This month we look at topics like WordPress plugin updates, website speed testing, and responsive images.
If you have any questions or need help integrating any of these resources, please contact me.
Security
Even if you stay on top of WordPress plugin updates, you know that even the best plugins experience vulnerabilities now and then. WooCommerce recently patched their popular plugin to prevent a possible security issue, a reminder to always keep plugins updated.
While it can be tempting to add many plugins to increase your WordPress website’s functionality, remember to choose wisely. This article on improving website security reminds us to use plugins from established developers who will keep them updated and secure.
WPMU has a great article on the history of WordPress security and it includes some links to very helpful, foundational articles on WordPress security. Some good reading here!
Performance
Once again, the website caching plugin WP Rocket has received a positive review. Bottom line: since it is a premium plugin, it’s better for websites designed to make money. Depending on your specific website setup, you might find free website caching plugins more suitable – it’s best to do your own comparison.
And here’s a great article from WP Rocket about website performance. You might have heard about Google’s PageSpeed tools for testing your site’s performance. They are very helpful, but WP Rocket suggests that there are other, more accurate tools available (like Pingdom).
If Google’s PageSpeed InSights and Pingdom tools are not enough (or are too confusing), there is a new performance tool from Sucuri – here’s a quick review, with user comments. However, Sucuri might use different criteria for analyzing websites because some sites that score well with the other tools actually get very low grades in Sucuri’s results. I will keep an eye on its development.
Education
There are different ways to hide WordPress posts and pages from public viewing, but if you want to hide something without making it “private”, here’s a brief tutorial on a plugin that might help.
Some day creating responsive images for your wordpress website will be easier but for now, here’s a nice tutorial for getting it done (if your theme is not already optimized for responsive images).
Finally, here are a few good tips for marketing your business from your WordPress website. One highlight: Concentration – stay focused and serve your niche well.
That’s all for this month. If you have tried any of these tips, or if you have anything to add, please use the Comments section below.
