A website used to be used exclusively to increase brand recognition. Today, a website includes everything from client landing pages to user interaction. Because of bespoke WordPress development, this is only possible.

WordPress is considered to be the best choice for designers and business owners looking to boost sales and advertise a particular product online. Its extremely user-friendly platform and comprehensive feature set make it possible for it to manage and draw in a large number of online marketers from all over the world.

The open-source nature of WordPress is one of the main factors contributing to its success. For this widely used Content Management System, more than 50,000 plugins have been produced (CMS).

WordPress themes enhance your website’s visual appeal, whereas plugins alter its functionality. It means that changing and managing plugins is an easy way to lessen the effects of updates and increase the adaptability of the web. Additionally, it is simple to install and use with the aid of skilled developers. However, you might be wondering how to create your own WordPress plugin.

WordPress, fortunately, makes the process simpler. There will be some coding involved, but making a simple plugin for your website is not difficult. You can do this too, among other things, to give your stuff more utility.

This article will discuss how you can develop your first WordPress plugin.  Let’s start with the basics!

What is a WordPress plugin?

A WordPress plugin is a program that “plugs into” your WordPress site. Plugins can add a new feature to your site or enhance existing capabilities, allowing you to create almost any type of website, from eCommerce stores to portfolios to directory sites. Depending on their functionality, plugins might make minor modifications to your site or major ones.

For instance, you might use a plugin to translate your website fully or to include a WhatsApp share button. Alternatively, if you run an online store, you might add a plugin to assist with payment gateways or let customers make reservations online.

Additional plugins are available that, among other things, can help you enhance your contact forms, develop eye-catching sliders, back up your website in case of data loss, and simplify email opt-in.

Also Read: Website Building Guide for SMBs to take the First Step into Digitization

While many make changes to your site’s front end, some alter the back end to facilitate better maintenance by your team. For instance, these plugins might let you perform A/B testing, scan your website for broken links, or put it in maintenance mode.

Now that we are more aware of what plugins are, let’s look more closely at how they operate.

How Do WordPress Plugins Work?

WordPress is designed so that other programmers can add their own code to it. A large selection of hooks and filters are available in the WordPress plugin API, enabling developers to change or supplement the existing WordPress functionality.

• The WordPress database can be used by WordPress developers to store data.
• WordPress content types, taxonomies, and custom fields can all be used by plugins to hold data beyond just posts and pages.
• The WordPress database stores each plugin that you install on your website.
• You have complete control over when to turn them on and off.
• Each time you visit, WordPress establishes a connection to the database, loads the core software, and then loads any active plugins.
• Before being provided to the user’s browser, all of this code is processed on your server.

The Major Elements of WordPress Plugin You Need to Know:

You must first comprehend how the major systems operate in order to design your own plugin. Programming hooks allow one piece of code to communicate with (or “hook into”) another. Actions and filters are the two categories into which hooks in WordPress are divided. Below, we’ll go over these in more detail along with two other elements that are typically used in plugin development.

1. Actions:

A WordPress action is a specified event that will take place at a specific time. You can increase or decrease your plugin’s functionality by using actions. Once an action is initiated, the functions that are associated with it will be used.

WordPress actions include saving posts, for instance. The do action function defines actions. They need the $tag parameter (the action’s name), and perhaps $args (additional arguments expanding what the action does).

Numerous predefined actions are present in the WordPress core. But you can create your own. In either scenario, when building your WordPress plugin, you’ll use the do action to set settings for your hooked function. The function will then be connected to a certain action using the function add action.

2. Filters:

A single variable or a group of variables can be modified by WordPress filters before being returned. To put it simply, filters let you modify the material that people see.

WordPress filters are created by utilizing the apply filters function, which defines and creates filters. They ask for the $tag (filter name) and $value (filtered value or variable) arguments, with the option of also accepting the $var for additional function values.

You are able to create your own filter by using the apply filters hook. Use the add filter function after that to run it. By doing so, you can alter the variable and return it while also connecting a particular function to the filter.

3. Shortcodes:

Simply put, shortcodes are user-facing pieces of code that let users create and display custom functionality to website visitors fast and efficiently. The editor allows for the addition of shortcodes to menus, widgets, posts, and pages.

Many plugins make use of shortcodes. You can create your own shortcode by employing the add shortcode method. Your shortcode’s name will be the first variable, and the output function will be the second. The output function has three values: attributes, content, and name.

4. Widgets:

WordPress widgets are an additional method for enabling plugin functionality via a straightforward interface. You can make a widget by extending the WP Widget class. With an object-oriented design paradigm, which means that methods and values are contained in a single entity of a class, WordPress supports widgets.

To better understand how plugins function, we advise reading up on these topics before beginning your WordPress plugin creation.

How to Create Your First WordPress Plugin?

Now that we’ve covered the principal elements of WordPress plugin development, let’s get into how you can make one. It’s critical to remember that before adding a new plugin to your website or modifying any files, you should first create a testing environment or staging site. This allows you to explore without risking breaking your live site.

Step 1: Choose a Plugin Name:

Choosing a proper name for your plugin is the first step in creating a WordPress plugin.

• Choose a unique one that is also pertinent to the plugin’s function.
• To make sure there aren’t any other plugins with the name you’re considering using, it’s a good idea to search Google and the WordPress Plugin Directory.
• Keep in mind that the PHP file and plugin’s folder will both use the name you gave when you created it.
• To avoid naming collisions (which we’ll explore later), you can wind up using an abbreviated version of the plugin’s name as a prefix. That is why you should choose a name that may be simply abbreviated to produce a unique identity.

Step 2: Create Your Plugin Folder and PHP File:

Your plugin needs a home in the first place. So, after choosing a name for your plugin, the next step is to create a folder for it.

• Go to the wp-content/plugins folder in your WordPress installation to get started. Create a new folder and give it the plugin’s name, separating words with hyphens (for instance, “your-plugin-name”):

Source: https://wpbuffs.com/

• You must develop a PHP file inside your plugin folder after creating it. The same naming pattern as before should be used (for instance, “your-plugin-name.php”):

Source: https://wpbuffs.com/

• Depending on how complicated your plugin is, it can have just one PHP file or a lot of them. For language, CSS, and other things, you might have separate files.

Step 3: Add Your File Header:

Once you’ve completed making your main plugin file, it’s time to add the file header. Simple metadata about your plugin is included in this PHP block comment.

Add the following code to the file:

/**

* Plugin Name: Your Plugin Name

* Plugin URI: http://yourdomain.com

* Description: Insert a brief description of what your plugin does here.

* Version: 1.0.0

* Author: Your Name

* Author URI: http://yourdomain.com

* License: GPL2

*/

Of course, you’ll want to add the details unique to your plugin to the information above.

• In addition, only include this header in one of the PHP files in your plugin directory.
• The name of your plugin must be included in this header at the very least. But you can use this area to mention the author, the license, and other things.
• Save your work after you’re done. Your plugin should now be installed on your WordPress website.
• Go to your WordPress admin panel and click on Plugins to confirm:

Source: https://wpbuffs.com/

• Your new plugin ought to be visible on this screen. There is surely more work to be done.

Step 4: Design Your Plugin to Add Functions:

Now that you’ve laid the groundwork for your plugin. It obviously accomplishes nothing right now though. You must program your plugin using the elements described earlier in this tutorial in order to achieve this.

