Getting Started – Set up Your Blog

Step 1: Choose Your Blog Topic & Purpose

Pick a subject that you’re both passionate about and knowledgeable in. When you’re truly excited about a topic, it shows in your writing. And that’s what will make readers come back for more.

You also need to define the purpose of your blog. Why are you starting it in the first place? Are you looking to build your personal brand, share your knowledge, or maybe even make money? Each goal will shape how you approach your blog and what content you create.

If you’re blogging for personal branding, you’re in it to showcase your skills and your personality. It’s about establishing your voice as an expert in your field. And if you want to monetize your blog, you may prefer a niche that can optimize profits.

SUMMARY:

But no matter what your purpose is, the most important thing is to find something that makes you say, “Yes! This is why I’m doing this.”

Step 2: Set Up Your Blog Platform

There are some options: WordPress, Wix, Blogger – all these blogging platforms are fantastic. 

Get this serious – purchase a domain and a hosting plan. You can’t expect to be the next big thing in blogging without your very own address on the web, right? Hosting is where your blog actually “lives” on the internet. You want a good hosting service that ensures your site loads fast and runs smoothly.

You also need to care about your blog’s design. It should be clean and aligned with your personal or brand identity. Make sure the design reflects what your brand stands for. You want to make sure your blog looks great on any device.

Check our full guide on how to start a blog

Source: WPX

Content Strategy – Build Your Content Foundation 

Step 3: Set Clear Blogging Objectives

You’ve probably heard about setting SMART goals to stay on track. It’s a powerful way to break down your big dreams into smaller, manageable pieces. A SMART goal for your blog can look like this:

“By the end of the next 3 months, I will increase my blog’s monthly readership by 30% by publishing 8 blog posts each month, promoting them through social media.”

See, how much clearer and more motivating! 

Step 4: Define Your Target Audience

This is one of the most important questions you need to answer. Start by thinking about your audience’s needs. What problems are they trying to solve?  It will allow you to create content that feels relevant and helpful. 

For example, if you’re blogging about time management, your audience may be looking for ways to make their days more productive or feel less overwhelmed.

Consider their interests. What excites them? What kind of content do they engage with the most? (how-to guides, storytelling, in-depth research, etc.)

Then there are pain points. These are the challenges or frustrations your audience is facing. Whatever it is, pinpointing these pain points lets you craft blog posts that not only offer a solution but also show that you truly understand their struggles. 

All these things help you write content that’s relevant and irresistible.

Step 5: Research the Market & Analyze Competitors

You must know, this is a busy marketplace. Lots of bloggers are already doing their thing. Know what your competitors are up to. This isn’t to copy anyone. We need to understand what’s working, what’s missing, and how we can carve out our own space.

Step 6: Conduct Keyword Research

If you want to make sure your content is seen by the audience who’ll appreciate it the most, keyword research is important.

To get started, there are some great tools to help you. You’ve probably heard of Google Suggest (Google automatically suggests search terms when you type something in the search bar), Ubersuggest, Ahrefs, and Semrush. These tools give you data on search volume, competition, and how easy or hard it is to rank for a particular keyword. 

When doing your research, aim for keywords that have high search potential but aren’t too competitive. You’ll want to focus on long-tail keywords. 

IMPORTANT:

Match keywords with intent (basically, the reason behind the search). Is someone searching for “blogging strategy” looking for a quick tip, or are they hoping for a step-by-step guide?

Source: Semrush

Content Creation – Define Your Blog’s Style and Approach

Step 7: Decide What Content Will Live on Your Blog

Build your content pillars: main topics or themes that your blog will consistently revolve around. They give your blog structure, purpose, and clarity.

After you’ve decided on your content pillars, get specific about the types of posts you’ll create: in-depth, long-form blog posts, or do you prefer snappy, bite-sized articles? Will you publish weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly?

Don’t forget, variety is important, too. Mixing up the types of posts you create under each pillar keeps things interesting and dynamic.

Step 8: Establish Your Blog’s Voice & Tone

The tone flexes a bit depending on the context. If you’re writing a step-by-step guide, your tone may get a little more practical and clear. In case you share a personal story, you might get more emotional or reflective. But through it all, the voice, your core personality, doesn’t change.

Give your blog a voice that speaks volumes and a tone that keeps your audience hanging on every word.

Step 9: Build a Content Calendar

Schedule topics for each week (or month) using tools like Notion, Trello, or Google Sheets. Set the title, format (guide, listicle, opinion), target keyword, and deadline. It’s a strategy. A calendar helps us align content with key dates and track our writing flow. 

Content Production & Development – Build and Expand Your Blog

Step 10: Start Writing Valuable Blog Content

Makes content valuable. Make sure the topic is useful, timely, and totally aligned with what your audience cares about. Structure the content. Organize your ideas with clear headings and may use bulleted lists. And let’s not forget the CTA. You can refer to some blog post templates for more ideas.

Typically, the first five organic search results capture 69% of all clicks for a given keyword. Optimize your content for SEO: relevant keywords, subheadings, internal links, meta descriptions, etc. 

Valuable content is strategic content. 

Step 11: Promote Your Blog

Here’s how you can approach your blog:

Share across multiple platforms. Start with social media. Depending on where your audience spends their time, share your blog posts on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or even TikTok if the content is visual. Try to give context, highlight a key point, or ask a question to spark engagement. 

Another way you promote your blog is through relevant online groups or forums. Facebook groups, Reddit threads, niche Slack communities, and more. Don’t spam links; instead, join discussions, answer questions, and contribute genuinely. When it makes sense, share a blog post if it’s directly helpful to someone. This feels more natural.

