an important reminder

Before we start, a quick reminder to backup your WordPress site regularly.

Backing-up involves making and storing a copy of your site’s files, content and information. It means that if your site gets hacked or encounters a problem, you can reinstate the backup version.

Backups are essential because often problems are totally unexpected, and they happen to every site at some point. Without a backup, you could lose everything you have ever added to your WordPress site.

The more frequently you back-up, the less data you’ll lose if your site ever crashes or gets infected. It’s therefore vital to schedule regular backups and store backup copies securely.

Find out more about how to back-up on WordPress in our Ultimate WordPress Optimisation Guide.

the top 6 WordPress errors

1. The White Screen of Death

Are you seeing a white or blank screen instead of your website? This White Screen of Death (WSOD) is probably the most common WordPress error.

Here are the most frequent causes and solutions:

• Plugin issues: If you’ve recently added or updated a WordPress plugin, try deactivating it or reverting to your last backup. Alternatively, you can deactivate all plugins in the ‘Plugins’ section of your WordPress dashboard or via phpMyAdmin. For the latter, navigate to the SQL tab, type in UPDATE wp_options SET option_value = “WHERE option_name = ‘active_plugins’; and then click ‘Go’. You can then reactivate your plugins individually to find the source of the problem.
• Theme problems: If you’ve just activated a new site or new theme, try reverting to the default WordPress theme in your WordPress dashboard. Alternatively, you can use FTP access. Simply go to the /wp-content/themes/ folder and either temporarily rename your new theme directory or move it outside of the WordPress root directory.
• Code errors: Even mistyping just one or two characters in your WordPress code can cause the WSOD. If you’ve been manually editing your code, revert to a backup and then try re-editing. It’s also a good idea to make manual code edits on a test version of your site before going live, to avoid similar problems in the future.
• Memory limit exceeded: When you exceed your PHP memory limit, which is usually 64MB by default, you might find the WSOD appears sporadically or on specific site pages. Where this is the case, ask your hosting provider to update the PHP memory file on your server. You may also need to upgrade your hosting package.

2. Internal server error

It’s usually a corrupted .htaccess file that’s responsible for internal server errors on WordPress. To overcome this issue, rename your .htaccess file to .htaccess_old using FTP. This will automatically generate a new .htaccess file, and you can then try re-loading your site to see if the error has cleared.

Alternatively, an internal server error may be caused by a plugin issue, theme problem, or lack of PHP memory – follow the guidance in point 1 (WSOD) above for help with these.

3. Connection timed out

The ‘connection timed out’ error message occurs when your hosting provider can’t meet your website’s demands quickly enough. This is usually because you’ve exceeded your server memory limit – a common problem for large or busy websites on shared hosting packages.

To fix the issue, ask your hosting provider about switching hosting package or increasing your memory capacity. Alternatively, you can increase the maximum execution time, which gives your website longer to load before the ‘connection timed out’ message appears. If you choose this option, bear in mind that your page speed is likely to be slow, which has a negative impact on your user experience, conversion rate and search engine rankings.

4. Error establishing database connection

Unsurprisingly, this error message means there’s a problem with your website’s connection to your database.

This is most commonly caused by an error in your wp-config.php file. To fix things, go to your wp-config.php file (using FTP access) and ensure your database name, username, password and host are all correct. You may also need to reset your MySQL password.

5. Compromised website

A compromised WordPress website can be caused by hacking, a wp-config.php issue and/or hosting problems. To fix the error, try the following methods, checking after each to see whether your website is working again.

Firstly, check your wp-config.php file and make sure all the information is correct. Secondly, scan your WordPress site with WordFence or Sucuri to check for hacking.

If your site has been hacked, you’ll need to reinstate a backup version and follow the hacking advice on WordPress.org. You’ll also need to run a full anti-virus/malware scan on your local machine.

Finally, ask your hosting provider if there are any server problems. If there are, they should be able to help fix any issues.

6. Maintenance mode

The last common WordPress website error is when your site says it’s undergoing maintenance, even when it isn’t.