To cover all of the different ways to create and use plugins in a single post would be impossible. We advise checking the WordPress Codex if you need help writing the code for your plugin.

Also Read: Get the Best from WordPress in 2021 Using These Awesome Plugins

Keep in mind that you might want to create several files for your plugin. For instance, you could make distinct CSS, JavaScript, image, and other files. Even while it’s not necessary, this can be very helpful for organizations, especially if your plugin does a variety of tasks. You will compress the files before submitting them to your website if you do end up with a lot of them.

Step 5: Compress Your Plugin Folder:

A PHP file that you upload to the WordPress plugin’s directory causes the plugin to be instantly installed on your website. However, if you’re writing the PHP code for your plugin, you can also utilize a text or code editor. One of the best tools for creating WordPress plugins may be this one.

Before submitting your plugin to your WordPress website, you must first convert it to.zip format. As a result, you can compress the plugin folder once you’ve completed adding all of the code you want to include. Normally, you may do this by selecting Compress from the right-click menu of the folder.

Step 6: Activate and Run the Plugin on Your WordPress Site:

When you’ve finished the initial draught of your plugin, you can finally start utilizing it on your WordPress site! If you haven’t already, you can add it to your WordPress installation by uploading the folder to your plugin’s directory.

If you have the plugin in a .zip folder on your computer, you may add it to your WordPress dashboard by going to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin > Upload Plugin > Choose a file:

Source: https://wpbuffs.com/

If the plugin is already installed, go to the Plugins screen and click the Activate button. Then you may start testing your plugin and making changes and improvements as needed.

Best Practices for WordPress Plugin Development

To create the finest plugins for your WordPress website, you must try the following concepts, regardless of your level of experience as a plugin developer.

1. Create a Solid Plan:

The best course of action is to take a step back and build a sound strategy rather than immediately starting plugin development.

To understand your audience better, poll potential users.

• What advantages will the plugin offer?
• Will it make the website more easily accessible?
• Will it facilitate navigation for your users?
• Is the additional time spent beneficial?

Once you have the answers to these questions, you may start building the plugin.

It’s also essential that you look through the official WordPress plugin repository for any relevant plugins.

If so, you don’t have to start from scratch with a plugin. Instead, you may start focusing on a different plugin. You also have the option to outsource WordPress plugin development, you can reach out to companies like Imenso software and hire the best WordPress developers to make your success hassle-free.

2. Follow the Coding Principles of WordPress:

It should become part of the routine for WordPress developers to work with the WordPress Coding Standards in mind.

When writing scripts for the creation of WordPress plugins, pay particular attention to the spacing, variable names, indenting, and brief comments. This will reduce errors and make it simple to understand, edit, and debug your code. Consult the WordPress Coding Standards handbook for a good place to start.

To prevent your plugins from getting confused with other already-existing ones, it is best to give them a special prefix. To distinguish your plugin from the countless other options, add one or two adjectives.

3. Resort to Boilerplate Code:

If you don’t want to create your own code from scratch, you can start with a boilerplate.

But what does boilerplate code actually mean?

A collection of directories and source code files that can be utilized in project development is referred to as boilerplate, also known as boilerplate code. These directories systematically group and arrange the source code files. You can arrange your code this way and keep errors at bay.

The source code files for WordPress plugins include placeholder function definitions, code comments, and values. In addition to gaining better code, maintenance, and development, other people can contribute to your work and raise the quality of the plugin.

4. Invest in Plugin Security:

A plugin that is poorly made can endanger your WordPress website. Because of this, WordPress developers take extra care to make sure their plugins are secure.

Familiarise yourself with:

• esc_url_raw
• esc_url
• esc_attr
• esc_html
• wp_filter_kses
• esc_textarea
• wp_insert_post
• $wpdb->insert 
• $wpdb->update

You can use them to sanitize the data and guard against SQL injections. Use Nonces to protect the plugin from cross-site request forgery attacks. Additionally, validation and sanitization will shield your plugin from any user-provided data.

Another WordPress plugin security check is to make sure that everyone on your team is on the same page. When creating restricted plugin functionality, it is best to assign admins roles.

Ask for the directory to be password-protected if the plugin uses it to store user files. Additionally, getting rid of any unnecessary or unused plugins is a smart idea.

5. Maximum Clarity in Folder Structure:

It is best to follow a consistent folder structure when designing a plugin in WordPress. This will not only make it easy for you to comprehend the entire procedure, but it will also make it easier for your team to stay on track.

Try to store similar sorts of files in the same location. Images in the /images folder, for example.

You can use the following sample folder structure as a standardized reference. 

/plugin-name

     plugin-name.php

     uninstall.php

     /languages

     /includes

     /admin

          /js

          /css

          /images

     /public

          /js

          /css

          /images

6. Reach a Global Audience:

Because your WordPress website will be accessible from anywhere in the world, you should think about internationalizing your plugins. This will allow you to reach your target audience even outside of your home country’s borders.

You can accomplish this by writing in proper English sans slang. Avoid inserting odd control characters and markups, as well as unnecessary HTML markup, into a translated string.

Text domains, domain routes, basic pluralization, and more approaches are also available. To learn more about WordPress internationalization, consult the WordPress Internationalization Guide.

7. Readme.txt File is Crucial:

In order to release your WordPress plugin, a readme.txt file must be included. An insufficient readme.txt file may suggest plugin code issues. Furthermore, it may represent the WordPress plugin developer’s lack of attention to detail.

You can demonstrate the features of your plugin in the readme.txt file. Additionally, it makes it easier for users to quickly install and use your plugin. If your plugin provides enough details, even a user is more likely to download it. A readme.txt file benefits everyone in certain ways.

Wrapping it Up

WordPress, as an open-source platform, allows you to create your own plugin and share it with other users. WordPress’s simple and clear coding makes it simple for various search engines to read the website content in a well-defined manner. Furthermore, each page, image, and article has its own set of keywords, descriptions, and titles.

This leads to the best optimization search. We can also add tags to improve or boost our optimization efforts for better results in terms of website traffic.

We hope this article helped you learn how to create a WordPress plugin. While some coding experience is beneficial, you should hire professional WordPress plugin developers for your company. Contact Imenso Software via their website for a free quotation.

The post WordPress Essentials: How to Create a WordPress Plugin appeared first on Imenso Software.

Coronavirus outbreak has caused market changes in recent years. People started to rely on online businesses after a pandemic. Online shopping is preferred by those who are hesitant to buy things online, allowing them to avoid social interaction. Everything is possible online, from daily necessities to luxury items. According to Nasdaq, 95% of all online purchases will be possible by 2040.

Table of contents

How do you create a new website for a small business?

Owners should set aside a budget to outsource web development services when starting a small or medium-sized business. To manage your online presence, a business website is essential, and Websites can inform customers about the brand’s value and help increase sales.

You must choose a domain name, secure web hosting and a great website design.

You can now hire a web developer to create a website. WordPress is an advanced tool that allows them to prepare the site’s outline. It has hundreds of templates you can choose from right away.

Also Read: Advantages of Using ASP.NET for Web Development

You can add additional features to your design by purchasing add-ons or extensions. You can now keep your site current by updating the information frequently. Also, ensure your site is fast enough to improve search engine rankings.

