WordPress is a powerful tool for building websites and it’s become a favorite among designers for its flexibility and ease of use.
But even though WordPress is designed to be user-friendly there are some essential tricks that can help you build even better websites.
Ready to build websites like a pro? 🤘 This post is packed with tips from designers who’ve been there.
Level up your WordPress game with these essential tricks!
Essential WordPress Tricks for Designers
Ready to build websites like a pro? 🤘 This post is packed with tips from designers who’ve been there.
Level up your WordPress game with these essential tricks!
Over the years I’ve worked with many designers who are just starting out with WordPress.
They’re often surprised by how much they can achieve with a few simple tweaks and techniques.
Here’s what I’ve learned to be the most crucial tips for any designer who wants to master the platform:
1. Be Picky About Plugins
WordPress plugins offer an incredible way to extend your website’s functionality.
But be cautious.
Some plugins can be problematic and cause performance issues.
It’s essential to be selective when choosing plugins to avoid slowing down your website.
Think of it this way: You wouldn’t just grab every tool from the toolbox would you? You’d carefully choose the right ones for the job.
The same applies to WordPress plugins.
How to Choose the Right Plugins
- Research: Take a moment to read user reviews and ratings before installing a plugin. This can give you a good indication of its reliability and performance.
- Test Test Test: Always test new plugins on a staging or development site before deploying them on your live website. A staging site is like a practice area for your website. You can experiment with plugins and changes without affecting your live visitors.
- Use a Plugin Performance Analyzer: Tools like P3 Profiler can help you see how plugins are impacting your website’s speed and identify any potential bottlenecks.
2. Break Free from the “Just Another WordPress Site” Trap
The beauty of WordPress is its ease of use.
However that simplicity can sometimes lead to a repetitive look and feel for websites.
Don’t let your website be just another WordPress site.
Take the time to add unique touches and personalizations to stand out from the crowd.
Adding That Personal Touch:
- Customizing Your Favicon: A favicon that little icon that appears next to your URL in the browser tab is a small but powerful branding element. Upload a custom favicon to give your website a unique identity. It’s surprisingly easy to do and can make a big difference.
- Going Beyond the Default Theme: While there are countless beautiful WordPress themes available it’s rare to find one that perfectly fits your client’s needs out of the box. Instead of heavily modifying a parent theme consider creating a child theme. Child themes let you customize a parent theme without impacting updates making it a smart approach for both immediate and future customizations.
3. Master the Art of Permalinks
Permalinks are the permanent URLs for your website’s pages and posts.
The default WordPress permalink structure isn’t the most user-friendly or SEO-friendly.
You can improve this by using more descriptive permalinks.
Why Permalinks Matter:
- SEO: Search engines use permalinks to understand the content of your pages. Descriptive permalinks help boost your SEO.
- Usability: Humans find it easier to remember and share links with meaningful words than with cryptic numbers.
Making Your Permalinks Shine:
- Use the Post Name Structure: This automatically uses the title of your post in the permalink making it more readable and informative.
4. Secure Your Site Like a Fortress
WordPress is a popular target for hackers so taking security seriously is critical.
Make sure your website is protected with strong passwords regular updates and the right security measures.
Fort Knox for Your WordPress Site:
- Strong Passwords: Use complex random passwords that are difficult for hackers to guess. I’ve learned the hard way that security is not a place to cut corners.
- Regular Updates: Keep your WordPress core plugins and themes up-to-date to patch vulnerabilities and prevent attacks.
- Hide Your Login Page: Make it more difficult for hackers to find your login page by using a plugin like WPS Hide Login to change the default “/wp-admin” URL.
5. Empower Your Clients
Just like a well-designed website needs to be responsive to users the website needs to be responsive to the client’s needs.
A little extra time spent teaching your clients about WordPress can go a long way in ensuring their satisfaction and making your life easier.
The Importance of Client Education:
- Prevent Future Headaches: By teaching your clients basic WordPress skills you can reduce the number of support requests and help them maintain their website independently.
- Build a Strong Relationship: Sharing your knowledge and empowering your clients demonstrates your commitment to their success and fosters a positive relationship.
6. Harness the Power of WP Engine’s Resources
At WP Engine we believe in sharing our knowledge and expertise.
We offer a wealth of resources including blog posts tutorials and support documentation to help designers of all levels.
Level Up Your WordPress Knowledge:
- WP Engine Blog: Explore our blog for insights tips and news related to WordPress.
- WP Engine Help Docs: Find comprehensive guides for site setup troubleshooting and more.
- Free Website Migration: Take advantage of our automated migration plugin and support to seamlessly transfer your website to WP Engine.
Final Thoughts
Mastering WordPress is an ongoing journey.
By embracing these simple tips you’ll be on your way to building better faster and more secure websites.
Remember a well-designed website is a joy to build a delight to use and a powerful tool for achieving your goals.
Ready to build websites like a pro? 🤘 This post is packed with tips from designers who’ve been there.