WordPress Fundamentals

Chapter 15: WordPress Best Practices

15.1 Development Best Practices

• Use child themes for customization
• Follow WordPress coding standards
• Test changes on staging site
• Keep backups regularly
• Use version control
• Document customizations

15.2 Content Best Practices

• Write quality, original content
• Use proper headings and structure
• Optimize for SEO
• Add alt text to images
• Use internal linking

15.3 Maintenance Best Practices

• Regular updates
• Monitor site performance
• Check for broken links
• Review security logs
• Monitor uptime

Conclusion

WordPress is a powerful platform for building websites. Master these fundamentals to create professional, secure, and optimized WordPress sites. Continue learning advanced topics like theme and plugin development to expand your WordPress skills.

15.4 WordPress Maintenance Schedule

Establish regular maintenance schedule.

• Daily: Monitor site uptime
• Weekly: Check for updates
• Monthly: Review analytics
• Quarterly: Security audit
• Annually: Content review

15.5 WordPress Backup Strategies

Implement comprehensive backup strategy.

• Automated daily backups
• Store backups off-site
• Test backup restoration
• Backup before updates
• Multiple backup locations

15.6 WordPress Migration

Move WordPress site to new location.

• Export database
• Transfer files via FTP
• Update database URLs
• Test migrated site
• Update DNS settings

15.7 WordPress Multisite

Understanding WordPress multisite networks.

• When to use multisite
• Multisite setup process
• Managing network sites
• Network admin features
• Multisite considerations

15.8 WordPress Development Tools

Essential tools for WordPress development.

• Local Development: Local by Flywheel, XAMPP, MAMP
• Code Editors: VS Code, PhpStorm, Sublime Text
• Version Control: Git, GitHub, Bitbucket
• Debugging: Query Monitor, Debug Bar
• Testing: PHPUnit, WP-CLI

15.9 WordPress Community and Resources

Engage with WordPress community.

• WordPress.org documentation
• WordPress Codex
• WordPress forums
• WordPress meetups
• WordCamp events

15.10 WordPress Career Paths

Explore WordPress career opportunities.

• WordPress developer
• Theme developer
• Plugin developer
• WordPress consultant
• WordPress support specialist

15.11 WordPress Content Strategy

Develop effective content strategy for WordPress sites.

• Plan content calendar
• Create content pillars
• Optimize content for SEO
• Repurpose content across formats
• Measure content performance

15.12 WordPress and E-commerce

Set up e-commerce with WordPress and WooCommerce.

• Install WooCommerce plugin
• Configure store settings
• Add products and categories
• Set up payment gateways
• Configure shipping options

15.13 WordPress Site Speed Optimization

Optimize WordPress site for speed.

• Use caching plugins
• Optimize images
• Minify CSS and JavaScript
• Use CDN for assets
• Optimize database

15.14 WordPress Accessibility

Make WordPress sites accessible to all users.

• Use accessible themes
• Add alt text to images
• Ensure keyboard navigation
• Use proper heading structure
• Test with screen readers