WordPress review

WordPress is widely regarded as one of the best content management systems (CMS) for bloggers, and for good reason. It has been around since 2003 and has evolved into a powerful and versatile platform that caters to bloggers of all levels of experience.

Is WordPress really that good for blogging?

Here’s a review of WordPress highlighting its key features and benefits for bloggers:

Ease of Use: WordPress offers a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for bloggers to create and manage their content. It provides a simple and intuitive editor for writing posts and pages, allowing you to format text, add images, embed media, and more with ease.

Customization Options: WordPress provides a vast library of themes and plugins that allow you to customize the appearance and functionality of your blog. Themes determine the design and layout, while plugins extend the features and capabilities of your site. Whether you want a simple blog or a more complex website, WordPress offers a wide range of options to suit your needs.

SEO-Friendly: WordPress is designed with search engine optimization (SEO) in mind. It provides features such as customizable permalinks, easy meta tag management, and plugins like Yoast SEO that help optimize your content for better visibility in search engine results.

Responsive Design: With the increasing use of mobile devices, having a responsive website is crucial. WordPress offers a wide selection of mobile-friendly themes that ensure your blog looks great and functions well on smartphones and tablets.

Community and Support: WordPress has a large and active community of users, developers, and contributors who provide support, tutorials, and resources. The official WordPress.org website offers extensive documentation, forums, and a community-driven support system that can help you troubleshoot issues and find solutions.

Scalability and Flexibility: Whether you’re just starting out or have an established blog with high traffic, WordPress can scale to meet your needs. It can handle a large number of posts, pages, and media files, and it can be extended with various plugins and integrations to add new features as your blog grows.

Blogging-Specific Features: WordPress includes a range of features specifically designed for bloggers. It offers built-in commenting functionality, RSS feeds, revision history for posts, social media sharing options, and more. Additionally, you can schedule posts in advance, organize your content with categories and tags, and easily manage multiple authors.

Overall, WordPress is a powerful and flexible CMS that provides bloggers with the tools and features they need to create and manage their content effectively. Its user-friendly interface, customization options, SEO capabilities, and strong community support make it an excellent choice for bloggers of all kinds.

How to choose a WordPress host

Are you looking for a reliable and secure WordPress hosting provider?

With so many options available, it can be hard to know which host is right for your needs. When selecting a hosting provider, there are several factors to consider, such as the size of your website, the type of server you require, and the security measures in place.

A comprehensive guide to how to choose a WordPress host:

1. Consider your needs

The first step in choosing a WordPress host is to consider your needs. What kind of website do you want to build? How much traffic do you expect? What features are important to you?

If you’re just starting out, you may not need a lot of features or storage space. But if you plan on growing your website, you’ll need to choose a host that can accommodate your needs.

2. Do your research

Once you know your needs, you can start researching different hosts. There are a lot of hosts out there, so it’s important to do your research and compare features and prices.

You can read reviews, compare features, and ask around for recommendations. Once you’ve narrowed down your choices, you can sign up for a free trial or test drive the host before you commit.

3. Choose a reputable host

Not all hosts are created equal. Some hosts are more reliable than others, and some have better security features. It’s important to choose a reputable host that will keep your website up and running and secure.

VPS hosting for WordPress

4. Read the fine print

Before you sign up for a hosting plan, be sure to read the fine print. This includes the terms of service, the privacy policy, and the cancellation policy.

You want to make sure you understand what you’re agreeing to before you sign up.

5. Ask for help

If you’re not sure how to choose a WordPress host, you can always ask for help. There are a lot of resources available online, and there are also a lot of people who are willing to help you choose a host.

6. Don’t be afraid to switch hosts

If you’re not happy with your host, you can always switch. There are no contracts or commitments, so you can switch hosts whenever you want.

Vultr VPS

Linode review

7. Keep your website up to date

One of the most important things you can do to keep your WordPress website secure is to keep it up to date. WordPress releases new updates regularly, and these updates often include security fixes.

Be sure to install the latest updates as soon as they’re available.