Steps to create a perfect business website for small businesses

Everyone has a website nowadays, whether you are a startup or a large company. Small and medium-sized businesses can reap the many benefits of a website. Websites have allowed businesses to grow exponentially in a short time.

Websites allow businesses to promote and sell their products and services. They also allow them to establish their identity. Websites can also be used to identify freelance photographers. This creates trust and leads to an increase in sales.

Many small businesses can now create websites thanks to the WordPress website building platform. A survey found that 32% of small businesses use website-building platforms to build a website. WordPress is a great platform to help you create a website for your startup.

To create a website that is easy to use, you should focus on these points.

1. Determine the purpose of the website

Customers can access information about your business through a website, and it should clearly describe the business’s nature. When designing a website, be mindful of the user experience. Easy-to-use interfaces attract customers and increase the likelihood of placing orders.

2. Select a domain name

A unique domain name is a key branding characteristic of every business online. A simple name that is easy to remember can be the link between your business and your customers. Promoting your brand on social media can be done with a unique name.

3. Choose the best web host

It is important to choose the best web hosting provider to run a website. Web spaces are where website files are stored, and all data are accessible to the public at all times. A shared web host is a good option for small businesses.

Also Read: Hybrid Working Model: A New Normal For Businesses After The Pandemic

You can share a server with other websites, and you’ll pay less. It can be costly to get dedicated hosting. If you choose this option, your server will be delivered to you.

4. Build your website pages 

When designing a website, multiple pages should be created for each product or service. You can provide detailed information on each page to help customers understand the quality of your products and services. You should also create a logo to give your business identity.

5. Install your payment system

Sometimes, the payment option may not be necessary for every business. You can include it on your website if it applies to your business. Businesses can integrate electronic payment systems to make it easy for customers to pay. Make sure the site works on all browsers before making it live.

6. Social media marketing for your website

Promoting an online business is easier with social media because multiple platforms allow you to reach more customers. You can also attach a link to social media for organic promotion, and the links will generally be in the footer.

7. Invest in SEO

SEO strategies are a way to improve your website’s appearance. Relevant meta descriptions and title tags can also help to improve rankings. It is important to select the most popular set of keywords.

You can choose the most relevant keywords for your business based on their nature.

Publish Blogs regularly and use internal links to drive traffic to your product and services pages. To attract attention, you can use the links strategically throughout your website. Optimizing images, in addition to content, is essential, and for maximum speed, it is better to compress images or videos.

These are the 7 simple steps to build a website for your small business but if you want to create a website in 5 minutes, here are the best free DIY tools.

A note:

These tools are for beginners looking to create a website free of cost for their local business with basic features and limited online exposure.

For a full-fledged website with payment systems, data storage and a good traffic volume, it is best to hire a website development company. (we will look into how to hire a web development company which is the best fit for your business later.)

The top 5 free website builders for small businesses

1. Wix 

Wix is one of the easiest website builders out there. One big reason that Wix is the best platform for beginners to create a website is that it provides many ready-to-use templates for various business niches.

You can simply choose a template and edit it the way you like.

Of Course, there are benefits and drawbacks to using this free platform. Here are a few of them:

2. Weebly 

This free website builder is similar to Wix as it also offers a lot of free templates and intuitive drag-and-drop features in the free plan. But it does have its pros and cons.

3. WordPress 

43% of all websites are built with WordPress, as it says on their homepage.

It is the most comprehensive free website builder with all the free plugin and theme options it provides. You can install plugins for anything from SEO and chat support to multiple language use. WordPress offers a lot of freedom to customize your website in the free plan itself.

4. Google sites 

Google sites is a fantastic option for small businesses that want to create a basic information-packed website.

All you need is a free google account, and you can build it with google sites. It is one of the easiest website builders. You need to select a theme, add your website pages and get started.

You can also add buttons, text boxes, videos and other elements to the web pages.

5. Squarespace 

Squarespace is ideal for small ecommerce business websites. It has beautiful designs and is incredibly simple to use, along with plenty of ecommerce tools that work perfectly for a small online store.

It is not completely free, but it does have a two-week free trial of the premium plans.

All the above free website builders have limitations and are often designed to get you to sign up for the paid plans.

But for a highly customized website with advanced features, you will need to hire a web development company. Here’s how to go about it.

How can Small Businesses Select a Web Development Company?

Hire web developers to gain new ideas to market your businesses and get more clients. The experts employ various methods to load your website swiftly and safely. To get the best service SMBs (small and medium-sized enterprises) should look into the strategies of the companies. They can examine the services they provide. The quality of the work can be assessed by the solutions provided to web designers in past years.

If you’re planning to build the creation of a new website for your startup, You can get help from experts from a reputable web development company. They also can assist businesses in improving their websites when planning to expand on a local or global scale. A well-designed website can enhance the credibility of a company. Additionally, a well-optimized website can generate the most results and converts.

Also Read: Web Application Development: A Complete Guide

1. Communicate and Collaborate

Before beginning any undertaking, it is crucial to discuss the project thoroughly. At the beginning of the meeting, you can communicate directly with the professional in charge. It is important to know the method of communication and the person responsible for any queries or feedback.

2. Look for Back-end Development and other Services

Apart from programming and coding different processes are required to develop websites. It is possible to find firms that offer services in the fields of web design and development. For the best services, it’s best to choose a firm providing a range of services. All the services offered in one place will ease your burden and produce precise results.

3. Ask for Work Samples

If you are considering partnering with a web development company, You should look at the comments of previous customers. Reviews from customers can help to clarify the picture.

This provides an insight into experts’ availability at the company, ability to respond, and project management.

4. Evaluate their team’s skills

It is best to look at the capabilities of resources that are available. A round team of front-end and back-end web developers can deliver the most effective outcomes. You can employ Scrum masters, QA technicians, and other specialists based on your needs.

5. Calculate the budget

If you are hiring developers to work on your project, It is advisable to determine the amount of money you will invest. Examine the needs of your venture and get an idea of the costs. It is important to focus on your requirements and not invest in flashy components.

6. Think about the web hosting service

It is essential to determine whether the company developing websites provides a dedicated web hosting service or a shared hosting platform. Also, you should gather information about the frequency at which the backup of your site is accessible? How long will the backup be kept, and how fast is your hosting service? By answering these questions, you can choose the most reliable developers in the market.

How much will it cost to build a website for small and medium-sized businesses?

Remember that your website is your storefront online and requires a lot of focus. Whatever your business model, whether your business is offline, online or both, it’s important to establish an online presence. This will allow you to showcase your company professionally.

The cost of building a small-sized website can differ based on the number of websites, the features and the functionality. It includes the cost of purchasing a domain, how the site is designed, and other factors. The most important factor to consider is the number of pages.

Also Read: Get the Best from WordPress in 2021 Using These Awesome Plugins

Following the requirements of the business, there may be a variety of pages. Additionally, companies may need a contact form. Certain businesses prefer to collect details about the people who visit their websites.

Furthermore, one of the most important tasks is creating an online shop for small businesses.

The website must have an eCommerce function. Different products can add to the site based on the type of goods. After creating various sections, businesses can include payment gateways. This will make the purchase process more convenient for the customer. With credit or debit cards, consumers can pay for purchases effortlessly.