When WordPress is updated, a .maintenance file is installed. This needs to be manually deleted for manual updates, or should be automatically deleted for automatic updates.

If you’re getting this error, it’s likely that the .maintenance file hasn’t been removed. To overcome the problem, simply delete the .maintenance file from your WordPress directory.

want expert WordPress support?

If you’re having any trouble getting your website working correctly or need more detailed analysis into any problems, please contact us. There’s also a handy page on WordPress.org with more information about overcoming WordPress website errors.

We’re award-winning WordPress developers who love helping clients create the best possible websites and achieve their digital goals. If you’d like expert WordPress support and maintenance for your website, give us a call on 020 8747 3274.

what is website hosting?

Website hosting involves storing your website and providing infrastructure so it can function on the internet.

Hosting providers have remote computers called servers, which store your all of your website’s files and information. Internet browsers then download these files as needed (ie. when a user clicks your URL) in order to display your website.

Paying for hosting is basically renting out storage space and processing power for your website on the host’s server.

types of WordPress website hosting

There are lots of different WordPress hosting options, but here are the four main types:

1. Shared hosting

This is where a server stores multiple sites, making it a cost-effective and popular option for many WordPress website-owners. It’s a bit like living in flat share – it’s cheaper than having your own apartment, but means you have to share the kitchen and bathroom! In terms of hosting, sites with shared hosting usually have usage and capacity restrictions, but these are often more than enough for smaller WordPress sites.

2. Virtual Private Server (VPS)

This is a mid-point option between shared hosting and a dedicated server. Whilst your server is still shared with other sites, each website has its own designated storage space. This means that WordPress website-owners usually have more customisation options and greater capacity. Whilst site performance is still sometimes be affected by other sites on the server, this is generally an excellent, affordable option for larger WordPress sites.

3. Dedicated server hosting

This means having a server that is solely for your use – a highly reliable and customisable option for the largest, busiest WordPress sites. It’s like owning your own house, where you have full control over kitchen décor and bathroom usage! In terms of hosting, it means you’re in charge of various server options including security, operating system and hardware.

4. Cloud hosting

Just like Virtual Private Server hosting, this offers your WordPress site a dedicated space within a shared server – but virtually. This means that if you need to increase your website’s storage space, you’re not limited by the physical capacity of your server. However, make sure to double check exactly what you’re getting, as some hosting providers offer cloud hosting on a shared hosting basis (rather than VPS).

how to choose WordPress hosting

The type of hosting that’s right for your WordPress site depends on various factors, such as how much traffic you get, whether you store sensitive data, and where your users are located.

Here are some key things to consider when choosing your WordPress hosting:

• Expertise: does the hosting provider specialise in WordPress? Many providers offer specific packages tailored to the needs of WordPress websites.
• Reliability: does the hosting provider have a track-record of providing secure, fast and reliable website hosting?
• Server management: who will take responsibility for updating and managing the server? This is usually provided automatically as part of shared hosting packages, but a dedicated server might require you to manage the server yourself.
• Security: what security software does the hosting include? It’s worth checking compliance with any relevant legislation (such as GDPR). For sites processing sensitive data, encryption or other additional security measures may also be needed.
• Location: the shorter the distance between your server and your website’s users, the faster your site will be displayed. So if you have a UK-based audience, make sure to find a UK-based server for your WordPress site.
• Software: some WordPress sites need special software installed on the server, so it’s worth checking if your hosting provider can accommodate this.
• Value: this is not just about hosting fees but the value of ensuring your WordPress site is always loading correctly. In many cases, it’s worth paying more for a hosting provider that really cares about your website and will ensure great performance.
• Support: when and how is the hosting provider contactable? For WordPress sites with continuously high traffic levels, a hosting provider that can deal with problems 24/7 will be vital.

need help?

Our award-winning WordPress support includes cloud-based hosting to give your site invaluable speed, stability and security without any hassle.

For more expert WordPress tips, make sure to read our Ultimate WordPress Optimisation Guide and other WordPress blogs.

what is PHP?

