There’s No Such Thing As A Perfect Platform

Without a doubt and development platform will have a long list of pros and cons to its name. WordPress is an extremely popular platform for website development but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. In fact, WordPress comes with a few challenges of its own – challenges that any developers using the platform will have to face.

We’re going to be taking a look at a number of these challenges and giving solutions for each one. We’d love to give you some insight into our methodology in open source development. Whether you’re a developer who uses WordPress or thinking about using a similar open source.

The Challenge Of Open Source

While this may seem like a good thing, open source actually has its disadvantages. WordPress being open source means that anyone can see the code and files. This often makes WordPress a target for security issues and hacks.

The solution?

There are a few things you can do to combat this. Firstly, make sure you’re using a secure hosting provider. They will have extra security measures in place to help protect your WordPress site. Secondly, always keep WordPress and any plugins or themes up to date. Updates often include security patches which can help protect your site from potential attacks.

Peak Performance

Slow website performance is one of the most common issues facing WordPress developers. A slow site can be extremely frustrating for users and often leads to high bounce rates. The open source aspect of WordPress is useful for customization. This can be done using plugins, widgets, and a number of other tools. This also can result in a slow performance on the site itself.

The solution?

There are a number of things you can do to speed up your WordPress site. One is to optimize your images before uploading them to your site. Another is to make sure you’re using a good caching plugin. Caching can help speed up your site by creating static versions of your pages which load faster for users.

Keep your plugins up to date! Developing a good method for checking your weak points in performance and seeking solutions. You can even use the process of elimination by deactivating features to determine exactly what’s slowing your site down.

Too Many Options

As for a number of open source tools some of WordPress’s strengths are also some of its weaknesses. The fact that there are so many themes and plugins available. While this gives you a lot of choice, it can also be overwhelming trying to decide which ones to use. There could be several different paths to a similar feature or a solution on your sight.

The solution?

When choosing a theme or plugin, always research it first. Read reviews and make sure it’s compatible with the latest version of WordPress. And if you’re not sure, there’s no harm in trying out a few different options until you find the perfect one for your needs. Using a staging environment to make changes to your site is another way to midigate that risk.

Open Source VS. Security

A lot of cybersecurity professionals often refer themselves as being in a sales position. Referring to the idea that companies have often not taken their site security as seriously as they should. Having to be sold on the idea that their information is potentially at risk.

Hacks are becoming more and more common, unfortunately WordPress sites are often a target. The reason for this is that WordPress is open source, making it easier for hackers to find vulnerabilities. Meaning since the source code is available to everyone, anyone can find a way to exploit it.

The solution?

There are a few things you can do to help secure your WordPress site. Firstly, make sure you’re using a strong password for both WordPress and your hosting account. Secondly, always keep WordPress and any plugins or themes up to date. Updates often include security patches which can help protect your site from potential attacks.

You should also consider using a security plugin like WordPress Security by iThemes. This plugin will help to secure your WordPress site by hiding vulnerabilities and implementing other security measures.

Backups

Backing up your WordPress site is extremely important but often overlooked by developers. If something happens to your site, you’ll be glad you have a backup. Without developing a good method of securely backing up your site can leave you in a bad spot if something were to happen.

The solution?

There are a few different ways you can back up your WordPress site. One is to use a plugin like BackupBuddy or VaultPress. Another is to manually back up your files and database using FTP or cPanel.

Either way, make sure you’re regularly backing up your WordPress site. And if possible, store your backups off-site in case something happens to your server. As we said before, keep a staging environment that is an exact copy of your site. You can make changes, add features and even use this to push a full revamp of your live site.

Staying Away From The Outdated

We cannot stress enough that one of the most important things you can do when developing for WordPress is to keep everything up to date. Plugins that haven’t been updated in at least two years are considered to be “abandoned” and should be avoided.

One way to look at it is the “fortress analogy“. If you have a highly secured fortress with impenetrable walls, but the back door is made of rotting wood…you’re not very protected right?This idea includes updating WordPress itself. Updates often include security patches which can help protect your site from potential attacks.

The solution?

Coming up with a plan is radically important. Updating WordPress consistently and finding solutions for outdated plugins. Having one weak point in your code could effect the whole site.

WordPress does a great job of notifying you when an update is available but it’s important to actually take action and update WordPress. The same goes for any plugins or themes you’re using on your WordPress site.

The Final Verdict On Your Site

It really depends on you. If you take the necessary precautions to secure and optimize your WordPress site, you’ll be in good shape. WordPress is a great platform for developing but it does have its challenges.

– Keep WordPress and any plugins or themes up to date.

– Use a strong password for both WordPress and your hosting account.

– Use a security plugin like WordPress Security by iThemes.

– Back up your WordPress site regularly.

– Avoid using “abandoned” plugins.