8. Use a security plugin

Another important security measure is to use a security plugin. There are a lot of security plugins available, and they can help to protect your website from a variety of threats.

9. Use a strong password

One of the easiest ways to protect your WordPress website is to use a strong password. Your password should be at least 12 characters long and should include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.

10. Be careful what plugins you install

There are a lot of great plugins available for WordPress, but not all of them are created equal. Some plugins can be malicious and can infect your website with malware.

Be careful what plugins you install, and only install plugins from trusted sources.

11. Back up your website regularly

It’s important to back up your WordPress website regularly. This way, if something goes wrong, you can restore your website to a previous state.

There are a lot of different ways to back up your website. You can use a plugin, a service, or even just manually copy your files to an external hard drive.

12. Use a firewall

A firewall can help to protect your WordPress website from unauthorized access. A firewall can block IP addresses and ports, which can help to prevent hackers from gaining access to your website.

13. Use a content delivery network (CDN)

A content delivery network (CDN) can help to improve the speed of your WordPress website. A CDN stores your website’s files on servers all over the world. This means that when someone visits your website, the files will be served from the server that is closest to them. This can help to improve the loading speed of your website.

14. Keep your plugins and themes up to date

Just like WordPress, plugins and themes are also regularly updated with security fixes. It is important to keep your plugins and themes up to date to ensure that your website is secure.

15. Monitor your website

It’s important to monitor your WordPress website for signs of trouble. You can use a security plugin or a service to monitor your website for malware, suspicious activity, and other threats.

By following these tips, you can help to keep your WordPress website secure.

Managed WordPress hosting

Managed WordPress hosting is a type of web hosting that is specifically designed for WordPress websites. Managed WordPress hosts take care of all of the technical aspects of running a WordPress site, such as:

Server management: Managed WordPress hosts use their own servers to host your WordPress site. This means that you don’t have to worry about managing your own server, such as installing and updating software, or configuring security settings.

WordPress updates: Managed WordPress hosts keep your WordPress software up to date. This is important because WordPress security vulnerabilities are often discovered and patched quickly. If you don’t keep your WordPress software up to date, your site could be vulnerable to attack.

Security: Managed WordPress hosts take care of security for your WordPress site. This includes things like malware scanning, DDoS protection, and SSL/TLS certificates.

Support: Managed WordPress hosts offer 24/7 support for your WordPress site. This means that you can get help quickly if you have any problems with your site.

Managed WordPress hosting can be a good option for WordPress users who want to focus on creating content and growing their audience, rather than worrying about the technical aspects of running a WordPress site.

Benefits of using managed WordPress hosting:

Speed: Managed WordPress hosts use powerful servers and software to deliver your site’s content quickly and reliably to users around the world.

Security: Managed WordPress hosts offer a number of security features, such as DDoS protection, malware scanning, and SSL/TLS certificates.

Ease of use: Managed WordPress hosting is easy to use, even for users who are not familiar with WordPress.

Support: Managed WordPress hosts offer 24/7 support for your WordPress site.

Some of the drawbacks of using managed WordPress hosting:

Cost: Managed WordPress hosting can be more expensive than shared hosting.

Flexibility: Managed WordPress hosts typically have limited flexibility in terms of the software and settings that you can use.

Lock-in: Once you sign up for a managed WordPress hosting plan, you may be locked in to that provider for a certain period of time.

5 of the best managed WordPress hosting services:

• WP Engine: WP Engine is one of the most popular managed WordPress hosting providers. It offers a wide range of features and plans, and its support team is known for being top-notch.
• Kinsta: Kinsta is another popular managed WordPress hosting provider. It’s known for its blazing-fast speeds and its commitment to security.
• Flywheel: Flywheel is a managed WordPress hosting provider that’s known for its ease of use and its focus on customer service.
• Liquid Web: Liquid Web is a managed WordPress hosting provider that’s known for its high-end features and its focus on performance.
• DreamHost: DreamHost is a managed WordPress hosting provider that’s known for its affordability and its wide range of features.

