Content management systems must be user-friendly and efficient.
We have been using WordPress as the backbone of our blog for quite some time now, and it is one of the most well-known and popular CMS platforms out there. We were not always able to get the hang of it, however.
Throughout this blog, we will share with you Third Time Lucky How I Conquered WordPress and provide you with tips to help you accomplish the same.
WordPress: Our journey
We had a total disaster with our first attempt at using WordPress. Our website ended up being a complete mess because we didn’t know exactly what we were doing.
To customize our website and make it look the way we wanted, it took us weeks.
When nothing seemed to work, we were ready to give up.
We were slightly more successful on our second attempt. It was easier for us to create a website that looked decent because we had a better understanding of WordPress.
We soon realized, however, that our website was slow and not search engine friendly. Despite our frustration, we knew what needed to be done.
After three attempts, WordPress was finally conquered.
Despite countless hours of research and testing, we were finally able to create a website that was not only visually appealing but also fast and search engine optimized.
Third time lucky how I conquered WordPress
We finally conquered WordPress on our third attempt after struggling with it for years. The journey wasn’t easy, but we learned a lot.
Here are some tips we learned along the way that will help you conquer WordPress:
#1. Make the right choice when it comes to hosting
WordPress hosting plans must be chosen carefully.
Your hosting plan should provide you with enough storage, bandwidth, and server resources to run your website smoothly. Choose a hosting plan based on these four factors:
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Server uptime and reliability
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Page load speed
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Customer support
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Pricing
A reputable provider such as Bluehost or SiteGround is a good choice if you’re looking for cloud hosting.
#2. Choose a theme that is responsive and SEO-friendly
Visitors to your website are first greeted by the theme of your website.
Therefore, it’s crucial to decide a responsive and SEO-friendly theme. Responsive themes are designed to work on a variety of devices and adapt to different screen sizes.
A search engine-friendly theme is one that is optimized for search engines, making it easier for search engines to crawl and index your site. There are a number of SEO-friendly themes available, including Astra, Generate Press, and Schema.
#3. Use essential Plugins
Your website can be enhanced with plugins to add extra functionality.
In order to prevent your website from slowing down, however, it’s important to use only essential plugins. The following plugins should be installed on every WordPress website:
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Yoast SEO: You can use this plugin to optimize your website for search engines.
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WPForms: With this plugin, you can easily create contact forms.
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Jetpack: You can use this plugin to enhance your site’s security and performance.
Explore more on How to Secure WordPress Site From Different Cyber Threats?
#4. Make your website faster by optimizing it
When it comes to user experience and SEO, website speed is very significant.
Having a slow-loading website can result in a higher bounce rate and lower search engine rankings. You can speed up your website by following these steps:
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WP Super Cache or W3 Total Cache are two caching plugins that you can use.
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Compress your images using tools like TinyPNG or Smush to optimize them.
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Reduce the number of plugins and scripts you use to reduce HTTP requests.
#5. Make use of a content delivery network (CDN)
A content delivery network (CDN) delivers cached website content based on a user’s location.
By reducing the distance between the server and the user, CDNs can improve the speed of your website.
Amazon CloudFront, Cloudflare, and MaxCDN are some of the most popular CDN providers.
#6. Make sure your website is backed up regularly
In the event of a hack or server failure, having a backup of your website is essential to protect your data.
Automatically backing up your website can be done with plugins like UpdraftPlus or VaultPress. Dropbox or Google Drive are good places to store your backups offsite.
#7. Track the performance of your website using Google Analytics
Your website’s performance can be tracked using Google Analytics, a free tool.
Using Google Analytics, you can track metrics such as traffic, bounce rate, and conversion rate. Additionally, you can use it to identify your top-performing pages and optimize your website accordingly.
#8. Make sure your website is up-to-date
Maintaining your website’s security and functionality is crucial.
Security patches, bug fixes, and new features are regularly released by WordPress. To ensure that your themes and plugins are compatible with the latest version of WordPress, you should also update them regularly.
#9. Join a WordPress community
As a website owner, joining a WordPress community can be a great way to learn and grow.
Connect with other WordPress enthusiasts, share experiences, and learn from others who have already conquered WordPress in these communities.
#10. Your WordPress site needs to be pentested
In order to ensure the security of your WordPress site, you should hire a highly professional company to conduct a pentest and vulnerability assessment.
Using a proven methodology, we have extensive experience performing Cyber Security assessments. All of our team members have certifications, as well as all of the latest tools and techniques that work together to enhance your overall security posture. They can assess network vulnerabilities, evaluate gaps in information security programs, develop strategies that meet compliance goals, and even prepare programs for security emergencies. Nuox Technologies possesses the skillset with all the relevant knowledge areas.
Final thoughts
There is a learning curve involved in conquering WordPress, but it’s well worth it. Your website can look great, load fast, and rank well in search engines when you use the right hosting plan, theme, and plugins.
Be sure to back up your website regularly, track its performance, and keep it up-to-date. Make sure you join a WordPress community to share your experiences and learn from others. Wishing you luck!