Many companies use their small-business websites by incorporating blogs to communicate information. They can offer updates on business and articles on industry topics to communicate with their viewers. With the help of pertinent keywords, publishing information for search engines and driving more visitors to your site is possible. This can help build a more prominent online presence.

The final price of a site is contingent on various factors, including the number of pages you have that you want to host, the features you need and whether you’d like an eCommerce store. The cost of a website could vary based on available resources and alternatives.

Final Words

In general, when beginning a small-sized business, owners must cut down on the amount of unnecessary expenditure. When reducing their expenses, they need to be aware of the things essential to running a successful business. For example, a website will help your business expand.

Knowing the significance of websites, you can start by creating a professionally designed site covering every aspect of your company.

A business website can boost the visibility of your business in addition to lead generation. Also, it can convert visitors into buyers.

The industry experts suggest starting a website using hosted plans that share hosting. Once they have achieved popularity, they can expand the website and obtain templates designed.

For more information on starting your digital journey, connect with our web development company. Our enthusiastic team of developers and designers would be glad to assist you.

The post Website Building Guide for SMBs to take the First Step into Digitization appeared first on Imenso Software.

Why are WP plug-ins so popular?

WordPress started its journey as a blogging platform, but it has become a robust CMS suite that can be used to make various types of websites, including e-commerce websites. While the developers have continually enhanced the feature set in the CMS, the number of its plug-ins has also grown. Through these plug-ins, developers are able to extend the functionality of websites made with the CMS. They are able to cater to client requirements owing to the impressive plug-ins of WP. To ensure the best plug-ins are used for your WP website, ensure you pick from the top WordPress development services.

Also Read: What Is CMS? And Why Your Website Must Have One

Some of the top WP plug-ins you should learn about

The number of WP plugins keeps growing with time, and the official repertory has over 5500o listed. These plug-ins are available in free and commercial versions, both. Before you hire a WordPress web development company, you have to know the plug-ins they use for client projects.

Listed here are some of the popular and widely used WP plug-ins:

• WPForms- All business owners having a website want the customs to revert to them for various needs, and for that, websites must be equipped with contact forms. WPForm is what most WP developers use for this purpose. This is kind of a drag-and-drop style online form builder. With it, you can develop email subscription forms, online order forms, payment forms as well as polls, surveys. This works with the most widely used payment platforms. It comes with Pre-built templates and Smart conditional logic. There is a premium version too.
• Yoast SEO- Without apt SEO measures deployed, a content-rich and aesthetic-looking website may just bite the dust! With Yoast SEO, making your WP site SEO equipped is simple. It lets you generate Meta tags sitemaps and optimize the website, and more. With it, your website stays true to Google’s algorithm. You can use its Powerful Redirect feature. It has a premium version too.
• UpdraftPlus- Taking backup of your website is something you cannot overlook. There is a nice WP plugin that automates the process. UpdraftPlus has options for scheduling backups, but you can also configure the plugin to automate this process. There are storage options for cloud services like Dropbox and Google Drive. The backup and restoration features are really amazing, and you need not worry about tasks getting executed. The backups get stored in the dashboard. With this plugin, migrating and cloning WP websites is a breeze.

Also Read: Top 5 Trending Frameworks Of PHP For 2021: Pros and Cons

• Migrate Guru- As is evident from the name, this WP plug-in makes the process of WP website migration a painless task. This amazing and automated WordPress migration plugin uses BlogVault’s servers. So, migrating a large-sized WP website will not be hard. While migrating your current WP website, it is possible to discard the unnecessary files, and you can even save the migration settings.
• Akismet- You want your buyers to post their feedback on your website, but you hate spammers! Wouldn’t it be great if there was a means to eradicate the annoying spammy comments from your website? Well, there is a WP plugin to filter out spammy comments, and it is called Akismet. It is a premium plug-in, but you get the worth of your money. The plug-in also eliminates suspicious links in these comments. It checks all the comments and shows approved comments. It is GDPR compliant, too.
• WP Rocket- Web users are not known for being patient, and there are millions of instances of people leaving a good website simply because of its slow loading speed. While page loading depends on various factors, you can ensure page load times are reduced from your end. WP Rocket is a premium plugin that helps reduce delays in WP website loading. It comes with various web page element tweaking features to speed up the site loading process. There is a lazy loading feature in it.

Also Read: Top 3 WordPress Development Tools

• WooCommerce- Most E-commerce websites built on the WP platform utilize this amazing and powerful plug-in. This plug-in comes with a lot of embedded extensions. It is ideal if you want to start an e-commerce website but lack knowledge of the technical details. The customization options are aplenty, and it lets you sell a plethora of products online. In terms of payment mode support, there is nothing to complain about.
• MonsterInsights- No website owner can overlook the importance of Website analytics these days. With the MonsterInsights plugin for WP, setting up Google Analytics for your Website takes only a few minutes, and then you are ready to go! Through this plug-in, you can understand complicated analytics easily. You can figure out website areas where tweaking has to be made. MonsterInsights tracks the website activities and offers insights on key metrics like total revenue and conversion rate.
• Wordfence Security- The instances of hacking attacks on WP websites cannot be overlooked. While WP is not an insecure platform by default, developer skill and expertise play a role behind the overall website security level. Sometimes, the malicious hackers explore loopholes in various WP plug-ins to take down a website. To enhance the safety of the WP website, you need a robust plugin. That is where Wordfence Security comes into the picture. It comes with a firewall for saving your site from malicious traffic. It scans for malware and uses a secure login system.
• Adobe Fonts- It was offered earlier as TypeKit Fonts for WordPress. To ensure your WP website looks enticing, using apt typography is necessary. Move beyond the default font style and use Adobe Fonts. The fonts are fully licensed and web standard-compliant. However, you will have to make use of a Creative Cloud subscription to use this plugin.
• SearchWP- Yes, WordPress ships with an inbuilt search tool, but you can use a better option to ensure the viewers can locate the stuff they want easily and quickly. This is a nice free WP plug-in. It comes with embedded advanced search features. It comes with detailed indexing features. A premium version is offered as well. This is often preferred by the top agencies offering custom WordPress development services.

Summing it up

There are so many other capable WP plug-ins that you can surely try out for your website. However, it is necessary to check out the whereabouts of such plug-ins, more so when you opt for a commercial WP plug-in. Try to find information on the developers and support options. When you hire a veteran and reliable WordPress development company India company, it can guide you in selecting the best WP plug-ins.

The post Get the Best from WordPress in 2021 Using These Awesome Plugins appeared first on Imenso Software.

Before you move forward we should warn you that our work is mostly on WordPress so our loyalties are already decided. But still, WordPress is not the only way to build a website. (Although it does power 40% of all the websites on the internet) 

Today we’ll talk about Wix, a popular website builder with hosting support, and the comparison of Wix with WordPress based on different categories. Read along, by the end you‘ll have a much better understanding of the two platforms and which one will fulfill your needs well.  

WordPress vs Wix  

Both Wix and WordPress as website builders have their flaws and strengths. We will assess them on the following basis: 

1. Beginner friendliness  
2. Control over the website  
3. Flexibility for eCommerce  
4. Data ownership  
5. Long term maintenance  
6. Cost  
7. Better SEO optimization 

Note: in this post, we are comparing Wix with wordpress.org, not wordpress.com. The two are different domains with different functions.  