These are just a few of the many great managed WordPress hosting providers available. When choosing a managed WordPress hosting provider, it’s important to consider your needs and budget.

Managed WordPress hosting vs VPS (Virtual Private Server)

VPS (Virtual Private Server) and Managed WordPress hosting are two different types of hosting solutions. VPS hosting is a type of hosting where your website is hosted on a shared server with other websites. Managed WordPress hosting is a type of hosting where your website is hosted on a server that is specifically optimized for WordPress.

Here is a table comparing the two types of hosting:

Which type of hosting is right for you depends on your needs and budget. If you are looking for a cost-effective option and don’t mind having more control over your server and website, then VPS hosting may be a good option for you. If you are looking for a faster and more secure option and don’t mind paying more, then Managed WordPress hosting may be a good option for you.

Here are some additional details about each type of hosting:

VPS Hosting

VPS hosting is a type of hosting where your website is hosted on a shared server with other websites. However, each website on the server is allocated its own resources, such as CPU, memory, and storage. This means that your website will not be affected by the performance of other websites on the server.

VPS hosting is a good option for businesses that need more control over their server and website. With VPS hosting, you can install your own software, choose your own operating system, and configure your own settings. This gives you a lot of flexibility and control over your website.

However, VPS hosting can be more expensive than shared hosting. Additionally, you may need to contact the hosting provider for help with technical issues.

Managed WordPress Hosting

Managed WordPress hosting is a type of hosting where your website is hosted on a server that is specifically optimized for WordPress. This means that the hosting provider takes care of all the technical aspects of running your WordPress website, such as security, updates, and backups.

Managed WordPress hosting is a good option for businesses that are new to WordPress or don’t have the time or expertise to manage their own WordPress website. With Managed WordPress hosting, you can focus on creating content and growing your business, while the hosting provider takes care of the technical details.

However, Managed WordPress hosting can be more expensive than shared hosting or VPS hosting. Additionally, you may have less control over your website with Managed WordPress hosting.

Ultimately, the best type of hosting for you depends on your needs and budget. If you are looking for a cost-effective option and don’t mind having more control over your server and website, then VPS hosting may be a good option for you. If you are looking for a faster and more secure option and don’t mind paying more, then Managed WordPress hosting may be a good option for you.

Overall, managed WordPress hosting is a good option for WordPress users who want a fast, secure, and easy-to-use hosting solution. If you are not comfortable managing your own server or WordPress software, then managed WordPress hosting is a good choice.

The Best VPS hosting for WordPress

I used shared hosting services for several years before I discovered cloud VPS hosting, which is the best solution for both personal and business purposes. You may have heard of Dreamhost and Site5. These are no longer on my list.

In this post, you will find some great options when it comes to VPS hosting solutions.

Five virtual private server options for hosting a WordPress blog:

Vultr - offers flexible plans starting at $2.76 per month, allowing users to choose from multiple locations worldwide and customize resources like CPU, RAM, storage, and bandwidth as needed. Vultr is known for its scalability and reliability.

DigitalOcean - provides high-performance SSD VPS with managed WordPress support starting at $5 per month. Its simplicity and ease of use make it ideal for beginners. With auto updates and malware scanning built into all plans, digital ocean makes it easy to keep your website secure and up-to-date.

Linode – offers Linux-based VPS plans starting at $4.90/month, providing fast boot times, solid state drives, and unlimited traffic. Their intuitive management interface makes setup and maintenance straightforward and simple.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) Elastic Beanstalk - is designed specifically for quick deployment and scaling of web applications such as WordPress. Elastic Beanstalk offers automatic backups, monitoring, security patches, and performance tuning. Plans start at free tier access.

Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Compute Engine - is another cloud service provider offering virtual machine instances optimized for WordPress websites. GCP has many features such as load balancing, autoscaling, and integration with other G Suite services.

When selecting a VPS for hosting a WordPress site, consider factors such as budget, technical expertise required, availability of customer support, and specific needs related to traffic volume, data transfer limits, etc.

