Gain more insights about your blog with Google Site Kit
We have several different hats as bloggers and freelancers. And because of that it can be quite easy to drop the ball on the webmaster tasks we should be doing – especially when we’re busy creating content, managing social media and marketing our latest offering. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the amazing tools offered…
WordPress missed schedule error: why your scheduled post didn’t publish and how to fix it
You spend a lot of time creating a post, set the date and click schedule. Easy, right? Well, no! If you regularly schedule content on WordPress you know the frustration of a missed schedule error, which stops your post from publishing correctly. I’m going to share a quick solution with you to prevent this from…
A look at what’s new in WordPress 5.3 (and how to safely update)
The next major WordPress update is coming and let me tell you, it’s a good one! I’ve been testing some of the new features, and I can’t wait for them to be made official. So, what can we expect? Its focus has been on Gutenberg editor improvements, more intuitive interactions, UI polishing, improved accessibility and…
How to create Custom Post Types on WordPress
One of the reasons WordPress powers more than 39% of the internet is down to its versatility. WordPress uses more than just posts and pages to organise content. One way you can expand your site from being “just a blog” to being a flexible bespoke website is using custom post types. In this post, I’ll explain…
How to create a sitemap for your WordPress blog (and why you should!)
If you’ve ever read anything about SEO, you’ve probably come across the term sitemap. If that’s the case, then you have probably read that you should have one and that you should tell search engines about it. If you have no idea what they are, how to create one or why you should submit it…
How to safely update WordPress, Themes and Plugins
Ready to update your WordPress version, plugin(s) or theme but not sure where to start and afraid something might go wrong? While this is understandable, it is important to use the latest version of WordPress, plugins and theme for the best security and performance of your website. How to update WordPress themes and plugins Outdated themes…
10 tips for securing your WordPress website
One thing you have to think about when you go self-hosted is security! Here are ten things you can do to help secure your WordPress site… 1. Keep WordPress updated One of the most common security issues for WordPress sites are related to running outdated versions of the WordPress core, themes and plugins. Regularly updating your…
Are you incorrectly getting consent for cookies? The ICO publish cookie guidance for website owners and bloggers
Since the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect last year, there has been a lot of questions surrounding cookies. Last week the Information Commissioner Office (ICO), which is the UK Data Protection Authority, published its long-awaited cookie guidelines. In relation to cookies, we look to the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) before…
How to create a child theme on WordPress (and why you should)
A child theme allows you to make customisations to different aspects of your site’s appearance while preserving your theme’s style and functionality. A parent theme includes all of the required WordPress template files and assets for the theme to work. A child theme works like any other theme, except it inherits the style and functions of the…
How to automatically set your featured image on WordPress
If you’ve recently changed your theme, you may be wondering why some post thumbnails aren’t being displayed anymore. This could be that the featured images aren’t set, but instead of manually editing each post individually to add a featured image there are ways to automatically set it. You can use a plugin to do this…
How to access your WordPress files via FTP using FileZilla (for beginners)
There’s been a lot of talk lately about the need for bloggers to understand the technical side of their websites. This post will show you how to set up and login to an FTP client and access your WordPress files. Related: Hosting 101 – complete guide to web hosting What is FTP/SFTP? FTP is short…
How to choose and install a WordPress theme
Today I’m covering WordPress themes – where to choose one from, how to install them, when to update them and how to safely switch themes… What is a WordPress theme?In relation to WordPress, a theme is a small directory found in the wp-content/themes folder, stored on your web host, that contains several files. These files control the…
Automatically backup your WordPress site for free using UpdraftPlus
There are several free and paid plugins that will automatically backup your WordPress site, today I’ll show you how to schedule backups using UpdraftPlus. It is one of the most popular free WordPress backup plugins available. It currently has over 2 million active installations and 3,000+ 5 star reviews. UpdraftPlus [affiliate link] allows you to…
8 factors to consider when choosing a web host provider for your blog
Eight things to think about when choosing your web host provider
How to disable the Gutenberg block editor and use the previous WordPress editor instead
WordPress 5.0 brings a number of changes, most significantly the new block editor known as Gutenberg. If you’ve already updated to WordPress 5.0 and don’t like the new editing experience, you may be wondering if you can return to the previous WordPress editor instead. If you prefer the classic editor, have compatibility issues with Gutenberg…
Hello WordPress 5.0 and Gutenberg – What to do before updating and why you should wait until January
WordPress 5.0 is finally here! After two years of development and pushed deadlines – the latest version of WordPress is now available. It is being referred to as “the new era of WordPress” as it brings a number of changes that I’ll discuss below. I’m also sharing some information, tips and advice on how to…
How to easily check and update the PHP version of your WordPress site
WordPress is written in a programming language called PHP. This allows content to be saved and read from the database, pulls in different files and just makes your site run as it should. WordPress recommend PHP version 7.4 or greater, but according to WordPress stats page 83.6% of WordPress sites are using PHP 7.0 or…
An Introduction to Gutenberg Editor – New WordPress Feature (With Demo)
WordPress are making some changes as they introduce one of the biggest updates to the user experience in several years – the Gutenberg editor. If you’re fairly active within the WordPress community then there’s no doubt you’ve heard about Gutenberg since early 2017. If not then you may have noticed a message about it on…
7 common WordPress errors (and how to easily fix them)
Ever come across a WordPress error that you have no idea how to resolve? Here are seven common errors you’re likely to come across while working with WordPress and easy solutions on how to fix them. 1. Error: The White Screen of Death I think one of the most terrifying errors is the white screen…
How to add nofollow links in WordPress navigation menus (and open in a new tab)
There may come a time when you want to add a nofollow tag to links in your navigation – whether for external links, social media icons or something else. This post will show you how to add nofollow links in WordPress navigation menus and how to make them open in a new tab/window so that…
Hide Pinterest Vertical Images on WordPress and Blogger (while staying on Google’s good side!)
As a blogger, Pinterest has the potential to drive huge amounts of traffic to your site. Optimising your blog posts specifically for Pinterest by using vertical images is important, but sometimes it doesn’t suit to have such a long image in your post. One technique is to hide vertical images in your post so that…
Need to show a brand your content before publishing? Here’s how others can preview your post on WordPress…
There are times with blogging where you’ll want to let someone see the finished formatted blog post before you hit publish. To do this, you could send them a screenshot of the post preview or set up a user account letting them login… but neither of these solutions are ideal. Instead try the WordPress plugin…
How to point your domain to a different web hosting company
Now that you’ve learned all about domains and hosting and have hopefully managed to purchase exactly what you need, it’s time to link the two together so we can set up your new website or blog. When and why do I need to link my domain and hosting? As mentioned in those previous posts, you…
The difference between hosted and self-hosted blogging platforms
Today I wanted to talk about a topic that can be confusing when you first decide to start a blog – the initial setup. You’ll read things about free blogging platforms, self-hosted platforms, domains and hosting and the many differences between them. This post will explain all that! I’ve actually had this in my drafts…
Category: WordPress
WordPress how-tos for bloggers covering updates, news, plugins, themes, development, speed and security.
