A strong digital presence matters for businesses big and small. With its versatility and genuinely user-friendly interface, WordPress has become a go-to CMS for developing dynamic, effective websites. Here’s a closer look at WordPress development and how to get the most out of your WordPress website.
Developing a custom website with WordPress
Custom WordPress development means designing and building a genuinely unique website, using WordPress as the foundation. WordPress offers plenty of useful pre-built templates, but a custom build is what actually helps your brand stand out, with responsive design and a strong mobile experience.
WordPress’s custom web development options are also a powerful way to differentiate from competitors. Use a generic template, and you risk your site looking like dozens of others built on the same one. Go custom, and your brand gets a genuine edge instead.
What WordPress hosting solutions are there?
Choosing the right WordPress hosting starts with understanding your site’s actual needs, your budget, and where you expect to grow. You’ve got several hosting types to choose from: shared, VPS, dedicated, or managed WordPress hosting.
For smaller brands on a budget, shared hosting is often the most economical option, though it comes with more limited resources than other types.
VPS hosting strikes a balance between affordability and performance, well-suited to medium-sized sites. Dedicated hosting guarantees ample resources, ideal for large, high-traffic websites.
Managed WordPress hosting is built specifically for WordPress, offering automated updates and stronger security, making it a solid choice across a wide range of WordPress sites.
How do I maintain my WordPress website?
Keeping your WordPress site healthy and current requires regular maintenance: updating plugins and WordPress itself, checking and fixing broken links, and backing up your site and database. WordPress recommends handling these tasks every 3 to 6 weeks to keep things running smoothly.
Not everyone has time to stay on top of ongoing maintenance, which is exactly where WordPress maintenance services come in. Some of the most popular options include:
GoDaddy
GoDaddy offers WordPress maintenance and support, making it a convenient option for site owners who want things handled smoothly. Beyond security, their services typically cover automatic updates, backups, and technical support.
WP Engine
WP Engine takes a different approach entirely. Rather than paying for maintenance separately, you enrol in one of their managed hosting plans, which covers both hosting and maintenance, including automatic updates for your installation, themes, and plugins. It also lets you test changes in a staging environment before pushing them live.
SuperbThemes
SuperbThemes is best known for its themes and plugins, but it also offers maintenance services, unlimited website updates and manual weekly updates for your plugins, themes, and WordPress core files included.
How can WordPress be used for E-commerce?
Shopify might be the most popular ecommerce platform, but plenty of businesses still prefer WordPress, thanks to its flexibility and the huge range of themes and plugins available.
You can run an ecommerce store on WordPress by integrating a plugin like WooCommerce. Start by setting up your WordPress site and picking an ecommerce-friendly theme.
WooCommerce lets you add and manage products, customise your store’s appearance, and set up payment gateways and shipping methods. It also handles product variations, discounts, and tax calculations.
WordPress also supports SEO plugins like Yoast SEO to help drive results. Keeping your site SEO-friendly helps you rank in relevant product searches and bring prospective customers straight to your store.
What security solutions are available for WordPress?
Once your WordPress site is up and running, locking down security should be next on your list. Weak security leaves your site vulnerable to hacking, which can cause real reputational and financial damage. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of solid security options available.
Wordfence Security
Wordfence is a leading security plugin with over 4 million downloads. Its free scanning tool checks your core files, plugins, themes, posts, and comments for suspicious code, broken URLs, and spam. Both free and premium plans are available, so you can pick what fits your budget.
SiteGround Security
SiteGround Security is free for all WordPress users. It covers powerful features across categories like site security, login security, activity logs, and post-hack actions, and makes it easy to block or unblock users to prevent unauthorised access.
iThemes Security
With over 1 million users worldwide and both free and paid plans, iThemes Security suits businesses with different levels of security needs. The free version covers malware scans and core requirements like strong passwords and SSL.
The paid version starts at $80 a year and adds more advanced features, two-factor authentication, password expiration, and Google Captcha among them.
Ready to experience the benefits of a custom WordPress site for your business? Get in contact with us at hello@omdigigroup.com to find out how we can help.