PHP (or Hypertext Preprocessor) is an open-source coding language found on millions of websites. It’s most commonly used for server-side scripting, including accessing files, executing commands and opening network connections.

WordPress is built with PHP, but most users don’t need to know anything about PHP in order to create and manage their WordPress websites. However, this means that PHP updates are often overlooked or seen as not important.

As PHP was developed nearly 30 years ago, there are a large number of legacy PHP versions that aren’t actively maintained. Whilst WordPress and other websites may still work with old PHP versions, updating to the latest PHP offers a huge boost for your site’s speed, performance and security.

how to check your PHP version

Your PHP version is set by your web hosting provider at server-level.

You can check which PHP version you’re using by:

• Uploading the following PHP file to your server: <?php phpversion(); ?>
• Running the php -v command prompt in your server command line
• Simply asking your hosting provider or WordPress agency

You can compare your PHP version with the latest version as listed on the PHP website. WordPress currently recommends using PHP version 7.4 or later.

why you should update PHP version

Just as you need to keep WordPress core, plugins and themes up-to-date, your site’s PHP version needs to be updated too. As PHP itself says:

“PHP, like any other large system, is under constant scrutiny and improvement. Each new version will often include both major and minor changes to enhance security and repair any flaws, configuration mishaps, and other issues that will affect the overall security and stability of your system.

“Like other system-level scripting languages and programs, the best approach is to update often, and maintain awareness of the latest versions and their changes.”

Using the latest PHP version is hugely beneficial for:

• Security: Only the most recent versions of PHP are regularly patched against security vulnerabilities. If you have an outdated PHP, your WordPress website is more likely to be hacked.
• Performance: The latest PHP versions include bug fixes, thus reducing errors on your site and improving user experience.
• Speed: Updating a WordPress site to the latest PHP version can result in speed increases of up to four times! Not only is this better for users but it also results in improved search engine rankings.
• Features: New features are added to updated PHP versions, thus giving your website increased functionality. These features also often simplify things for developers, thus saving you time and money when your WordPress website code needs updaing.

how to update PHP

How to update your PHP depends on your hosting package, so contact your hosting provider for more information.

However, before updating, make sure to do the following:

• Backup: As with all updates, it’s important to backup your website first. This will enable you to revert to your backup in case of any problems.
• Update your software: Make sure your WordPress core, plugins and themes are up-to-date with their latest versions, in order to maximise likelihood that they’re compatible with the newest version of PHP.
• Check PHP compatibility: It’s a good idea to contact your WordPress design agency and ask them to check the PHP compatibility of your site. They can also fix any PHP compatibility issues in advance.

Once you’ve performed these steps, you’re ready to update your PHP. You can now look forward to a faster, better performing and more secure site!

need help?

For support with PHP updates or any other aspect of WordPress website management, give us a call on  020 8747 3274 and we’ll be happy to help.

why has Google introduced the core web vitals?

The core web vitals are designed to evaluate and quantify user experience (UX) on your WordPress site. Google has added these factors to its algorithm in an attempt to keep searchers happy and give them the best possible experience when they click on search results listings.

Much of UX is about the speed at which your content appears and becomes interactive. This is important because research shows that as page loading time increases, bounce rate increases substantially. For example, a five second increase in page loading time results in a massive 106% increase in bounce rate.

Previously, some of Google’s tools to measure website UX were complex for non-developers to understand. The core web vitals aim to make things simpler and clearer, so that all website-owners can focus on the most important user experience metrics.

With the core web vitals now affecting Google rankings, website-owners are also incentivised to make their sites user-friendly and easy to interact with. Having a good user experience was always best practice in order to keep users engaged, but it’s now important for your SEO rankings – and therefore your organic traffic – too.

what are the core web vitals?

The core web vitals comprise three specific page speed and user experience measurements. Interestingly, they’re based on actual usage data (or field data), which shows how real-world users interact with your WordPress site.

As the core web vitals are included in Google’s ranking algorithm, your performance in these areas affects how highly your site is ranked in Google search results. Individual scores apply to each individual page on your WordPress website.