Wix vs WordPress: Preview  

We will get into the detailed comparison of WordPress vs Wix in a while, first, let’s understand the different approaches they work on. WordPress is a content management system and Wix is a website builder. To make the right choice it is important to understand what each platform brings to the table.  

In essence, the comparison between two platforms fights to balance between two main ideas: 

• Ease of use for beginners – how easy is it for a common person that is a non-developer to create a fully functional and pleasing website 
• Flexibility and customization – how easily can someone customize their website to do exactly what they want 

To build a platform where creating a website is extremely easy for beginners, Wix sacrificed some flexibility. On the flip side, WordPress compromised some beginner friendliness to provide users the flexibility to 100% customize their website.  

Which platform is best for beginners? 

If we evaluate based on how quickly a beginner can create a website, Wix is the clear winner. Although Wix is not as flexible after building the website, it is a great platform to quickly manifest a simple and elegant website.  

Creating a website on Wix is as easy as ordering food from an app. After signup, you can create your website in three simple steps.  

1. Pick the type 
2. Pick the template 
3. Edit the content  

Publish and voila! You have a fully functioning live website.  

Creating a website with WordPress is pretty easy too. But the hosting is not as simplified as on Wix. There is a certain process to follow. You need to set up your WordPress website with a host and it’s a little more difficult to get your site up and running.  

Also Read: 6 Reasons Why WordPress Is Still the Best CMS

Although the extra steps to get web hosting and domain name are eased out by hosting providers nowadays. So we are talking an extra 5-10 minutes before getting started. After the setup, you can choose from the free and paid templates to design your website.  

Even though creating a website with WordPress is not as simple as Wix but still it is a beginner-friendly process.  

Control over website functionality  

While in terms of ease of use, Wix won but WordPress hits a home run in flexibility and customizations.  

With Wix to add more functionality, you have to depend on the Wix app market only. The Wix app market is better than a platform like Squarespace but not even close to what a WordPress website can do.  

Currently, the Wix app market is filled with over 300 apps but that’s nothing in comparison to WordPress which you will see in a second.  

On the code front to users are extremely limited. Wix does not allow you to add many custom codes.  

WordPress is better than Wix on both edges.  

WordPress has over 53,000 plugins along with thousands of premium plugins to add any type of functionality you want without having to make code tweaks. Whether it’s social media integration, google ads management, or quizzes, you can get it instantly with plugins.  

Along with that you or a hired WordPress developer can add new features through custom coding on your website. Unlike Wix, there are no limitations on coding.  

Ecommerce functionality  

Wix has some e-commerce assistance in the form of pre-built online store templates. The templates are good if you are planning to sell simple products because it is not much you can do with them.  

If you want to customize product descriptions you’ll be disappointed. Wix does not allow that much flexibility. The eCommerce functionality is available in their special store plans which are costlier than the usual packages.  

Also Read: 7 Steps to Make Your Ecommerce Business Successful

WordPress has great options for users who want to build an eCommerce store. Although you will be required to install a plugin for eCommerce functionality. The two most popular options are woo-commerce (for physical products) and easy digital downloads (for virtual products).  

Along with each plugin, there are many add-on plugins to further enhance your online store. For instance, you can find plugins to add print-on-demand services, cart optimization, payment gateway security, and more. Just like WordPress has numerous plugins, the eCommerce plugins give a lot of flexibility on how to handle your store.  

Between Wix and WordPress, it’s the flexibility of the latter that makes it a far better choice than the former for eCommerce stores.  

Data ownership  

Data ownership means who owns the website data and whether it can be migrated to other platforms easily? 

For beginners who are looking for a quick way to set up a decent website might not worry about data ownership, but you should consider it before making a final decision.  

For data ownership, it’s not even a competition. WordPress sweeps all the votes in its favor. And here’s the reason: 

Official Wix statement on data ownership: 

Your Wix site and all of its content is hosted exclusively on Wix’s servers, and cannot be transferred elsewhere. 

Specifically, it is not possible to export or embed files, pages or sites, created using the Wix Editor or ADI, to another external destination or host. 

Now that’s what we call a red flag.  

On the other hand, WordPress grants users full control of all their data. They can download, export, or manipulate 100% of the website data because you are the sole owner of your content.  

Like we said – it’s not even a competition.  

Maintenance & Security 

While WordPress has been winning with flexibility and 100% data ownership for users, this is where Wix alters the game. With WordPress either you or a managed WordPress host have to handle everything like security, software update, data backup, and more.  

With Wix, you don’t even need to move a needle. It takes care of security, updates, or hackers. It does it all.  

Also Read: 7 Ways to improve your WordPress Website Security

Although in WordPress, you don’t necessarily have to do everything. You can  

• Install backup and security plugins  
• Hire a WordPress maintenance service  
• Select a managed WordPress host 

Costing  

Wix offers simple monthly plans for both – normal websites and Wix eCommerce stores. The pricing for WordPress is a little dicey. There are two fixed costs with WordPress – hosting and domain name.  

Beyond that, you might need to buy premium plugins and themes for enhanced functionality, security, or design.  

Which one is cheaper between the two, is a little difficult to estimate. WordPress is cheaper in the long term because of the flat monthly prices on Wix.  

SEO benefits  

Many experts argue that Wix is better than WordPress for SEO and vice e versa. But there is not much difference between the two. For on-page SEO, they both provide: 

• Flexibility to change meta titles, descriptions, H1 – H6 tags  
• Generation of sitemap for better search engine crawling  
• Alt tags to be added on images 
• Short URLs  
• Mobile friendly  

For off-page SEO, a backlink from another site or social signal doesn’t care where the link leads. 

Although the point of difference can be the control users have over their websites. Things like optimizing sites for speed, advanced options for crawling and indexing which can directly contribute to better rankings.  

WordPress or Wix: which one to pick? 

Like we said in the beginning our loyalties lie with WordPress. So you already kinda knew what we will conclude.  

We recommend that if you’re looking to just get started with a simple website and do not care much about data ownership or flexibility, Wix is a good option for you. But do remember that when you might want more customization and flexibility on your website or you might want to migrate to WordPress, it will be hard. (We are putting it mildly, it’s gonna be painful) 

WordPress is the best solution out there for almost everybody and here why: 

• It’s not as easy as Wix for beginners but still, anybody can figure it out  
• Users get full data ownership  
• More flexibility to add as many functionalities from the massive plugin ecosystem 

Now it’s up to you. If you pick WordPress and need any assistance for your new website, you can always contact our WordPress developers, they customize on the platform like artists.  

The post Wix Vs WordPress: Which One to Choose For Your Business Website? appeared first on Imenso Software.

But first, let’s see how it all started. 

WordPress was released on May 27th 2003, and this year the blogging platform will celebrate its 18th birthday. It’s not just the easy installation and intuitive design that has made it the most successful CMS platform. WordPress has evolved from being a blogger friendly platform to a CRM trusted by fortune 500 companies and eCommerce stores with millions of dollars in sales. 

