There’s a reason WordPress accounts for a whopping 60% of the content management system market.
While WordPress is undeniably one of the top dogs when it comes to CMS, it can seem a little intimidating for those new to site management.
Are you ready to get the most out of your WordPress site but aren’t sure where to start? We’re here to help. Here are three must-have WordPress tips everyone should know.
1. Always Optimize for Mobile Use
It’s no big secret that mobile devices are taking over the online scene. Last year, 51% of all time spent online was on a mobile device, and that percentage is only going to keep getting higher as time goes on.
So, if you manage a website, one of your main priorities should be to ensure you optimize your site for mobile use. While most of WordPress’s themes and plugins come with built-in mobile optimization, it’s essential to double-check to make sure your site works on multiple operating systems before you publish anything.
If you don’t take the time to optimize your site for mobile use, there’s a good chance a potential customer or client could find your website and not be able to use it, which could cost you business.
2. Create a Dummy Site for Updates
Finally, when you manage a website, you’re going to have to edit and update your site continuously as time goes on — that’s just part of the job. While your updates and upgrades may be necessary and well-meaning, there’s always a chance you could inadvertently do something that breaks your site. And that’s where dummy sites come in.
A dummy site is an unpublished copy of your website you can use to test updates to ensure everything is working and catch any potential bugs before your updates go live.
While directly updating your primary website may seem quicker, especially when it comes to minor updates, you always run the risk of crashing your site. And any amount of time your site spends down could wind up costing you big time.
By testing your updates first, you can ensure everything is good to go and then copy your work to your primary website.
If you have any concerns about maintaining your WordPress site, you may want to consider hiring a professional like this service to help you.
3. Keep Your Themes and Plugins Up to Date
If you ever notice your computer isn’t running the way it’s supposed to, one of the first questions most experts would ask is if your software is up to date. And, that logic works for WordPress sites too.
While it may seem obvious, failing to keep your site’s theme and any plugins you have installed updated could lead to some severe issues on your website — or even cause it to crash.
By keeping your plugins and theme updated, you can ensure that your site always looks and performs the way it’s supposed to, without a lot of extra hands-on maintenance.
That said, make sure to test any updates on a dummy site first to makes sure all of your plugins still work together.
WordPress Tips Everyone Should Know
By following these three helpful WordPress tips, you’ll be able to get the most out of your site and keep it looking and running at its best.
Are you looking for more tips on how to create or maintain a website? We’ve got you covered. Check out the rest of our blog for more helpful tips today!