All of these providers offer good pricing and great performance; research each thoroughly before making a decision. Is there something else I can assist you with regarding VPS hosting?

WordPress hosting server panels

A WordPress hosting control panel is a software application that allows you to manage your WordPress website from a single location. It provides you with a graphical user interface (GUI) that makes it easy to perform tasks such as creating new pages, managing users, and updating your WordPress software.

There are many different WordPress hosting control panels available, each with its own set of features and benefits. Some of the most popular WordPress hosting control panels include:

CloudPanel

CloudPanel is a web-based control panel used for managing and administering cloud infrastructure. It provides a graphical user interface (GUI) that simplifies the management of cloud resources such as virtual machines, storage, networking, and other services. CloudPanel enables users to easily deploy, configure, and monitor their cloud-based applications and resources without the need for extensive technical knowledge or command-line interface (CLI) skills. It offers features such as user management, resource provisioning, monitoring, scaling, and security management. Overall, CloudPanel streamlines cloud administration and enhances the user experience for managing cloud environments.

SpinupWP

SpinupWP is a tool developed by Delicious Brains Inc. that simplifies the process of setting up and managing WordPress hosting on cloud servers. It provides a user-friendly interface for creating and configuring servers, handling server maintenance tasks, and optimizing WordPress performance. SpinupWP offers features like automatic server and WordPress updates, security hardening, SSL certificate management, and scalable server configurations. It aims to streamline the deployment and management of WordPress websites for developers and agencies.

RunCloud

RunCloud is a cloud server management panel designed to simplify the process of managing and deploying web applications on various cloud providers, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), DigitalOcean, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and others. It offers a user-friendly interface and a range of features to streamline server management tasks.

Cloudways

Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform that simplifies the process of deploying and managing web applications on popular cloud infrastructure providers, including AWS, DigitalOcean, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Vultr, Linode, and others. It offers a user-friendly interface and a range of features to streamline server management tasks.

The best WordPress hosting control panel for you will depend on your individual needs and preferences. If you are a beginner, cPanel or DirectAdmin are good options. If you have a larger website or need more features, Plesk may be a better choice.

Here are some of the benefits of using a WordPress hosting control panel:

Ease of use: WordPress hosting control panels make it easy to manage your WordPress website from a single location. They provide you with a graphical user interface (GUI) that makes it easy to perform tasks such as creating new pages, managing users, and updating your WordPress software.

Features: WordPress hosting control panels offer a wide range of features that can help you to improve the performance and security of your website. These features can include things like:

• Automatic backups
• Malware scanning
• DDoS protection
• SSL/TLS certificates
• Staging environments
• And much more!

Support: WordPress hosting control panels typically offer 24/7 support from experienced technicians. This means that you can get help quickly if you have any problems with your website.

Overall, using a WordPress hosting control panel can make it easier and more efficient to manage your WordPress website. If you are looking for a way to improve the performance and security of your website, then a WordPress hosting control panel is a good option.

Good to read:

Webhosting Control Panel Review

WordPress maintenance service providers

WordPress can be a complex platform, and it can be difficult to troubleshoot problems if you don’t have some technical expertise. A professional maintenance service can help you to troubleshoot problems and get your blog back up and running.

A professional maintenance service can help you to do this by regularly scanning your site for security vulnerabilities and applying security patches as needed.

There are several reasons why you might consider using a WordPress maintenance provider:

Time savings

Maintaining a WordPress website can be time-consuming, requiring regular updates, backups, security checks, and troubleshooting. By outsourcing these tasks to a maintenance provider, you can free up your time to focus on other aspects of your business.

Technical expertise

WordPress maintenance providers are experienced in managing and optimizing WordPress websites. They have the technical knowledge to handle updates, security measures, performance optimizations, and troubleshooting effectively and efficiently.

Security and backups

WordPress websites can be vulnerable to security threats, such as hacks, malware, and data breaches. Maintenance providers often offer security measures like regular malware scans, firewall protection, and secure backups to minimize the risk of security incidents and ensure that your website data is backed up regularly.