WordPress Success Glimpses  

– After the popular blogging system b2/cafelog shuts down, Matt Mullenweg, a college student creates his version of b2 with Mike Little. They named it WordPress. 

– Both the founders launched the first version of WordPress on 27 may, 2003, WordPress 0.7 followed by the first update – Davis in January 2004. 

– By 2011, WordPress reached an impressive milestone of 50 million WordPress blogs and three years later 22% of all the world’s website is being built using WordPress. 

– The parent company of WordPress, Automattic is now has a $3 billion valuation. 

So what made WordPress so successful?  

1. Ease of Use 

Since the release of the first version, WordPress has had many updates which have made it the easiest CMS to get started with. Both user management and website management is super easy. Millions of webmaster trust WordPress across the world. 

From installation to setting up an entire website, it takes minutes. And nobody has to be an expert at coding or know how to build a website using HTML. With absolutely no code, any kind of website is ready on WordPress. 

Read Blog: Top 3 WordPress Development Tools

The simple backend dashboard has a user-friendly interface. The layout and language are set in a way that makes it possible for anyone to run a professional website. The entire website’ content, media, settings, and installed plugins can be accessed from it. 

2. It’s Free 

It is and has always been free. WordPress since its inception has been cost-effective for users worldwide. (Although large enterprises should keep the cost of hosting and domain in mind.) 

The pricing structure of WordPress is simple. Even if you don’t like the free themes and layout. There are thousands of paid ones available with professional pictures to choose from. The themes are available for all price range from affordable to $10,000 per year for customized themes with built-in features. 

3. SEO Friendly 

WordPress has been vastly successful and one of the major reasons is that it’s SEO friendly. The content management system solves a lot of SEO issues automatically and offers tons of tools to optimize your website for better reach. 

1. WordPress has the inbuilt functionality to be search engine friendly. When the search engine robots crawl the WordPress website, it is easily indexed. WordPress also offers the plugin, Yoast SEO to improve site performance. 
2. Google loves a website that has optimized content, mobile-friendliness and easy navigation. And WordPress has all three. That is why Google adores WordPress sites. 
3. Not just Google, WordPress is compatible with other search engines as well: Yahoo, Bing and Firefox. So WordPress can get traffic from anywhere and it’s not a problem. 
4. WordPress sites have responsive architecture and are mobile-friendly too. Now that more and more people are going mobile-first, Google has made it mandatory for websites to have responsive designs. Thus WordPress websites rank higher for mobile searches as well. 
5. To optimize content for SEO, WordPress allows all the major settings: H1, H2 tags, Meta title and description, image optimization, and internal linking. WordPress has plugins for all the major SEO factors. 
6. WordPress websites load faster. Even if has been around for so long, WordPress has made sure to evolve to match the ever upgrading Google standards. A faster loading website is good for user retention, lesser bouncing rates and paid campaigns as well.   

Read Blog: SEO Friendly urls not working in wordpress on IIS Server

WordPress as a content management system has a whole package of SEO. There are plugins for all major factors separately and combined. With WordPress as your CMS, you won’t have to worry about your site performance as per SEO again. 

4. A Website For Everyone (Literally) 

What WordPress might lack in native functionality, it covers up in plugins. The brilliant model of plugins is what WordPress is known for. The plugin structure and availability on WordPress is second to none. 

There are over 200 free themes for everybody to install and experiment with. And much more third party plugins and themes for businesses and individuals to create customized websites. 

The themes are highly flexible, one can alter color and fonts to manufacture a unique website for their business or eCommerce store such that no two websites are the same. 

Read Blog: Is Shopify the best eCommerce Solution for your Business in 2021?

WordPress has a vast and ever-expanding ecosystem of themes, plugins and new features because it is open-sourced. That means anybody can create any kind of website they want with WordPress. 

It is not just a blogging platform. The open-source feature has made WordPress rank in the top list of big enterprises, multinational companies to small non-profitable charities. Using woo commerce, it has never been easy to create an eCommerce store on WordPress. 

Since its first launch the content management system has evolved into a beast that caters to every possible imagination of people for creating and managing websites. 

5. Universal Users 

There are over 75 million websites that use WordPress according to the WordCamp site. People across the planet from different countries use WordPress to build their personal and business websites. The standard composition of the dashboard is best for remote working teams. Multi-language translation can also be achieved through plugins to accommodate just about anyone. 

6. Excellent Community Support 

There is no official support from WordPress.org, but there is a huge community of WordPress developers. One can post questions or emails in forums and get an answer to any question fairly quickly. Like Reddit, the community always help each other out. Even the follow-ups are easy. 

Read Blog: 7 Ways to improve your WordPress Website Security

Future of WordPress  

WordPress is not the only content management system, but it has been around long enough to conclude that it is not going anywhere soon. 

The owners and developers work hard to ensure that the users are delivered with time-relevant updates and features that make using the platform worthwhile. 

Our WordPress development team loves geeking out about plugins, themes and write code to create better features on the open-sourced CMS. If you need an expert WordPress developer, just send a mail. 

Also, keep reading the blog in future for more information about WordPress. 

The post 6 Reasons Why WordPress Is Still the Best CMS appeared first on Imenso Software.

But what is it that makes both of these platforms so comparable? On the outside, both the platforms look the same – customizable content management systems, eCommerce platforms, SEO friendly. The real deal is the composition of the two platforms. Magento is specifically built for eCommerce sales and inventory management while WordPress was originally a blogging platform that offers a ton of tools and plugins to create an eCommerce store. 

So today we aim to help you get a detailed comparison for the two major eCommerce store building platforms based on the most important characteristics. 

Let’s get started. 

Ease of Use and Flexibility  

Magento is an enterprise-level eCommerce platform with high functionalities. It requires a Magento developer to code a professionally designed website as compared to WordPress where it is pretty simple to get started with an eCommerce store setup. The drag and drop feature of WordPress is beginner-friendly. It even lets you add features such as live chat, contact forms and product catalogues with add on features.  

On the other hand for a beginner, Magento needs a lot of coding which might be challenging for no tech folks, as generally small store owners are. To get the best out of Magento, professional help is a must. In terms of usability, it is clear that WordPress is the winner.  

Website intention, scope and function  

Before deciding between WordPress and Magento, you need to know three things clearly.  

• How many products will you sell? 
• Do you want to build a multi-vendor store? 
• When and how much do you want to scale?  

If the answer to all the above questions is affirmative, then Magento is the best pick for you. The platform offers advanced features and functionality to build a huge eCommerce store online. More than 1000 products are easy to handle with Magento premium services. It can easily host a multi-vendor, multi-location and multi-language store as well.

With WordPress also, a decent online store is possible using functions like payment options, tracking orders and shipping management. But WP has a much better performance with content-driven products and services which can be easily integrated into the blog.  

In short, if you plan on selling a lot of products with tons of product images, description, and multiple gateways, Magento is the way to go. It is far more stable and strongly built to handle big eCommerce stores.  

Security  

It is a general misconception that Magento is more secure than WordPress as it has more programming and coding.  

But, this is not true.  

Both WordPress and Magento are equally secure for eCommerce transactions and in general.  

Read the Blog: 7 Ways to improve your WordPress Website Security

This is because the security of your eCommerce store depends on your hosting provider. Both platforms are established and have been through multiple updated in their lifetime. They are both very secure and also provides a lot of security plugins and extensions to increase the security of your website.  

