WordPress is undoubtedly world’s most popular content management system, now powering over 40% of all websites on the internet from enterprise sites, to small businesses. While it offers incredible flexibility, scalability, and ease of use, many businesses are still making critical mistakes that can hinder the performance, security, and user experience of their WordPress site.
Here are the 5 biggest mistakes businesses are making with their WordPress websites and how to avoid them.
- Neglecting Regular Updates and Maintenance
One of the most common mistakes is failing to keep WordPress core, themes, and plugins up to date. Outdated software creates security vulnerabilities, increases the risk of compatibility issues, and can negatively affect your site performance.
How to fix it:
- Enable automatic updates where possible.
- Regularly check and update themes and plugins.
- Remove unused or outdated plugins that could pose security risks.
- Perform routine website maintenance to ensure smooth functionality.
- Ignoring Website Speed and Performance
A slow-loading website drives visitors away and negatively impacts on your search engine rankings. Many businesses are still overlooking the importance of optimising their website’s speed, leading to poor user experience and lost conversions.
How to fix it:
- Compress and optimise your images for faster loading times.
- Minimise the number of plugins installed.
- Choose a high-performance hosting provider.
- Enable caching to reduce server load and enhance speed.
- Not Prioritising Mobile Optimisation
With over half of internet traffic coming from mobile devices, an non mobile responsive website can result in a high bounce rate and lost potential customers. Google’s mobile-first indexing also means that mobile-friendliness positively impacts your search rankings.
How to fix it:
- Pick a responsive WordPress theme that adapts to all screen sizes.
- Test your site’s mobile performance using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
- Ensure buttons, images, and text are easily clickable and readable on smaller screens.
- Optimise for mobile speed by reducing unnecessary scripts and elements.
- Poor SEO Practices and Lack of Optimisation
Many businesses fail to implement effective SEO strategies, making it harder for their website to rank in search engine results. Common mistakes include not updating content regularly, not using proper headings, and failing to optimise their content for relevant keywords.
How to fix it:
- Use an SEO plugin like Yoast SEO or Rank Math to guide optimisation.
- Conduct keyword research and integrate them naturally into your content.
- Ensure internal linking for better navigation and indexing.
- Check for, and fix any broken links
- Weak Security Measures and Lack of Backups
Cyber threats are now something any business could fall victim to, and failing to secure your WordPress website can lead to data breaches, hacking, and loss of valuable information. Without regular backups, recovering from an attack can be difficult and time-consuming.
How to fix it:
- Install a security plugin like Wordfence or Sucuri.
- Enable two-factor authentication for admin access.
- Use strong passwords and limit login attempts.
- Regularly back up your website to a secure cloud service or external storage.
By avoiding these 5 common mistakes will help ensure your WordPress website is secure, high-performing, and optimised for growth. If you need professional assistance, our web development and maintenance services can help keep your WordPress site running smoothly and effectively, CircleBC can help!
Our WordPress experts can take care of everything from support and maintenance to hosting, security and audits.
If it’s been a while since you’ve given your WordPress site the attention it needs, call us on 1300 978 073, DM us or head to our website for more information or to book a complimentary review.