WordPress Website Development

Learn All There Is to Know about Search Engines

This is a very important tip that can go a long way in determining the outcome of your website. If you make your website search engine friendly, you would succeed in increasing traffic and bringing more people to your website. You see how important it is right? You do not want a website that is void of visits, do you? So, you have to take this tip seriously. How do you ensure that your website ranks high on search engines? First and foremost, you must ensure that your website is built on a clean and well-executed code. But you might not really even have to worry about this since your website was built on WordPress in the first place. This is because WordPress, by default, creates HTML pages that can easily be read by search engines – another advantage of using WordPress. Secondly, in order to ensure that your website ranks high on search engines, you have to work on creating backlinks. Backlinks are HTML hyperlinks from one website to another. When you create content that is rich, informative, and educative, it appeals to more readers. This can cause them to share it with others, especially if they feel that others should be benefitting from a content like that.

Creating backlinks will require constant improvements, rich and great content, and dedicated time. Some of the best WordPress links to create backlinks include strategies such as email outreach, infographics, guest blogging, dropping comments on high authoritative blogs or sites, writing a review, or even contributing to the article by letting others know your thought of it. When you create backlinks, you also make your website more appealing, as backlinks help create site authority. This would also ensure that your website is ranked higher through CTR – Click through Rates, thus causing your website to have more traffic. With backlinks, you would also be able to create rich markup snippets using an SEO plugin. Not to worry, this will be discussed further in this article.

Choose the Right Theme for Your WordPress Website

WordPress website development without the right theme will bring some limitations to your website. You do not want this now, do you? So, you want to work on choosing the right theme for your website. And here is an amazing thing – WordPress provides an abundance of themes to choose from. There is no limitation to the themes; you can decide to keep checking until you come across the one that fits your WordPress website perfectly. But how do you go about determining and choosing the right theme for your website?

First and foremost, you should ensure that the theme you select for your website is fully SEO optimized. Remember the first tip that emphasized the importance of SEO optimization? It looks like it all still boils down to that, tells you how important search engine optimization is when it comes to websites and their prolonged existence.

Just as it has been mentioned, there are many themes available on WordPress, so there is a tendency for you to get overwhelmed when selecting a theme. But you do not have to. Simply read reviews about these themes, pay close attention to the quality of each theme, and do not hesitate to opt for premium to get the best out of WordPress.

Also, while choosing a theme, there is a need for you to identify the needs of your website. Are you looking to create an online store, or are you looking to create an online portfolio to showcase the finest of your works? Although they seem close, these are two different needs and, as such, will require entirely different themes. If you are simply looking to create an online store, then you will want to choose a theme that is perfectly designed and fit for an e-commerce store. However, if you are looking to create an online portfolio where the finest of your works can be showcased, then you should be making your choice from the best WordPress themes for portfolio websites. It goes without saying that a person looking to start a website that involves writing on different topics will not consider the above-mentioned themes; rather, such a person will pick a theme out of the best WordPress themes for blogs.

In summary, before you decide on a theme, always ensure that the selected theme will tick all the boxes and provide you with the necessary tools and features to optimize your website fully. Choosing the right theme remains a crucial WordPress tip as it will determine the success of your website together with other practices you follow.

Install Only the Most Necessary Plugins

It is true that themes add beauty to your website as they have the power to leave your readers enchanted with their exceptional design and style. However, a beautifully themed website without the necessary plugins is functionless. Plugins are what add functionality to your WordPress website. Performing tasks not possible within the default range of WordPress is made possible by the large ecosystem of plugins which will provide just about any functionality you wish to perform. It would interest you to know that these WordPress tips are quite connected to one another. So, missing one could mean missing the next one. On the other hand, doing one correctly could enable you to apply the next accurately. It was mentioned earlier that selection of the right theme is very important for your website as it will determine the design of your website and if people will be attracted to it or not. Now, plugins come in handy when the selected theme does not provide a built-in feature for particular functionalities. In cases like this, a plugin is very important. They also come in handy when you need to add forms to your website or live chat plugins.

While choosing a plugin, there is a tendency to get carried away by all the extravagant functionalities different plugins provide, but you simply have to bear in mind that you ought to install only the plugins that are essential to your website. Also, you have to read different reviews on the plugins, the update dates, and installations before making a choice. Also, avoid overloading your website with too many plugins, instead work on keeping your website lightweight. You should know that poorly written plugins will affect the security of your website – the reason you need to be extremely careful in your selection of plugins.

Ensure that your WordPress website is always updated

This is also another important tip for your WordPress website development. WordPress website development is no small work, and you need to put in all the effort it requires. It is very important you keep your WordPress website and all the data in it up to date at all times. Failure to do this can result in a loss of all your important content, and I am certain you do not want this.

Another reason you should be intentional about updating your WordPress website is that updates ensure the introduction of new features and functionality to your website. There is also the need to take regular backups which is the process that implicates the process of copying your files and database, which can then be used to revitalize the original copy if a case of data loss arises. Although WordPress does not come with a built-in backup solution, there are still several opportunities that provide you with data backup. You could decide to back up your WordPress website manually using the Cpanel or FTP or just decide to install a plugin to get the job done for you – that is, back up your website- since most of the plugins will provide a simple and intuitive interface that will assist you throughout the process.

If you opt for the plugin option, you will be able to back up and restore your WordPress website with ease, as the plugin is designed to assist during the entire process. It is important you check all the updates of WordPress and keep your website up to date even though these might only be minor changes.

