Making mistakes when you create a WordPress website is almost inevitable. Though some errors are easily remedied, others can lead to substantial costs and jeopardize your business if not corrected. It’s wise to consider the top eight mistakes your developer should avoid.
Here is a list of the most common mistakes that may occur when developing a WordPress website.
Not Taking WordPress Security Seriously
Website security is not something to be taken lightly. Out of the box, WordPress is a pretty secure piece of software—even the WhiteHouse has been using it since 2017. However, when a developer adds plugins and themes or doesn’t create clear user roles, all of these may become attack vectors and transform the website into a target for hackers.
A WordPress-powered website should be designed following the best security practices right from the start.
Not Using Coding Architecture Standards
Typically, themes handle the website’s design, while plugins extend its functionality.
Developers sometimes add code to theme files. It’s easier. But debugging and updates become hard. This is one of the top eight mistakes your developer should avoid.
Making sure your developer uses the latest coding architecture standards will make the website work as it should. This also helps to ensure that you will be able to easily update it, add new features, or fix bugs.
The Risks of Using a Theme That Is Neither Updated Nor Optimized
According to research conducted by ScepterMarketing in May 2020, there are around 31,000 themes developed for WordPress. These include both paid and free themes. Too often, theme developers focus on looks and customization, and they don’t consider website performance.
For best performance, use a theme that is minimal and fits your specific requirements. Here is a 10-step checklist to help you select the most suitable WordPress theme for your project.
Not Taking SEO Into Consideration
Optimizing your website for SEO is very important nowadays. According to statistics compiled by Semrush, there are around 246 million unique users using Google in the United States and an estimated 4.3 billion users worldwide. If developers don’t follow Google SEO guidelines, they may jeopardize the SE rankings of your website.
Not Optimizing The Website For Performance
According to research conducted by KissMetrics, if a website takes more than three seconds to load, 40% of the visitors will abandon it. Also, a similar percentage of website visitors expect a page to load in fewer than 2 seconds.
Website speed affects SEO. Ensure fast loading and no glitches. Check plugins, images, code, caching, and use fast hosting like WP Engine or a WP Engine alternative.
Incorrectly Using WordPress Pages And Posts
Developers must understand the distinction between WordPress posts and pages. Regrettably, I’ve frequently seen them misuse these features, leading to significant frustration and time-consuming corrections.
This misapplication is a prime example of the top eight mistakes your developer should avoid. Developers should reserve WordPress pages for static content like ‘About Us,’ ‘Contact,’ and ‘Services.’ Conversely, they should use posts for dynamic content such as: blog entries, articles, and news, which require frequent updates.
Posts and pages act differently from an SEO perspective, so you should not ignore this aspect. If you have some pages that you need to turn into posts or vice versa, you can use the Post Type switcher plugin to easily do the job.
Not Taking Web Accessibility Into Consideration
In a nutshell, web accessibility means taking all the diligence to ensure your website is equally accessible and the content is easily consumed by all people, regardless of their language barriers, location, device, or any impairment. According to research conducted by the World Health Organization, worldwide, at least 2.2 billion people have some sort of vision impairment.
Besides ensuring all people can get their desired information on your website, accessibility is also a legal requirement in many countries. According to a 2021 report by Seyfarth, Federal courts saw 2,523 lawsuits from Americans with disabilities in 2020, citing inaccessible website design.
On the W3.org website, you can see a list of the laws applicable to web accessibility in most countries.
Not Having The Right Call To Action
The final mistake is missing or having poor calls to action on your website. Your website may look great, load fast and get tons of traffic, but if you don’t have a proper call to action(i.e., “Get more details,” “Sign up” or “Contact us”) to instruct people on what to do next, most of them will simply leave your website without doing anything. This means poor conversion rates that will drain your marketing budget.
Make sure you have clear marketing funnels and a proper call to action in place that will guide the visitors after they have landed on your website.
While not comprehensive, use this checklist to begin assessing your website’s development quality.
If you suspect you’ve made one or more of these mistakes, a developing or maintenance WordPress agency could help you identify these issues and provide fixes that will put your website back on track and ensure it works as it should at suitable WordPress website development packages and website maintenance packages pricing.
Understanding and Avoiding the Top Eight Mistakes Your Developer Should Avoid
In the realm of WordPress development, diligence and expertise are paramount. As we have discussed, seemingly minor errors, such as improper theme modifications or the misapplication of post and page types, can lead to significant operational and maintenance challenges. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the top eight mistakes your developer should avoid is crucial.
By emphasizing adherence to coding standards, prioritizing best practices, and fostering a clear comprehension of WordPress architecture, we can significantly mitigate the risk of costly oversights. This proactive approach not only optimizes the development process but also ensures the creation of a robust and scalable website. Ultimately, a well-executed WordPress platform is an invaluable asset for any online business, and a focused effort to prevent these common pitfalls is essential for sustained success.