The three core web vitals are:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)

This is all about loading, measuring how long it takes for your largest, slowest content element – usually an image or video – to appear.

Unlike other page speed measurements, LCP focuses on the user’s perspective in terms of when they can actually see and engage with all of your content. A good score, of 2.5 seconds or less, means your website is loading rapidly for users.

• First Input Delay (FID)

This measures interactivity, focusing on how long it takes for your website to react to a user’s first interaction. This could be by clicking a link, choosing a menu option or filling out a contact form field.

Good performance in this area, of less than 100ms, indicates that your site responds rapidly to user input. However, it’s worth noting that FID is only relevant on website pages that have interactive elements.

• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)

This is a measure of your site’s visual stability. If any content moves around, such as ads or messages popping-up, then this is frustrating for users and equates to a poorer performance.

Scores begin at 0 (for no shifting), with an ideal CLS measurement being 0.1 or less. Whilst a better CLS score doesn’t actually mean your page is faster, it almost certainly feels faster to users.

how do I check my WordPress core web vitals performance?

You can check core web vitals for all of your WordPress pages in Google Search Console. Only indexed URLs are included as only these have the real-world user data necessary for scoring.

You can also check your WordPress site’s speed scores using GTmetrix and Google PageSpeed Insights. These are both free website speed-checking tools which also include suggestions to improve performance and decrease loading times.

how to improve core web vitals on WordPress

Here are our top six tips to improve your core web vitals on WordPress:

1. Optimise images and videos

Images and videos are usually the largest elements on web pages, meaning they tend to be responsible for slower site loading times and increased LCP scores.

The larger your image and video files, the more your site will be slowed down. But it’s very easy to speed things up (and improve your LCP scores) by:

• Compressing images
• Enabling webp versions of images, and
• Hosting videos via third-party platforms

To compress images, we recommend installing the Smush plugin. As well as resizing imagery for quicker loading, it has a variety of other handy image optimisation features.

For example, it allows you to locate specific images that are slowing down your site, and offers lazy loading which delays the loading of images below your website’s ‘fold’ until users scroll down – both of which will be beneficial for your LCP scores.

For mobile image optimisation, it’s also well worth adding the WebP Express plugin. This re-encodes images into webp versions which load super-rapidly on most mobile browsers. With LCP scores based on real user data and more than half of internet browsing sessions taking place on mobile devices, this can offer a huge boost to your core web vitals.

With videos, it’s a good idea to host these via an external platform, such as Vimeo and YouTube. You can then embed this on your website, meaning your site will display more quickly while the third-party platform deals with loading your video.

2. Improve your hosting

How well your WordPress site loads is dependent on how quickly your hosting provider can process browser requests. It also varies depending on geographical location – as distance between your server and user increases, so will your UX and core web vitals scores.

To improve your core web vitals scores, it’s worth upgrading your hosting plan and/or upgrading your server. Contact your hosting provider or WordPress agency to find out your options.

If you have users across a variety of different locations, it may be also be worth setting up a Content Delivery Network (CDN). This is a network of servers located around the world, thus reducing the distance your website files need to travel to reach users in different locations.

The free Cloudflare plugin is one of the most popular CDN providers on WordPress. It also includes a range of other speed optimisation tools, so it’s well worth installing whether or not you use the CDN option.

3. Minify CSS, JS & HTML files

By minifying Cascading Style Sheet (CSS), HTML and JavaScript (JS) files, your WordPress site speed will improve dramatically.

These files are typically used by developers to mark-up and add comments to your website code. Minification simply means reducing the size of CSS, JS and HTML files, and removing any unnecessary code.

This reduces your website’s load time, increases UX and improves core web vitals scores whilst preserving the key information needed to display your site correctly. Minification is easy to do with a free WordPress plugin – we recommend Autoptimize and WP-Optimize.

4. Clean-up your database

As you update and add to your WordPress site, your database gets filled with information, such as previous drafts of content, deleted comments, old plugin files and more. Over time, it’s easy to end up with an overloaded database slowing down your site and reducing your core web vitals scores.

