by If you’re uncertain about the effectiveness of your website, your uncertainty is probably telling you something. Good doctors don’t wonder if they’re good doctors.
There’s good reason for your dissatisfaction. Your website lacks critical elements, user efficiency, or crucial security systems.
You’ve chosen WordPress for your website design, and you’re likely aware of its benefits. It’s affordable, easy to use, and offers a high level of stability. But, unless you know it well, you may not be reaping the full value WordPress website design offers.
The wrong decisions about your website cost you time, customers, and money. Here are nine costly WordPress website design and development missteps to avoid.
Don’t have the website you’ve envisioned? Contact our friendly office to learn about our WordPress website design and development.
Office: (844) 972-6224 Contact Us
1. Web Host Roulette
The offer of free web hosting may be tempting, but it’s sure to result in unplanned expenses and put your WordPress website—and your business—at risk. Slow load times, little to no customer support, and poor SEO are typical drawbacks of free hosting.
But, even when you pay a hosting service provider, they over-promise and fail to deliver the level of service you need. Don’t fall into the trap of trusting the highest-priced hosting option thinking you’ll get the highest-level service.
Every website has unique hosting needs. Before you select a web host, evaluate your company’s website requirements and growth goals. Do you need a simple one-click backup and restore option? How much server space do you need to support your website growth? How quickly can you get answers from tech support? The answers to these questions will help you evaluate your hosting options.
You don’t have to make this decision in the dark. Take a look at my hosting recommendations.
2. Neglected Security for Your WordPress Website
You don’t need me to warn you about cyber threats like phishing, ransomware, and spyware. In the United States alone, cybercrime was estimated to cost well over nine million dollars in 2023.
When your WordPress website is attacked, you’ll be burdened with the cost to repair your site and notify the affected users. You incur the risk of legal costs, penalties, and ransom fees to recover stolen data. And then there’s the unquantifiable cost to your reputation. The trust of your clients and potential new customers will be in jeopardy.
When a cybersecurity service provider tries to sell you foolproof protection, don’t fall for the hype. 100% security is a myth. But, there are reliable cyber plans which include:
- Robust encryption, firewall, and authentication protocols
- Timely updates of server software
- Proactive scanning for irregular activity
- Regular security audits
- One-click daily backup and restore
Avoid costly downtime and maintain the confidence of your customers. Stay abreast of WordPress security best practices.
3. Neglected WordPress Website Design Features
Website design with WordPress offers a treasure trove of tools, themes, and features. The right website accessories help refine engagement with your target audience and streamline your operations. Among the add-ons WordPress website design offers, you will find features to:
- Update and maintain your mailing list
- Redirect users from broken URLs to active pages
- Integrate e-commerce activity
- Streamline social media engagement
- Boost your website’s SEO performance
- Reduce load time while increasing users’ on-site time
A word to the wise: too many added features can create needless distractions and undermine your site’s performance. Practice your due diligence to make the most of your selections. The trick is to walk the line between features that strengthen your website and unnecessary features that bog down your website.
Make your WordPress website design effective. Contact us now to start a conversation about optimizing your WordPress site. Our WordPress website design services help businesses add to their bottom line through conversion rate optimization, SEO and a flawless user experience.
Office: (844) 972-6224 Contact Us
4. You Chose the Wrong WordPress Theme. Oops.
As with hosting providers, there is no single best WordPress website design theme, only the best theme for your unique needs. That said, there are plenty of poor theme choices.
In addition to unsupported or unverified themes, beware of WordPress themes that are “customized” by your developer. Instead, make sure your theme is purchased from an established theme developer such as Elegant Themes or Avada.com.
When considering custom WordPress website design, keep in mind:
- The theme you choose should be adaptable to all types of devices.
- It should have enough flexibility to accommodate your website’s requirements.
- It should also have a source for support so you can easily find answers to your questions.
- Avoid “industry based” themes, i.e., real estate themes, restaurant themes, spa themes.
Your options are virtually limitless, but WordPress developers have two favorite themes. An experienced website designer who uses WordPress will be able to guide you in selecting the right theme for your needs.
5. Missed Media Opportunities
When it comes to your WordPress website design, media opportunities don’t come with a red carpet. It’s about knowing how best to deploy the media elements at your disposal.
If you’ve been working with the same old website code for a long time—or even with an older WordPress theme—you’re missing out on the rich array of possibilities WordPress website design offers.
