Do you know that WordPress runs over 40% of all websites worldwide, becoming the most preferred CMS platform for most businesses globally? Why so? Is it that simple and affordable? Its agility and user-friendliness cannot avoid the fact that creating a high-performing, secure, and scalable WordPress site is not that simple. It requires professional knack and experience. Businesses often make WordPress development mistakes when trying to do it themselves.
In this blog, you will find the most common WordPress development mistakes that you must avoid when partnering with a WordPress Development Agency.
1. Using Too Many Plugins
Is it bad?
Being WordPress has multiple plugins for easy feature addition, many developers and companies try installing every seemingly valuable plugin they stumble upon. While such plugins add new functionality, too many would:
- Slow Load your Website: Each plugin comes with a set of code that keeps running in the backend when installed. The more plugins, the more code to process, SQL queries, and memory use. All these result in a drop in loading time and poor SER.
- More Security Threat: Plugins are often loosely coded and outdated, making them a soft target for cyber attacks and other threats.
- Complex Maintenance: Fixing plugin issues is often time-consuming, particularly when you install multiple plugins.
So, better use a single well-written, updated plugin bouquet than installing a bunch of them playing separately for different additions.
Read More: Top 7 Reasons to Choose a WordPress Development Company
2. Ignoring Page Speed
Should you worry?
It is one of the most prominent factors that directly impacts your SEO efforts and UX.
Do you know your 1-second delay in website load time can drop conversions by 7% or even more?
- Standard Speed Breakers: Large and heavy images, themes, unnecessary content, and again using lots of plugins – it all puts your site down due to overload.
- Less Traffic and Sales: Slow sites have higher bounce rates and lower conversion rates.
For Instance, uncompressed images or bulky themes can extend the load time over five seconds, causing visitors to switch sites before even seeing the content.
3. Poor Security Practices
Does it matter?
Although WordPress is secure, wrong practices can make it vulnerable. Here are some common mistakes:
- Not having strong two-layered admin passwords or keeping default usernames (like “admin”)
- No SSL included is exposing user data to risk
- Not updating WordPress, plugins, themes, or not attending to unfixed vulnerabilities
- Having no backups makes your site vulnerable to loss from hacks or server disasters
The causes listed above can bring down even high-traffic and high-ranking sites.
4. Not Updating Themes/Plugins
How can it land you in trouble?
This is a routine to update your themes and plugins, not just for functionalities but also for keeping the site secure. Failure to update can lead to:
- Exposure to Vulnerability: Old and outdated elements have been the primary target for hackers.
- Unused features: You must use the new features. If you’re ignoring, you are losing out on usability, speed, and improved security.
- Compatibility fuss: New versions of WordPress may break outdated themes/plugins, causing fatal site errors.
Example: Relying on old versions of plugins like contact form or additional feature plugins has often been the culprit for critical data leak incidents.
Read More: The Ultimate WordPress Website Launch Checklist
5. Wrong UX Design Selection
Is it a Problem?
Design is much more than just its appearance. It’s also about how users use, engage, and navigate your content. Some widely witnessed mistakes include:
- Intricate Navigation: Cluttering menus or using complex labels often stumps visitors.
- Inconsistent design pattern: Disorderly fonts, color combinations, or layouts give your site an unprofessional look and strip off trust.
- Ignoring Mobile Compatibility: With m-commerce or mobile usage soaring, not having mobile-responsive websites can bleed out visitors, thus dropping in rankings.
- Frequent pop-ups or auto-playing videos: These things also annoy visitors as they obstruct their time and query for which they came to your site, thus switch sites before engaging.
The consequence of this WordPress development mistake is high bounce rates and lower conversion, regardless of your approach.
6. WordPress Coding Errors and Development Mess-ups
There could be many issues that can be committed in the backend by developers or designers that can jeopardize your website, such as coding errors or bugs, during the development phase. Here are some common coding errors you must avoid:
- Ignoring WordPress Coding Practices: This can lead to code that is bug-embedded and difficult to maintain. You must adhere to the set standards for clean and error-free future updates.
- Configuring Code Snippets to the Wrong Place: You must never put custom code into theme files. It can reduce site loading speed and many more blunders. It is better to follow the safe, upgrade-proof methods for all types of customizations.
- Editing Parent Themes, Not Child Themes: With every update, your customizations will vanish. It’s safe to develop robust child themes, so that any updates will never impact.
- Ignoring Analytics or SEO Tools: Ignoring the installation of Google Analytics and other types of search tools can also put your growth at risk due to a lack of insight.
Conclusion
WordPress is simple to use and it’s user-friendly. Still, using it the best way can catapult its value. It appears to be easy, but developing a high-traffic pulling website is not a child’s play. It requires technical expertise and a strategic aptitude.
The best bet is to avoid coding errors, drawbacks of plugin overload, slow speed, poor security, outdated tools/plugins, and inconsistent design by hiring the right professional help or agency to provide you with the website of your dream.
This is where Fourfold Tech can come into play. We are the trusted partner for several businesses. If you want your WordPress development fast, secure, well-designed, and fully scalable, you are at the right place.
We avoid the above-listed common mistakes so you don’t have to suffer any traffic or revenue losses. We are here to empower your business for long-term online success. Let’s collaborate to create something different.