Regular updates and optimization

WordPress frequently releases updates for its core software, themes, and plugins. Keeping your website up to date is crucial for security, performance, and compatibility. A maintenance provider can handle these updates for you, ensuring that your website is running on the latest versions and optimizing its performance.

Peace of mind

With a maintenance provider taking care of your website, you can have peace of mind knowing that professionals are monitoring, maintaining, and securing your WordPress site. This can help prevent potential issues, minimize downtime, and provide support in case of any technical problems.

Five popular WordPress maintenance and support services:

WP Site Care: Known for their comprehensive WordPress maintenance plans and exceptional customer support.

WP Buffs: Offers proactive WordPress maintenance, security, and speed optimization services.

Maintainn: Provides ongoing WordPress support and maintenance for businesses of all sizes.

WP Maintainer: Offers monthly WordPress maintenance plans with a focus on security, backups, and updates.

GoWP: Specializes in WordPress maintenance and white-label services, catering to agencies and freelancers.

Using a WordPress maintenance provider allows you to offload the technical aspects of website management to experts, saving you time, improving security, and providing peace of mind, so you can focus on your core business activities.

Lightweight WordPress themes

A lightweight WordPress theme is one of the most important factors in determining the speed of your website. In this list, I will outline some of the most lightweight and fastest themes for WordPress blogs and websites. These themes come with high-quality code to speed up your WordPress site. They are free to download and use.

However, I must warn you that using too many plugins can also slow down your site. Even a lightweight theme on a powerful web server will not help much if you have too many plugins. Therefore, a minimalist WordPress theme is just one of several factors that define your site speed.

Why should you read my recommendations? Well, I have tested so many WordPress themes over the past decade. I am obsessed with blog speed.

The most lightweight and fastest WordPress themes:

• Kenzie By Joop Laan / Perky Design is a duo tone WordPress theme. Only background and foreground colors are used. You can see this blog, TheFifty9, as an example.
• GeneratePress: GeneratePress is a lightweight and customizable theme that is perfect for any type of website. It is free to download and use.
• Astra: Astra is another lightweight and customizable theme that is perfect for any type of website. It is also free to download and use.
• Hestia: Hestia is a lightweight and stylish theme that is perfect for small businesses and personal blogs. It is free to download and use.
• Neve: Neve is a lightweight and responsive theme that is perfect for any type of website. It is free to download and use.
• OceanWP: OceanWP is a lightweight and versatile theme that is perfect for any type of website. It is free to download and use.

The best, fastest theme for a WordPress blog?

Arke Arke is a truly minimal WordPress theme. No sidebars, no widgets, no settings. Just your content. The size (242 KB zip file) of this theme, by Danny Cooper, is the smallest of all reviewed here.

Twenty Twenty-Two (the WordPress team) It’s really hard to include the official WordPress theme. Every year, WordPress releases a new official theme. 2022 is no different. This theme just looks better. The Twenty Twenty-Two is great for a single-page website, a blog, a business website, or a portfolio.

Simple Simple is a new super-modern, minimal, clean design.

Astra Astra is one of the most popular WordPress themes today.

Sinatra Sinatra is a lightweight and highly customizable multi-purpose theme.

More lightweight WordPress themes you should consider: GeneratePress Neve Hello Blocksy

Key factors to consider before starting to use a WordPress theme

• Lightweight
• Responsive design
• GZIP Compression

Why a lightweight, minimalist WordPress theme is important?

A lightweight, minimalist WordPress theme can be important for several reasons:

Improved Performance: Lightweight themes typically have optimized code and fewer features, resulting in faster loading times for your website. A fast-loading website is crucial for user experience and can positively impact your search engine rankings. Users tend to abandon websites that are slow to load, so a lightweight theme can help retain visitors and increase engagement.

Better Compatibility: Minimalist themes often have cleaner code and fewer dependencies, which can enhance compatibility with various WordPress plugins and extensions. This reduces the likelihood of conflicts or compatibility issues when adding new functionality to your website.

