the case of any website. A great plan will provide you with adequate server resources, storage, and bandwidth to keep your website operating like an inline-six engine, that is, as smooth as butter.
Consider the following factors while selecting a plan:
- Customer service
- Loading time
- Server dependability and availability
- Pricing for plans
There are plenty excellent services available. Do your homework, inquire around, and choose the plan that best matches your needs.
Selecting the Best Theme
Choosing an appropriate theme is an important step in building a robust WordPress website. When people click on your homepage link, this is the first thing they see.
The easiest way to maximise the potential of your theme is to select one that is SEO-friendly and shows well on all devices (responsive).
These themes are designed with search engine optimisation in mind, making them simpler to locate and index for Google and Bing. Experts often propose Schema, GeneratePress, and Astra as some of the possibilities.
Consider utilising a lightweight theme to improve page load times. Keep things simple and avoid large themes with widgets and functionality that no one will use on your site.
Maintain Your Website’s Lightning-Fast Performance
When it comes to SEO and providing an excellent user experience, speed is also an important factor (and not only in goofy Vin Diesel movies).
Snail-like pages will cause people to exit your site, lowering binding rates and resulting in poorer rankings. Consider the following to increase the performance of your website:
Make use of caching plugins.
Compress your photographs to save space and load quicker.
To reduce HTTP requests, reduce the amount of scripts and plugins you employ.
Using Only Required Plugins
While installing too many plugins might cause your site to slow down, there are a few necessities that we strongly suggest having for improved functionality and user experiences.
To that aim, most experts believe that you should stick to the fundamentals, such as:
WPForms makes it simple to create various form kinds.
Yoast SEO may help you boost your SEO efforts.
Jetpack for improved site speed and security. If you do use separate plugins, ensure sure they are compatible with your theme and will not conflict with one another.
Backup your data on a regular basis.
These are also necessary to keep your data safe in the event of an unexpected plugin failure, server breakdown, or, worse, a successful hack attempt.
To do automatic backups, you can utilise plugins such as VaultPRess and UpdraftPlus. Still, it’s a good idea to keep your data offline, such as on Google Drive or Dropbox, in case you need to restore to an earlier version of your website.
Inform Yourself
The greatest thing you can do is enrol in a course and master the fundamentals of WordPress. There are certain classes that are free to attend, while others need a fee. Look for classes that have received high acclaim and reviews so that you can get the most out of your time and money.
These classes are also an excellent approach to avoid common mistakes like over-customization, which causes your design and pages to become inconsistent and frequently contradicting.
Additionally, some of these courses will include the usage of page builders, which may save you time coding. Additionally, conducting some of your own research will most likely help you better appreciate the significance of SEO and other ideas, such as accessibility – both of which may help you make your website more visible and appealing to a wider audience.
Keep Your Website Up to Date
Keep an eye out for the most recent WordPress upgrades to keep every feature operational and your site safe. WordPress releases updates on a regular basis, including new features, minor and significant bug fixes, and security patches.
Updating your plugins and themes is also necessary because they must be compatible with the most recent WordPress versions.
Google Analytics may be used to monitor the performance of your website.
When you understand how your website performs in the eyes of search engines, you can utilise the information to alter and improve it even more.
Google Analytics provides insight into key data like as bounce rates, traffic, and conversions, allowing you to identify your top sites and optimise the others using it as a template.
Participate in a WordPress Community
The platform’s open-source nature has encouraged the establishment of various online forums where individuals may continue to learn about WordPress and push its limitations as a CMS.
Aside from that, it’s a terrific place to share your knowledge and learn from others. These forums can assist you as a beginner:
When you’re stuck, seek help. If you’re having trouble with a plugin or theme, chances are someone will assist you if you make a topic about it. They will also advise you on numerous areas like as SEO practises, the finest plugins and themes, and how to operate your site like a pro in general.
Learn from the very best. Many developers have done incredible things with this platform. You may probably discover a few intriguing tricks and techniques that will help you become a better site operator and even master some fancy web development abilities. On the other side, you might hear stories from more experienced users who went through the same hardships as you before “making it.”
Share what you’ve discovered. Help whenever you are able. There are likely to be other people who are experiencing the same issues you had when you initially installed the programme. Share your knowledge and gain “street cred” in the forums.
Third Time Lucky, or How I Became a WordPress Master: There is no need for a third time.
WP’s learning curve may be steep for some, but it doesn’t imply you can’t master it on the first attempt. Whether you run a modest blog or an online business, patience and consistency are essential in the otherwise fast-paced digital world.
Consider your website to be an ecosystem that requires constant maintenance and adjustment. It will not reach its full potential unless it receives the necessary care.
Don’t be disheartened; there’s plenty of aid available both online and offline.
