Starting a website is an important part of any business today, and WordPress is arguably the most popular Content Management System (CMS) to use. It’s easy to use and highly customizable, which makes it the go-to choice for many business owners. However, there are some common mistakes that people make when creating a WordPress website. In this post, we will go over 10 of the most common WordPress website mistakes and how to avoid them.
**1. Choosing the Wrong Hosting Provider**
One common mistake many website owners make is choosing the wrong hosting provider. Hosting plays a crucial role in website speed, uptime, and security. A slow website can hurt user experience and cause visitors to leave. Additionally, a poorly secured website can lead to data breaches and significant legal liabilities.
In fact, according to a report by IBM, the average cost of a data breach in 2021 was $4.24 million. Avoid this mistake by selecting a reputable hosting provider with a proven track record of speed, uptime, and security.
**2. Failing to Backup Your Site Regularly**
Backing up your WordPress site regularly is critical, as accidents and data breaches can happen anytime. A backup ensures that you can restore your website quickly and with minimal loss of data if something goes wrong. With the prevalence of cyber attacks and data theft, it’s essential that you keep backups of all the crucial data on your site.
According to a recent report by Varonis, the average cost of a data breach for small businesses could exceed $3.8 million. You can avoid this mistake by setting up automated backups or using a plugin to back up your site regularly.
**3. Using Inappropriate or Too Many Plugins**
Plugins are a great way to add functionality to your website, but using too many can slow down your website and hurt its performance. Additionally, some plugins are poorly coded and can introduce security vulnerabilities or even break your website.
According to a report by Sucuri, 98% of WordPress vulnerabilities are related to plugins. You can avoid this mistake by only using necessary plugins and using reputable plugins that are regularly updated.
**4. Ignoring Website Security Best Practices**
Many website owners ignore security best practices, which can put their site at risk of hacking attacks and data breaches. Examples of security best practices include installing SSL certificates, using strong passwords, and updating your website regularly. In addition, you should also use plugins that provide security against known threats.
According to a report by WyzGuys, there were more than 5,500 websites defaced per day in 2020. By implementing website security best practices, you can avoid becoming part of this statistic.
**5. Not Optimizing Your Website for Speed**
Website speed is a crucial factor affecting user experience and search engine rankings. A slow website can lead to an increase in bounce rates, which can hurt your website’s overall performance. According to Google, the chances of a website bouncing increase significantly as page load time goes from one second to seven seconds.
To avoid this mistake, optimize your website for speed by using fast hosting, optimizing images, compressing files, and minimizing HTTP requests.
**6. Choosing the Wrong Theme**
There are thousands of free and premium themes to choose from in WordPress, but not all themes are created equal. Some themes are poorly coded or are not optimized for search engine rankings. They can also conflict with some plugins or add security vulnerabilities.
According to a report by WPStatistics, some of the most popular WordPress themes have been found to have security vulnerabilities that can be exploited by hackers. You can avoid this mistake by selecting themes from reputable sources and ensuring they are regularly updated.
**7. Not Using SEO Best Practices**
Search engine optimization (SEO) is essential for ensuring that your website shows up in search engine results pages (SERPs). Ignoring SEO best practices can hurt your search engine rankings, making it difficult for your customers to find your website. Common SEO mistakes include keyword stuffing, failing to use meta descriptions and title tags, and not optimizing images.
According to a report by Backlinko, the average click-through rate (CTR) increase for the top-ranking search result on Google is 31.7%. To avoid this mistake, make sure to use SEO best practices.
**8. Overlooking Mobile Responsiveness**
Mobile responsiveness refers to the ability of a website to adapt to different device sizes. With more and more people accessing the internet on their mobile devices, it’s essential that your website is mobile responsive. Mobile responsiveness is also an essential factor considered by Google when ranking websites.
According to a report by Statista, mobile devices accounted for more than half of all internet traffic in 2020. You can avoid this mistake by selecting a mobile-responsive theme and testing your website on different devices.
**9. Overlooking Accessibility**
Accessibility refers to the ability of a website to be used by people with different abilities. It’s essential to ensure that your website is accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. Ignoring accessibility can lead to legal implications and hurt your website’s overall performance.
According to a report by WebAIM, there are more than 61 million adults in the US with a disability. You can avoid this mistake by following the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and testing your website for accessibility regularly.
**10. Neglecting to Update Your Site Regularly**
Ignoring website updates can lead to security vulnerabilities and hurt your website’s performance. Regular updates ensure that your plugins, themes, and WordPress core are up to date, eliminating known vulnerabilities and improving website performance.
According to a report by WPBeginner, 83% of hacked WordPress sites are not updated. Avoid this mistake by updating your site regularly.
In conclusion, starting a WordPress website is an excellent way to build an online presence, but it’s critical to avoid common website mistakes. By avoiding these mistakes, you can ensure that your website is fast, secure, and optimized for search engines and users.
Sources:
– IBM, “Cost of a Data Breach Report 2021”
– Varonis, “The State of Cybersecurity for Small and Midsize Businesses”
– Sucuri, “Hacked Website Report 2018”
– WyzGuys, “Website Security: A 2020 Guide”
– Google, “The Need for Mobile Speed”
– Backlinko, “SEO Stats That Matter”
– Statista, “Share of Website Traffic Worldwide From Mobile Devices from 2017 to 2021”
– WebAIM, “WebAIM Million Report”
– WPBeginner, “WordPress Stats for 2021”