Easier Customization: Lightweight themes are usually designed to be highly customizable, allowing you to tailor the appearance and functionality to suit your specific needs. With fewer pre-designed elements and features, you have more flexibility in creating a unique website that reflects your brand identity.

Focus on Content: A minimalist theme places more emphasis on your website’s content rather than flashy design elements. It offers a clean and uncluttered layout, which can enhance readability and make your content stand out. By eliminating unnecessary distractions, a minimalist theme can help you deliver your message more effectively to your audience.

Mobile-Friendly Design: Lightweight themes often prioritize responsive design, ensuring that your website looks and functions well across various devices and screen sizes. With the increasing use of mobile devices for web browsing, it’s essential to provide a seamless user experience on smartphones and tablets. A minimalist theme can help achieve this by keeping the design simple and adaptable.

Improved Website Maintenance: Due to their simplicity, lightweight themes are typically easier to update and maintain. They have fewer complex features and customizations, reducing the risk of conflicts or errors during theme updates. This can save you time and effort in the long run, especially when it comes to ongoing maintenance and security updates.

Overall, a lightweight, minimalist WordPress theme can contribute to a faster, more user-friendly, and customizable website while minimizing compatibility issues and facilitating efficient maintenance. It allows you to prioritize content and create a streamlined user experience, which is beneficial for both your visitors and website administrators.

Best WordPress plugins

WordPress is much more powerful when integrated with the right plugins. Before I decide to use a plugin, I spend some time understanding its functionalities and testing it.

The best WordPress plugins allow developers and designers to achieve their web design and development objectives. In addition, I also want to make sure they are simple and user-friendly.

A list of the best WordPress plugins I love using to build websites for our clients.

Five of the best SEO plugins for WordPress blogs

The best SEO plugin for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences. If you’re looking for a comprehensive SEO plugin with a wide range of features, then Rank Math or AIOSEO are good options. If you’re looking for a more basic SEO plugin that’s easy to use, then Yoast SEO or SEOPress are good choices. And if you’re looking for a lightweight SEO plugin with a basic set of features, then The SEO Framework is a good option.

Rank Math is a comprehensive SEO plugin that offers a wide range of features, including keyword research, title optimization, and sitemap generation.

All in One SEO (AIOSEO) is another popular SEO plugin that offers a similar range of features to Rank Math.

Yoast SEO is a long-standing SEO plugin that offers a more basic set of features than Rank Math or AIOSEO.

SEOPress is a newer SEO plugin that offers a wide range of features and is known for its ease of use.

The SEO Framework is a lightweight SEO plugin that offers a more basic set of features than the other plugins on this list.

Elementor: Elementor is a drag-and-drop page builder that makes it easy to create beautiful and responsive websites.

Yoast SEO: Yoast SEO is a powerful SEO plugin that helps you improve your website’s search engine ranking. A great website without quality content and SEO isn’t a website. For every WordPress website we design, we use this Yoast SEO plugin for one single purpose, to optimize the websites for search engines. This plugin is powerful yet easy to use for most users.

WPForms: WPForms is a user-friendly contact form plugin that makes it easy to add contact forms to your website.

A List of the best WordPress plugins for your blog

WP-DBManager by Lester ‘GaMerZ’ Chan

Use Google Libraries: A lightweight plugin to help off-load your web server, this Use Google Libraries plugin makes use of Google’s AJAX Library API instead. Good performance benefits that most people need.

Optimize Database after Deleting Revisions: if you’ve got a WordPress website (especially a niche review site like SweetMemoryStudio) that requires continuous updates over time, chance is that each post has many revisions. For example, before optimizing, this website’s database is 19.079 MB. After running this plugin, the size is just 4.095 MB. You save 14.984 MB. That’s a lot. Like it’s named after, the Optimize Database After Deleting Revisions plugin for WordPress is an easy-to-use database cleaner and optimizer.