You can clean-up your database quickly and easily to improve your scores. This can be done automatically with a free plugin such as WP-Sweep or Advanced Database Cleaner, or manually via phpMyAdmin.

5. Reduce third-party scripts

Third-party scripts, such as for Google Analytics, social media or ads, are often responsible for slowing down WordPress website performance. Whilst some are crucial for website functionality, others may be unnecessary or need optimisation.

For third-party scripts slowing down your page speed, you can try:

• Removing the script entirely
• Removing the script on certain webpages where it’s not needed
• Loading the script using the async or defer attribute
• Self-hosting the script if the third-party server is slowing things down

Google has a really useful and detailed article with lots more advice on how to optimise third-party scripts, or you can contact your WordPress agency for further support.

6. Save space for slower-loading elements

Finally, to improve your site’s CLS score, you can add the width and height for your site’s images and pop-ups in your CSS.

This means browsers will save space for any slower-loading elements that would otherwise cause your website layout to shift. This therefore increases visual stability for site users and improves your CLS score.

need help optimising your WordPress site?

We’ve got loads more suggestions for optimising your WordPress site in our Ultimate WordPress Optimisation Guide. Alternatively, get in touch for on-demand WordPress support from our expert WordPress developers.

Today, we’re focusing on SEO, an invaluable way to bring free traffic to your WordPress website. In this beginner’s guide, we cover:

• What is SEO, and is it important for WordPress?
• How does SEO work on WordPress?
• What are keywords and do you need them?
• Which SEO plugin is best for WordPress?
• How to set-up SEO on WordPress
• How to get a WordPress site on Google
• How to optimise URLs for SEO

We hope you enjoy reading! If you have any questions, get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.

what is SEO, and is it important for WordPress?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. It’s the process of optimising your WordPress website so that it’s displayed as high as possible on search engine results pages.

Most people find information using search engines like Google and Bing. They enter a search query, and the the search engine displays a list of relevant webpages in return.

SEO therefore aims to help search engines find and index your webpages, and also ensures that your content is high-quality so that it’s ranked highly in relevant search results.

Billions of search engine searches are made every day, so SEO is a great way to bring organic traffic to your WordPress website. Generally, the higher up your website is on search engine results pages, the more people will click onto and visit your site.

how does SEO work on WordPress?

WordPress is naturally well-optimised for search engines, so choosing WordPress as your CMS is a great start. However, there are lots of additional things you can do to optimise your site and ensure it’s ranked as highly as possible.

Search engines use complicated algorithms which are constantly changing, with countless factors influencing your WordPress site’s search engine rankings. These include:

• Page speed
• Content
• Mobile friendliness
• Domain authority
• User experience
• Technical SEO
• Site security

We can’t cover everything here, but we’ve got plenty of WordPress SEO tips and advice below. For help optimising your WordPress site in other SEO-relevant areas (such as speed, UX, security and mobile friendliness), read our Ultimate WordPress Optimisation Guide or get in touch.

what are keywords and do you need them?

Keywords are the main topics, words and/or phrases that your WordPress website is about. These should be the same words and/or phrases that your target users are searching for on search engines. For example, if you run an online gift shop, your keywords might include ‘online gifts’ or ‘gift ideas’.

The keywords you choose will determine which search engine results pages you appear on, and therefore who comes to your WordPress site. This means it’s very important to choose the right keywords and prioritise these in your content, metadata and other site data used by search engines.

Many WordPress site owners just guess their keywords, but doing keyword research allows you to find out exactly what words and phrases users are entering into search engines. There are lots of keyword research tools available online, such as Moz’s Keyword Explorer and Google’s Keyword Planner.

which SEO plugin is best for WordPress?

To optimise your WordPress site’s SEO, an SEO plugin is essential. The best SEO plugin, according to us and many millions of other WordPress users, is Yoast.