To keep hackers and malware attacks away from your customers’ payment info, make sure you timely install all the updates from the platforms. These updates make the website more secure and intuitive to use.  

Here both Magento and WordPress are similar.  

Design Customization  

A fine user experience is vital for eCommerce stores to impress customers and make them feel comfortable online. Website theme plays an important role in that. Another thing is, the kind of theme and design depends upon your product and services.  

Both Magento and WordPress offer a lot of themed design options.  

Both the platforms have off the shelf and customized themes. The ready made themes are free while it requires a professional eCommerce developer to execute the customized ones.  

The best alternative on WordPress is the free Woocommerce theme which is easily customizable. Magento users might want to buy customized themes for the large enterprise-level website. The cost of customized themes varies from $600 to $25000.  

Marketing and Content Management  

Both WordPress and Magento are content management systems, but WordPress is better for content marketing due to its blogging roots. The structure of WordPress is far more suited for managing a large number of media files and content. Whereas in Magento you have to install a plugin for better blogging support as it is not an inbuilt feature.  

Read the Blog: SEO Friendly urls not working in wordpress on IIS Server

The Magical Duo  

Comparing the two most popular eCommerce platforms, one thing is very clear that both services have their pros and cons. If WordPress is good for beginners who are just starting their eCommerce journey, Magento offers a high-end solution for scalability and robust website functions.  

So which one to pick?  

What if we can combine both Magento and WordPress to get the best of both platforms?  

It is possible to do so.  

Using the Fishpig WordPress Integration Tool for Magento, one can add the WordPress blog in a Magento store and drive unlimited traffic. This is the fastest-growing trend in the eCommerce world. One can easily access their WordPress blog from the backend of Magento.  

Read the Blog: 12 Instant Ecommerce Hacks to Boost Your Online Store Sales Today

Fishpig extension is the best solution for the current users of Magento who wants to market according to the customers’ demands through a WordPress blog.  

Conclusion  

We are confident that Magento is a far better platform to sell products online than WordPress. It does have its downsides of being complex and requires a Magento specialist, which can be costly for a lot of new store owners in 2021.  

WordPress is a good alternative and as the platform evolves, we might see more promising eCommerce sales and management features. Until then Magento is the way to go.  

If you are looking for a professional Magento developer to fire up your eCommerce sales, we have eCommerce experts who can help you crush that 2021 goal for your online store.  

Talk to us today.  

The post WordPress Vs Magento – Which One to Pick For Your Ecommerce Store In 2021 appeared first on Imenso Software.

Considering the various issues faced by the vast majority of WordPress websites, here we are going to explain 7 key ways to improve WordPress security.

1. Keep updating your WordPress

The WordPress is one of the most frequently updated CMS platform with the WordPress development team always working hard to find and fix security flaws and vulnerabilities. Such fixes are offered to the users through several core version upgrades.

Small upgrades always keep coming apart from the major overhaul updates. Now awaited WordPress 5.0 is going to be a big upgrade. The user needs to manually opt for such big updates. If you are ignoring such updates thinking that they can undermine the site performance temporarily, you are actually creating security vulnerabilities for your website.

Apart from the regular WordPress upgrades you should also stay always updated with all your plugins. Many security experts say that non-updated plugins actually cause bigger security risk than non-updated WordPress versions.

It has been found that around 63% of security issues complained by WordPress websites stems from non-updated plugins in contrast 37% issues caused by missing files of the core WordPress version. Always use well-known plugins and themes from reputed developers that are updated frequently or at least after every WordPress upgrade.

2. Opt for a Reputed Host

A hosting service actually makes your website alive and kicking. A quality hosting with a reputed provider cannot only ensure glitch-free performance but can also protect you from all sorts of security vulnerabilities. There are some time-tested considerations for choosing a quality host that we are going to mention below.

• Make sure that the hosting service provider serves a good number of reputed clients and they deliver important security features for every plan.
• Look for very precise security features like SSL/TLS certificates and DDoS protection. Apart from this always make sure you have further protection with a Web Application Firewall (WAF) for preventing serious threats.
• Almost every hosting service offers backup service but look for the ones who take care of the backup process.
• Go for hosting services who offer a 24/7 support so that you can always find help just over a phone call or chat communication.
• When choosing any hosting service provider always focus on what security features and performance attributes you are getting instead of the so-called value additions that are marketed by the host.

3. Switch Your Site to HTTPS

Security certificates offer a robust way to prevent vulnerabilities and issues. Through the SSL/TLS certificate you can turn your domain into a HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) enabled one which is basically a more protected version of the HTTP. It doesn’t take much effort to turn your HTTP domain into a secure one through HTTPS, but such measures can protect your website from security breaches.

Basically HTTPS does the same thing but additionally, it encrypts the website data to prevent any unwanted access from other browsers. If your WordPress website handles mission-critical business information or customer data, an HTTPS domain is something you cannot go without. Now, most of the reputed hosting service providers offer HTTPS with or without any extra charge on the basis of the plan you have chosen.

4. Use 2-factor authentication and optimise passwords

One of the crucial ways to optimise the security aspects of your website is to adapt 2-factor authentication and optimise the passwords to prevent unsolicited access. If your website deals with valuable customer data, two-factor authentication on the login page is a must. It is basically nothing but constituting the login details with two separate components that make it harder for the offenders to hack the login details. The combination can consist of a password with a security question or the password along with the option of verifying through a mobile secret code.

The second most important thing is to change your password once in a while to prevent any breaches of the login data. Always make your passwords stronger by using both lowercase and uppercase letters, signs and numbers. A strong password will always be made up of all these. Apart from this, it is always advisable to avoid using words, phrases and names within the passwords that can easily be guessed by your near and dear ones.

5. Enable a Web Application Firewall

A firewall is what we already know as part of the network security configuration settings in the desktop and laptop operating system suites. Almost all computers have some sort of firewalls. Similar to such protective measures Web Application Firewall (WAF) is used to protect the website from malicious attacks and intrusions. A firewall application like this can protect a single website, a group of website or even a server.

It basically works as a lock gate or filter between your website and the worldwide web. It continuously monitors the website activities including the website traffic, any vulnerabilities, malware and all sorts of potential risks and unwanted events. If your hosting service doesn’t provide you with a WAF as part of the hosting package you can also go for the dedicated third-party tool. There are some quality options that allows you setting up Firewall quickly and monitors the website activities pretty efficiently.

6. Use a minimum number of plugins and update them often

The biggest mistake committed by most WordPress websites is to use too many plugins to make the website feature-rich and technically efficient. But they often have no idea that too many plugins not only slows down the performance of the website but can also make the website suffer from security threats. Too many plugins can actually increase the risk of exposing your user data to third-party vendors.

This is why it is always advisable to use a small number of plugins that are absolutely essential and recommended by your host or the website builder and stick to them throughout. Always pick plugins from reputed developers or the ones that are already popular and widely acclaimed for their performance. Always choose plugins that are frequently updated and improved. Lastly, always update the plugins frequently to prevent any unwanted security risks.

7. A clutter free and clean design

Many website owners do not have any idea that even design flaws have a serious implication on the security of a website. A website layout free of clutter, distraction and visual overload is not only great for user experience and faster loading speed but also for glitch-free security.

