WordPress Web Development: A Few Things to Know

Web Design, Mobile App Development, & Online Advertising in Singapore.
Web Design, Mobile App Development, & Online Advertising in Singapore.

What is WordPress?

WordPress is an open-source CMS that makes website development easier, quicker, and cost-effective. With the help of WordPress CMS, your developer can build any kind of website for you. Whether it’s an informative website, an eCommerce store, or a web portal, WordPress can do it all for you.

One of the major reasons for the popularity of WordPress CMS is its admin interface. The backend interface of WordPress is user-friendly & easy to understand. Even a layman website owner can take control of their website and make changes to it with just a little training. 

Most website designers in Singapore build their client’s websites using WordPress CMS. 

 

WordPress vs. Wix: Choosing the Right Platform for Your Website

  • Choose the best based on monthly pricing, customization capabilities, ease of use, and customer support.
  • For example, Wix is more affordable than WordPress based on monthly pricing. They both offer free and paid plans, with the free plans consisting of basic features and ads, while the paid plans offer more features without any advertisements on the websites.
  • WordPress is an open-source platform that offers free access to customers with options for more features at a fee. Wix provides plug-ins, themes, and a free domain for the first year, while WordPress does not offer a free domain or plug-ins for customers.
  • The customer support is excellent at Wix with 24/7 callback, while WordPress customer support depends on the payment plan selected with available customer support via email chat and available guides.
  • You will know which to choose from based on the best offers for you as a customer!

Why is WordPress a great option for small businesses in Singapore?

  • It offers small businesses in Singapore an opportunity to work quickly to have a functional website as soon as possible. It provides a simple and easy installation and configuration process.
  • WordPress allows small businesses to open a website with minimized web development costs.
  • It offers full website ownership, which is effective for online businesses in Singapore.
  • WordPress offers various plug-ins and themes for your small business website.
  • WordPress is search engine optimization (SEO) friendly, facilitating traffic to a website.
  • The website is fast and responsive, providing a good user experience.

Things to look out for while hiring a WordPress developer in Singapore

The best WordPress developer in Singapore must have the following personal and technical skills:

  • HTML and CSS skills: Your WordPress developer should know advanced HTML/CSS skills to make your website look professional.
  • Coding skills: To incorporate advanced features into your website, your WordPress developer should know PHP coding. Before hiring a developer, check if they can make changes to the WordPress files and plugins.
  • Visualization skills: If you want a professional-looking website, make sure to hire only WordPress developers who are good at visualization skills.
  • Security skills: The security of a WordPress website is very important. Your developer should be able to follow the necessary security norms to protect your website from security threats.
  • Theme configuration and customization capabilities: Most novice WordPress developers are not able to make customizations to the WordPress themes. Because of this, you may have to settle with what your default theme can provide you with. However, when you hire experienced web developers, they can easily make the required customizations to the theme files of your WordPress website. 
  • SEO skills: SEO (search engine optimization) can help your website rank on noticeable rankings of search engines. All professional WordPress developers who have got SEO skills can build an SEO-friendly website.
  • API integration skills: You may need to integrate external APIs into your website. Especially, if you are building an eCommerce website, you may be required to add shipping or payment gateway APIs to your eCommerce store. Check with your WordPress developer if they are able to incorporate them into your website.
  • Troubleshooting: You may experience issues and bugs on your website. To troubleshoot & fix them, your WordPress developer needs to have enough experience.

How to Choose the Best Hosting for Your WordPress Site

Different factors to consider when choosing WordPress hosting. Your needs are based on business type, website performance, security, and overall success. Here is a list of factors to consider!

Review different types of WordPress hosting to select the best.

  • Your WordPress hosting needs to establish the proper budget.
  • Select a reliable host with uptime guarantees.
  • Consider server speed and performance.
  • Assess hosting security features for cybersecurity.
  • Evaluate technical and customer support.
  • Review pricing plans and functionalities
  • Assess user-friendly interfaces and website management tools.
  • Select specific WordPress features and compatibility
  • Compare hosting providers and access reviews

Common Myths about WordPress: Debunking Misconceptions

 

Myth 1: WordPress is used for Blogging only.

Fact: Apart from being a blogging site, WordPress has expanded to include a content management system. It can also be used for website development and applications.

Myth 2: WordPress is not secure for its users.

Fact: WordPress is a secure platform whose security depends on users’ efforts. To keep the website safe, focus on regularly updating the platform, plug-ins, and themes and following security practices.

Myth 3: WordPress is difficult to use.

Fact: WordPress has a comprehensible interface for beginners looking to create and manage websites. It offers guides and tutorials for users learning how to use WordPress. 

Myth 4: WordPress is expensive

Fact: WordPress is a free and open-source platform that offers free access to websites. Compared to other website hosting companies, it has low costs for hosting and domain registration.

Myth 5: WordPress is not customizable for free users.

Fact: WordPress websites are highly customizable. It offers many themes and plug-ins for free and paying customers, allowing them to access features for their websites.

WordPress Security Checklist: Protecting Your Site from Threats

The following are the steps you can take to protect your WordPress site from threats.

  • Update WordPress security features and the latest versions.
  • Update themes and plug-ins.
  • Use secured and verified WordPress hosts.
  • Use cybersecurity features to protect against hacking and cyberattacks.
  • Utilize Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) for safe online transactions
  • Add extra security measures for your website, such as strong passwords, limit login attempts, and logout inactive users.
  • Conduct regular backups for your site.
  • User two-factor authentication
  • Secure your database
  • Change the WordPress default login link

WordPress SEO Plug-ins: Tools to Improve Your Search Rankings

The presented WordPress SEO plug-ins are selected based on their key features and search capabilities.

  • Yoast SEO is effective for content analysis and guidance.
  • SmartCrawl is effective for balancing website features with simplicity
  • Rank Math for scalability and free feature set
  • Google Search Console to monitor and maintain your website in Google search results without any cost.
  • Slim SEO is fast, lightweight, and has a minimum configuration, making it perfect for beginners.

Improving WordPress Site Speed: Quick Wins for Better Performance

The following are the best ten steps to improve your WordPress site speed for better performance:

  • Request site speed from your cloud-hosting provider
  • Install effective plug-ins
  • Use a Content Delivery Network
  • Ensure that your plug-ins are working and remove inactive pug-ins
  • Compress large media files
  • Ensure regular updates
  • Compress WordPress site size
  • Optimize website performance by having the website and database in the same data center.
  • You can optimize your WordPress theme or minimize using WordPress themes with large sizes.