Yoast is a free plugin which allows you to optimise your pages for particular keywords, write specific information for search engine results pages, preview your links on Google search results, and much more. There’s also a paid premium version with additional features.

how to set-up SEO on WordPress

Once you’ve installed Yoast (or another, similar SEO plugin) on your WordPress site, you’ll find that ‘SEO’ appears as a menu item on the left-hand side of your WordPress dashboard. Simply click on this, and then ‘General’, to get the plugin set-up and working correctly.

Make sure to complete the general configuration information for your website first. Then go back to ‘SEO’ in the menu and select ‘Search Appearance’. Under the ‘General’ tab, add your organisation’s name and logo.

Next, update your SEO titles and meta descriptions for your pages and posts. This information is like a search engine ‘teaser’ for your webpages, giving a glimpse of what users will find if they click through from the search engine results.

You can update both SEO title and meta description in the Yoast SEO toolbox, which is found underneath each page or post’s text in the back-end.

SEO titles should explain, in brief, clear language, what a page is about. Google is only able to display the first 50-60 characters for title tags, so try to stick to this limit. You should also include the main keyword you’re targeting.

A meta description is a slightly longer snippet which explains a bit more about a page’s content and encourage people to click. Again, this should include your main keyword(s) and be concise and easy to read.

Whilst it’s best to write bespoke SEO titles and meta descriptions for every page and post on your site, it’s also worth setting default options to ensure the information is never left blank. You can set default SEO information under SEO > Search Appearance, in the ‘Content Types’ tab.

how to get a WordPress site on Google

Google is pretty good at finding and detecting new sites, but you can make sure your WordPress site is listed on Google with the following steps.

Firstly, you’ll need to check your site’s visibility settings. WordPress gives you the choice about whether or not to make your site visible to search engines. Whilst most people want their site to be found, others choose to hide it (for example, if a website is just for sharing private information with a small group).

You can check your visibility settings in Settings > Reading. Make sure that the ‘Discourage search engines from indexing this site’ box is NOT ticked. If you need to make any changes, such as unticking the box, be sure to click ‘Save Changes’.

Secondly, you’ll need to create an XML sitemap. This is a list of your website pages; it’s used by search engines such as Google to find and index your site.

With the Yoast plugin, an XML sitemap is automatically created for you. To find it, you just need to add /sitemap_index.xml to the end of your website’s URL – for example, pedalo.co.uk/sitemap_index.xml.

Thirdly, you’ll need to set up Google Search Console. This is a free set tools and reports provided by Google to help you understand and optimise your website’s organic performance.

Start by creating a Search Console account, entering the URL of your website and clicking ‘Add Property’. Then go to your Search Console dashboard, select ‘Manage Property’, and ‘Verify this site’. To verify with Yoast, you’ll need to select the HTML tag option and copy the tag data.

Now go back to your WordPress dashboard, go to SEO > General and then select the ‘Webmaster tools’ tab. In the Google verification code box, paste the HTML tag data, and click ‘Save changes’. You then just need to go back to Google Search Console and click ‘Verify’.

Finally, you can send Google your sitemap via Google Search Console. Simply click on ‘Sitemaps’ in the left-hand menu, add the sitemap URLs provided by Yoast, and click ‘Submit’.

Google will now check your sitemap and use it for indexing. After a few hours, you’ll be able to check your sitemap stats on your Search Console profile, so you’ll know for certain that your WordPress site has been found.

how to optimise URLs for SEO

In the final section of this blog, we cover how to optimise your WordPress website URLs.

URLs are part of the information used by search engines to understand and rank your content. Effective URLs, containing keywords or other relevant words/phrases, give you the best chance of being ranked highly in search results.

You can also change the URLs for individual posts and pages by going into the back end of each piece of content, finding the ‘Permalink’ underneath the title box, and clicking ‘Edit’.

If you change any URLs, make sure to set up redirects so that users who click on the old URL are redirected to the new, correct URL (and don’t end up encountering a dreaded 404 error message!). This is quick and easy to do with the WordPress Redirection plugin.

need help optimising your WordPress site?

We’ve got loads more advice and tips for optimising your WordPress site in our Ultimate WordPress Optimisation Guide. Alternatively, if you’d like personalised support from an award-winning team of WordPress developers, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.