Checking for these new updates is not difficult. All you have to do is go to your WordPress dashboard, and you will see the update notification right at the top. It is a very straightforward process that will not take much of your time.

Secure your WordPress website

Here is another crucial tip for your WordPress website development. No one needs to persuade you to keep your website secured before you take measures to. If you fail to keep your website secured, you could lose all your data, including sensitive information. Indeed, WordPress is open-source content management that provides a secure software for you to build your website on. Still, there could be security breaches due to the bad practices which you follow or due to misinformation.

Make sure that from the very beginning, you choose a secure and solid hosting service. As this is the main foundation of your website, you have to be intentional about choosing a hosting service that provides a safe infrastructure that is capable of keeping your website safe from cybercrimes.

One way to secure your WordPress website is to be cautious about the selection of a hosting provider. You can do this by performing a thorough security research and confirm the level of importance given to security. Also, check if they operate on the latest security software technology.

Choosing a strong and reliable password is another way to secure your WordPress website. Your WordPress admin directory is where you perform all the important functions of your website; you do not want to use an unreliable password and username here, considering how important all your data are. So, apart from choosing a strong and reliable password, you should also use the two-factor authentication method. You can achieve this easily by the use of a plugin. The Google Authenticator – Two Factor Authentication by miniOrange is a perfect plugin for the job.

Another way to secure your website is to install an SSL certificate. This will cause your website’s permalink to change from HTTP to HTTPS. These certificates are majorly used to keep secure and sensitive information that travels around the web. They are encrypted and secured and are only made available to the intended recipient.

Choose a Drag and Drop Page Builder

There are a lot of functionality that WordPress provides for its users. However, because not everybody is aware of these and some do not know how to code, taking advantage of these awesome features can be quite challenging. But not to worry, WordPress page builders to the rescue! With WordPress page builders, you have the power to customize and design your website down to the last extent. With the use of a drag and drop page builder, you will be mistaken for a web designer as you will be able to stylize your website to your liking with much ease.

Utilization of this tip will reduce your workload and help streamline your workflow. You would also be able to take full control over your website and design it to meet your needs. There are a number of free and premium WordPress page builders like Beaver Builder, Elementor, Visual Composer that you can choose from.

Add Google Search Console and Google Analytics to your WordPress website

You would need the tool to track and analyze your progress if you are looking to optimize your website for better rates and conversions. This way, you will not only get insights on what strategies to follow; next, you will also know what aspects of your website to focus on. To achieve this, there are two amazing tools you need – Google Search Console and Google Analytics

Google Search Console is a valuable tool that will ensure a transformation of your website for SEO with priceless insights and reports. The use of this tool will make it possible for you to monitor and maintain your WordPress website while keeping track of your progress and how your website has gone up in ranks. Adding Google Search Console to your website is a major component that will direct your marketing strategies towards the fulfillment of your goals.

Google Analytics is another valuable tool in tracking and monitoring your website. This can easily be integrated into your WordPress website. All you have to do is create an account with Google Analytics and install the dedicated plugins for the job. It would be best if you opted for the Google Analytics plugins that will provide real-time data and reports such as MonsterInsight, Exact Metrics, and Analytify.

You can also easily add and integrate other powerful and valuable Google tools to your website, such as Google Forms.

Install an SEO WordPress Plugin

Here is another tip for WordPress website development. By now, you know that having a website that is fully search engine optimized has a lot of benefits. There are many plugins that provide all sorts of functionalities to your website, and they are all available on the WordPress repository. There is a variety of plugins that you could choose from that can help you step up your game in terms of search engine optimization. You can download plugins like Rank Math or Yoast SEO. They can be gotten for free and offer amazing tools that will be of great assistance in every aspect of your website.

You can check the title, metadata, images, and content to confirm that it is all search engine appropriate. You can also check out suggestions to make improvements where it is necessary. The plugins also provide a premium version that comes packed with an abundant number of advanced tools and features.

Responsive Design

It is important for all websites to have mobile responsiveness in the current period. There has been an increase in the number of people that use their phones for websites. Hence, it is very important for your website to adjust to every screen size, thus capturing a wider audience.

Besides being one of the best WordPress tips, mobile responsiveness influences your website’s SEO. No wonder Google has stated that all websites should be responsive and compatible with mobile versions, considering how many advancements have happened with technology.

All of our Neuron Thymes are mobile responsive and compatible with multiple devices. You do not need to worry about your website’s responsiveness as each of our themes is responsive-ready, with the options to set precise breakpoints for each device.

Final Words

In this article, we have talked about all the important word press tips and practices that you would need for your word press development. We understand that it might be quite overwhelming for you to deal with everything, especially if you are new to word press. But not to worry, this article is just what you need to get started and become proficient.

Although the word press interface is simple, straightforward, and, best of all, does not require any coding knowledge, it is still very important to equip yourself with the necessary tips and practices to get started on the right foot. This article is a compilation of all the most important word press tips and practices that will serve you as a beginner and become a guiding light to you throughout the entire process of word press website development. Indeed you can’t build the website you desire without the right tools at your disposal. This is why we included all the tools you will need in the course of your website development. There are also many other things that you would most like to learn on your own while your website grows – such as what works for your website and what does not, but until then, enjoy these best word press tips and practices that will give you a successful start and cause you to stand out amongst other word press website developers.