WP Clone by WP Academy: What’s the easiest and fastest way to migrate a WordPress website or blog from one host to another? Undoubtedly, the WP Clone plugin is simply the best solution for this. We’ve used this plugin regularly. 99% of the time, it works very well. For a huge WordPress site, we don’t recommend you use this WP Clone. Two things you should note are that: the plugin does not support multi-site and site size limits.

Backup Buddy: It doesn’t hurt to have a backup copy of your blogs. It hurts when you don’t have a copy of your website backup. Download this Backup Buddy plugin now.

All-In-One WP Migration: Moving a WordPress site from one web host to another can be a pain if your host doesn’t have any way to this support. All-In-One WP Migration is another option to the WP Clone by WP Academy plugin.

Hyper Cache

This is one of a few lightweight caching plugins we love. It’s simple and easy to configure. Presently, we’ve been using the Hyper Cache WordPress plugin on our Vultr VPS.

Broken Link Checker

The real beauty of the web is the link. A broken link is a thing to avoid. The Broken Link Checker does one thing well: It scans your WordPress website for any broken links and lets you know that you should fix the issues. Need extra help to boost your SEO rankings? Use this useful plugin.

Smush Image Compression and Optimization

Facebook and Messenger load photos fast. There are many factors, one of which is highly compressed images. On your WordPress websites, you can also have this little plugin Smush Image Compression and Optimization to help reduce large photo file sizes to optimal without losing much quality.

Really Simple SSL

Not all, but some web hosts don’t offer the absolute SSL solution. However, a simple way to make sure that all pages are over HTTPS is having this lightweight Really Simple SSL.

Cloudflare

Most of WordPress sites we host and manage are on Cloudflare. It offers everything we can dream of having for small and medium business websites and blogs. Speed and performance. Yes. Security Yes.

Broken Link Checker

A key factor to improve a better web browsing experience is fixing dead links. The Broken Link Checker will help taking care of that. As a result, you’ll gain a better SEO, too. Overall, all we want to achieve is speed and performance on a low-resource web server.

Toolbelt

WordPress.com’s Jetpack plugin is very popular. But it must be a joke. It consumes so much of your web server’s resources. Developed by Ben Gillbanks, Toolbelt plugin is a simpler, minimalist version that works to address a number of issues you need.

WP-Optimize – Clean, Compress, Cache WP-Sweep Security Plugins Limit Login Attempts

The Limit Login Attempts plugin provides a simple, smart security solution.

LessButtons & Social Pug: Social Share Tools

It’s one of the best social share plugins to have on most websites. We use this LessButtons plugin for most, if not all, of our WordPress websites we develop. The simple sharing buttons are very nice.

Another (up-to-date) plugin for social sharing we highly recommend is Social Pug. We love it and use it on a number of websites that we manage. Check out Social Sharing Buttons – Social Pug!

Table of Contents Plus

This plugin makes it easy to create a list of internal links within a post or page. The Table of Contents Plus plugin by Michael Tran can also produce output a sitemap listing all pages and categories.

Another WordPress Classifieds Plugin (AWPCP)

We spent a lot of time searching and testing the best plugin for Classified Listings and Ads. This AWPCP is currently the one we use. It works well. It fits the basic requirements that allow registered users to add their listings to a WordPress website.

Headless CMS WordPress

WordPress can be used as a headless CMS (Content Management System). In a traditional setup, WordPress combines both the content management and presentation layers. However, in a headless architecture, WordPress is used solely as a backend system to manage content, while the front-end presentation is handled separately.

How a headless CMS setup with WordPress typically works

Content Management: WordPress is used to create, organize, and manage content. You can leverage its familiar interface, user management, and powerful content editing capabilities to author and publish content.

API: WordPress provides a RESTful API (Application Programming Interface) called the WordPress REST API. This API allows you to access content stored in WordPress, including posts, pages, custom post types, taxonomies, and media.

Front-end Development: Instead of using WordPress to generate HTML pages, you can build a separate front-end application using your preferred technology stack such as React, Angular, or Vue.js. This front-end application consumes the content from the WordPress API and presents it to the users.