With a simple and clean design powered by minimalist principle, a WordPress website allows easier monitoring of the on-site activities and database interactions. As a whole this allows the security settings to work more efficiently than with the websites with heavier cognitive overload.

Conclusion

Finally, let us conclude that the security of a WordPress website is never completely free from the vulnerabilities and risks. Every WordPress website however strong security arrangements it is equipped with, always had enormous scope to improve.

The post 7 Ways to improve your WordPress Website Security appeared first on Imenso Software.

If you have experienced issues with WordPress permalinks, not working well on an IIS server you are not alone. While URL rewriting is easier in IIS, SEO-friendly URLs need a little tweaking in IIS compared to Apache. Fear not, however, as we’ve got you all sorted out here!

In this quick-start guide, we will explain the typical causes of permalinks issues in IIS, and give you precise instructions on how to address them. Let’s make sure your website looks great and well well-optimized on search engines!

Understanding the Problem

When SEO-friendly URLs (permalinks) are enabled in WordPress, the default “ugly” URLs (e.g., http://example.com/?p=123) are replaced by human-readable and search-engine-friendly URLs (e.g., http://example.com/sample-post).

While using IIS servers the users experience 404 errors or broken links whenever they try to use these permalinks. This issue comes up because WordPress permalinks depend on URL rewriting, and URL rewriting needs special server settings. When it comes to rewriting rules, it is important to know that while Apache uses .htaccess files the IIS server works differently.

Common Causes of SEO-Friendly URL Issues on IIS Servers

• URL Rewrite Module Not Installed

URL Rewrite module is required by IIS servers to work properly when handling SEO-friendly permalinks. It is important to note that without this module, the server cannot process the rewritten URLs.

• Incorrect Web.config File

Permalinks can be strangely reordered with IIS due to the web.config file in which you can set up the necessary rewrite rules. A missing or a wrong web.config can ruin the URLs.

• Permissions Issues

To create or modify web.config in WordPress, the write permissions are needed. In case the file cannot be updated, the required rewrite rules will not be applied to the set.

• IIS Features Not Enabled for WordPress

Some IIS aspects like the CGI or the FastCGI need to be engaged especially when it comes to the WordPress capability of attending and handling permalinks.

• Custom IIS Settings Conflicts

The symbolic links can be also “broken” by some custom settings in IIS which interfere with WordPress’s rewrite rules.

How to Solve SEO-Friendly URL Problems on IIS

1. Install the URL Rewrite Module

That means users must switch to the URL Rewrite module to allow the use of permalinks if it is not enabled already.

• Step 1: The IIS URL Rewrite module can be downloaded and installed from the site of Microsoft.
• Step 2: Restart your IIS server, so that the changes could be alive.

2. Create or modify the web.config File

WordPress must be configured to be rewritten on the web.config If it is not present or not properly configured, then it should be created or modified accordingly.

• Step 1: Log in to WordPress> admin dashboard
• Step 2: Ensure you are in Settings > Permalinks to choose the correct permalink structure for your blog.
• Step 3: Click to save the changes for the web.Config file to update automatically.

If WordPress cannot write to the file, manually add the following rewrite rules:

<configuration>

  <system.webServer>

    <rewrite>

      <rules>

        <rule name=”WordPress” stopProcessing=”true”>

          <match url=”.*” />

          <conditions>

            <add input=”{REQUEST_FILENAME}” matchType=”IsFile” negate=”true” />

            <add input=”{REQUEST_FILENAME}” matchType=”IsDirectory” negate=”true” />

          </conditions>

          <action type=”Rewrite” url=”index.php” />

        </rule>

      </rules>

    </rewrite>

  </system.webServer>

</configuration>

Store this file in the root of WordPress, concretely in the directory of the active theme.

3. Verify the File and Folder Permissions

Check that WordPress has the appropriate permissions to write to the web.config.

• Go to the root of the WordPress directory.
• If it’s not there, then you will create one and then right-click on the web.config file.
• Set write permissions for the IIS user group (e.g., IUSR or NETWORK SERVICE).

4. Enable Required IIS Features

Make sure IIS is configured to support WordPress by enabling the following components:

• CGI and FastCGI
• URL Rewrite
• Application Request Routing (optional for caching)

Steps:

• Right-click on Start and click on Control Panel > Programs and Features > Click on Turn Windows features on or off.
• Access Internet Information Services, and turn on the necessary options.
• Restart the IIS server.

5. Solve Customs IIS Settings Conflict

Check your IIS setting because there could be some conflicting parameters set within it. For example:

• Static Content: Make sure that static content is enabled to make things like CSS and JavaScript assets available.
• Default Document: Make sure that index.php has been added to the default documents list.

Steps:

• Open the IIS Manager.
• Choose your site and go to Default Document.
• Now type index.php if not already mentioned.

6. Test the Changes

After applying these fixes, test your permalinks:

• Go to your WordPress site and open several of the posts and pages.
• If there are still 404 errors, go to save the permalinks in WordPress again to generate the rules.

Pro Tips:

• Use IIS Manager for Troubleshooting: You can use the IIS Manager to manage and diagnose URL rewrite rules.
• Check PHP and MySQL Compatibility: You should make sure your IIS server has the correct version of PHP and MySQL that will support your WP installation.

Final Thoughts

Making sure SEO-friendly URLs are integrated well with an IIS server is important for WordPress site performance and search engine rank. Although many of these procedures may appear intricate compared to others in the list. All aspects of URL rewriting, web.config, or server settings can help to enhance your website’s performance and usability.

At Imenso Software, we have been focusing on WordPress development, which means we offer all-around services regarding WordPress optimization. Regardless of, whether you have your site on IIS or any other server, our highly skilled and professional team is ready to assist you in setting up your environment, getting rid of possible technical issues, and helping to make the best optimizing decisions for your business needs.

If you are having problems getting friendly URLs, want help with WordPress integration, or something more specific to your business situation, then Imenso Software is your solution. For a better understanding, you can read our reviews on Clutch! also.

FAQs

1. Why can’t I get my WordPress permalinks to work on an IIS server?

This is often a result of the IIS server not having the URL Rewrite module, or if it does, then the web.config file is set up wrongly.

2. What can I do to make the URLs to be search engine friendly on an IIS server?

The user also needs to download the IIS URL Rewrite module, verify the rules in the web.config file, and adjust the server permissions.

3. Is it possible to modify the permalinks without altering the server configuration?

No, permalinks involve URL rewriting, and this is achievable depending on the server settings such as the web.config in IIS.

4. Is the URL Rewrite module free to use?

Yes, they are right because the IIS URL Rewrite module is a part of Microsoft IIS that has no charge and can be downloaded from Microsoft’s official website.

5. What are the complications if my server does not support URL rewriting?

If URL rewriting is not integrated into your design then you must stick to the WordPress URLs which are extremely non SEO friendly and consequently adversely affect the ranking.

Meta Description: Fix WordPress permalink issues on IIS servers! A detailed guide to enable SEO-friendly URLs using IIS settings.

Keyword: SEO-Friendly URL

Long tale Keyword: Common Causes of SEO-Friendly URL Issues on IIS Servers,  How to Solve SEO-Friendly URL Problems on IIS

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