It’s time to expand your website’s media toolkit.
Consider a plugin for social media integration. Augment your web copy by adding video elements to your web pages. When it comes to effective WordPress website design, details as small as right-sizing your photos will improve your site’s functionality.
How often should you redesign your website? If your site has remained unchanged for more than a decade, then a website redesign is the best investment you will make this year.
A website redesign is not necessary every time there is a change in your company’s marketing strategy, services, or product offerings. Often, just making updates to your current website design will improve its effectiveness.
Contact us to find out if you need complete WordPress website design and development. If you don’t need a full redesign, then we’ll tell you your options.
Office: (844) 972-6224 Contact Us
6. Expecting Your Plugins to Take Care of Themselves
WordPress offers excellent plugins to strengthen your website. However, they’re subject to security upgrades and abandonment by their creators. They require maintenance. That’s why you want to choose the plugins that add value to your site. Resist adding plugins you don’t need.
Once you’ve deployed plugins, don’t forget about them! Under-supported or discontinued plugins pose a security risk. Failure to make timely updates to your plugins causes sluggish page loads and exposes you and your site visitors to security vulnerabilities.
Does your WordPress website have functionality issues? Our website repair service will check under the hood of your website. You don’t need to struggle with outdated or dangerous plugins. Contact my friendly office at 844-972-6224 or via our contact form to get help quickly.
7. You Forgot About User Experience in WordPress Website Design
An excellent product, compelling copy, and engaging graphics are fundamental to your website’s impact on visitors. Your headlines and visuals must be engaging on a human level while also gaining SEO traction. Your calls to action should be well placed and irresistable. These elements will keep visitors on your site longer and convert them into customers.
But the user experience doesn’t stop there. This is one of the areas in which WordPress shines.
Effective—and cost-effective—WordPress website design is agile enough to be equally navigable and responsive on all devices. Its media elements, theme packages, and add-on features are right-sized to optimize page load speeds. It has tools to prevent site visitors from stalling in 404 dead-ends.
Don’t forget about your online customers who have unique accessibility needs. WordPress also has accessibility plugins that can open your business to a whole new market.
8. What Backup? We Need a Backup?
You don’t need a lecture on the importance of backing up your work, but I’m going to give you one anyway. Check on your website backups.
If your web hosting provider includes backups in its service package, you may leave it in their hands and forget about it. However, have a plan to ensure your WordPress website is thoroughly and consistently covered against mishaps.
The right plugin or automation tool will save you valuable time. Your plan should include saving backups in a reliable location, either on your server or with a trusted remote storage provider like Google Drive or Dropbox. Avoid building a backlog of extraneous backups. Once you establish a schedule—monthly, weekly, or daily—delete the older versions. Check your backup system monthly to ensure it continues to run as it should.
Does keeping on top of backups sound daunting? The basic website maintenance plan at Emily Journey & Associates includes backups and security updates.
Contact us to learn about our basic and premium website maintenance packages.
Office: (844) 972-6224 Contact Us
9. The DIY Approach With WordPress Website Design
Do-it-yourself projects make a great pastime, but “time” is the operative word.
You will learn a lot and get a deep sense of satisfaction (or frustration) when you design your own WordPress website. However, if you have a business to manage and limited time, hire a professional. Emily Journey & Associates provides WordPress website design services.
Count on our WordPress website designers to ask about the goals you have for your website. We will take the time to understand your business and your ideal customers. Take a look at our portfolio of recent WordPress website designs.
In addition to the time savings, professional WordPress website design services keep your website features updated and prevent unexpected issues. A regularly scheduled maintenance program ensures your site performs well in searches, provides a good user experience, converts customers and mitigates your risk of a security breach.
But Emily Journey is no gatekeeper. On the contrary, I’m an advocate for WordPress self-sufficiency. Are you a small business owner with time to manage your own website? Do you have in-house staff you trust to take on the responsibility? I encourage you to consider corporate WordPress training.
Your WordPress Website Design Doesn’t Have to be a Guessing Game
Your company website is more than an advertising tool. It’s a vehicle to bring your company closer to its desired customers and your business goals.
Where do you stand with your company’s current WordPress website? Whether you want to evaluate your existing site’s performance or build a new one from the ground up, Emily Journey can help.
We’d love to learn about your business and discuss your website needs. From WordPress website design and maintenance, to SEO services and WordPress training, we provide what you need to make the most of your online presence. Contact us now and let us get to know you.