API Integration: Your front-end application makes requests to the WordPress API to retrieve the required content. This can include fetching blog posts, displaying pages, retrieving media files, or any other content stored in WordPress.

Templating: With a headless setup, you have complete control over the presentation layer. You can design and implement custom templates and layouts in your front-end application, providing a more flexible and tailored user experience.

By adopting a headless approach, you can decouple the content management and presentation layers, enabling you to use WordPress as a powerful backend CMS while leveraging the flexibility and performance benefits of modern front-end technologies.

It’s worth noting that implementing a headless CMS architecture requires additional development effort compared to a traditional WordPress setup, as you need to build the front-end application and handle content retrieval via the API. However, it provides greater flexibility and allows you to create highly customized and interactive user experiences.

Why should you consider having WordPress as a Headless CMS?

WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems (CMS) in the world. It is used by millions of people to create websites of all kinds. However, WordPress is not just a CMS. It can also be used as a headless CMS.

A headless CMS is a CMS that separates the content management from the presentation layer. This means that you can use WordPress to manage your content, but you can use any technology you want to display that content.

There are many benefits to using WordPress as a headless CMS. First, it is very flexible. You can use any technology you want to display your content, which gives you a lot of creative freedom. Second, WordPress is very scalable. It can handle even the most demanding websites. Third, WordPress is very secure. It is constantly being updated with security patches.

If you are considering using WordPress as a headless CMS, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. First, you will need to choose a front-end framework. There are many great front-end frameworks available, such as React, Angular, and Vue.js. Second, you will need to choose a way to serve your content. You can use a content delivery network (CDN) or a static site generator.

Overall, WordPress is a great choice for a headless CMS. It is flexible, scalable, and secure. If you are looking for a CMS that gives you a lot of creative freedom, WordPress is a great option. It is a powerful and flexible platform that can be used to create a wide variety of applications.

Benefits of using WordPress as a headless CMS

• Cost-effectiveness: WordPress is a free and open-source platform, which means that you can use it without any upfront costs.
• Ease of use: WordPress is a very user-friendly platform, even for those with limited technical experience.
• Security: WordPress is a very secure platform, and it is constantly being updated with security patches.
• Community support: WordPress has a large and active community of users and developers, which means that there is always help available if you need it.

REST API vs WPGraphQL for WordPress as a headless CMS

REST API and WPGraphQL are both powerful tools that can be used to build headless WordPress applications. However, they have different strengths and weaknesses, so the best choice for you will depend on your specific needs.

REST API

The REST API is a standard way of accessing data from a web service. It uses a set of well-defined verbs (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) to interact with resources (e.g., posts, pages, users). The REST API is very flexible and can be used to build a wide variety of applications. However, it can be complex to use and can be difficult to troubleshoot.

WPGraphQL

WPGraphQL is a GraphQL API for WordPress. GraphQL is a newer technology that provides a more flexible and expressive way of accessing data. With GraphQL, you can specify exactly what data you need, and you’ll only get that data. This can make your applications more efficient and easier to develop. However, GraphQL is a newer technology, and there are fewer resources available for it than for the REST API.

Which one should you use?

If you’re new to headless WordPress, or if you need to build a complex application, the REST API is a good choice. It’s well-documented and there are many resources available to help you get started. However, if you’re looking for a more efficient and expressive way to access data, WPGraphQL is a good option.

Here is a table that summarizes the key differences between REST API and WPGraphQL:

Ultimately, the best way to decide which API is right for you is to try both of them and see which one you prefer.

How to build an Astro website with WordPress as a headless CMS

• Install Astro.
• Install the WP GraphQL plugin in WordPress.
• Create a GraphQL endpoint in WordPress.
• Create an Astro project.
• Fetch data from WordPress using GraphQL.
• Render your Astro pages with the data from WordPress.

This code will render a page with a list of all the posts from WordPress.

Once you have completed these steps, you will have a working Astro website that uses WordPress as a headless CMS. You can now start adding content to your website and customizing the design.

Good to read:

How To Create A Headless WordPress Site On The JAMstack