Consider guest posting. When you contribute to a well-established blog, include a link back to your own blog. 

Step 12: Track & Analyze Your Blog’s Performance

You can rely on two tools: Google Analytics and Google Search Console. 

• Google Analytics shows you how visitors interact with your blog—metrics like bounce rate, average time on page, and top-performing content. 
• Google Search Console shows how your blog performs in search results: keyword rankings, impressions, clicks, and technical issues.

EXPERT OPINION:

“There is no content strategy without measurement strategy. Before embarking on a content initiative, irrespective of medium or platform, it’s important to know what you want to achieve.” 

– Rebecca Lieb- 

Conclusion

Sure, planning content, tracking data, and staying consistent might sound like a lot at first. But once you’ve got your blogging rhythm down with a working blogging and content creating strategy, it’s like second nature. You’ll be serving up posts with purpose, and your audience will keep coming back.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a blogging strategy?

A blogging strategy is a structured plan that guides how, when, and what you publish on your blog to achieve specific goals, like attracting readers, building authority, or generating income. Its scope includes audience identification, content types, blogging and publishing schedules, promotion tactics, and measurement.

How do bloggers actually make money?

Bloggers make money through several channels like affiliate marketing (earning commissions from recommended products), display ads, sponsorship, selling digital products or courses, and offering services. 

Which blogs make the most money?

Typically, the highest-earning blogs cover such in-demand topics as personal finance, health and wellness, travel, and lifestyle. These blogs attract huge amounts of traffic from engaged audiences and monetize that traffic through affiliate marketing, selling digital products, online courses, or sponsored content that generates great income.

Is blogging a marketing strategy?

Blogging is an effective content marketing strategy because it helps businesses and individuals attract and engage their target audience and build brand authority. Blogs with useful content can create traffic, produce leads, and eventually contribute to the goals of actual sales or brand awareness.

What is blogging basically?

Blogging is the process of creating and publishing content on the internet. The content can be anything from writing articles to sharing personal insights or providing valuable information on specific topics. The purpose of a blog can vary from sharing knowledge to expressing opinions or promoting a business or product.

You will either become a blogger, show a portfolio, or put your small business online; whatever you need, the process is much easier than you imagine. I will take you through the ABCs of building a website, even if you’ve never done it before.

1. Define Your Website’s Purpose

You need to define the purpose of your website before you start building it. This may seem self-evident, but most website builders skip it, and it’s one of the greatest mistakes, too.

A website can never be built for multiple purposes; it has to define its purpose, specify the audience, and define success. Is it meant to share knowledge, sell products, publicize a service, or strengthen an individual’s brand?

For instance:

• If you’re a freelancer creating a portfolio website, your goal will be to present a favorable impression and allow clients to contact you easily. 
• If you run an online shop, you will emphasize loading your products and the user experience, including simple checkout steps. 
• If you’re starting a blog, you’ll want content that’s easy to read, find, and optimized for search engines. 

Defining your purpose early saves you time and effort later. A helpful tip is to write it down in one clear sentence: “I want to build a website to sell handmade crafts and generate at least 20 orders per month.” With a specific goal in mind, every decision you make from here on out becomes a lot easier.

2. Choose a Domain Name

The domain name is more than a mere web address; it is your brand’s first impression online. It is what people will type, click, remember, and recommend. Hence, choosing a domain name is of significant importance. A good name should be short and easy to spell. It should convey the name of your brand or purpose without difficulty. Conversely, it should discourage numbers, hyphens, and difficult-to-wrestle ideas. In other words, to think of your domain as digital real estate means you want the domain to look respectable and not be hard to find.

Start by thinking of one or more names that fit your theme. If the dot-com is taken, consider some variations or tack on a word such as “shop,” “studio,” or “official.” “.com” is the most widely recognized domain extension and often a strong choice, but it’s not the only good option. Alternatives like .co, .io, or .store can also work, especially if they align better with your brand or niche. Once you decide on your domain, reliable hosting companies like WPX will ease registration. WPX combines domain registration with premium WordPress hosting for effortless site setup under one roof. WordPress powers 62.5% of all known websites that use a content management system, which accounts for 43.4% of all websites, making it a trusted and widely supported platform for new site owners.

As soon as you pick a domain, grab it quickly. Good names are taken rapidly. Once they are gone, they are mostly gone forever or are up for sale at ridiculous prices. So, when the ideal name suddenly pops into your head, do not wait.

Source: WPX domains

3. Purchase Web Hosting

Once you have acquired your domain, it’s time to find a good place to park the domain or, in layman’s terms, sign up for a web hosting service. Web hosting is a service that stores your website’s files and makes them visible online. Without hosting, a domain name is an empty address.

Many types of hosting are available, from shared hosting to dedicated servers, but for most beginners (and even pros), managed WordPress hosting is the easiest and most efficient route, especially if you’re building with WordPress or WooCommerce. 

It handles the technical stuff for you: server optimization, security, backups, and speed. This means you can focus more on building your website and less on figuring out how to keep it running.

WPX is a trusted brand in this space. It offers blazing-fast managed WordPress hosting with built-in security features, daily backups, and excellent customer support. If you want to run a blog or an online shop at WooCommerce, WPX ensures your site is live, secure, and lightning fast.

Source: WPX WordPress hosting

So, read between the lines when selecting the hosting provider. Do not fall into the typical trap of looking at the cost aspects. Speed, uptime, customer support, and ease of use should also be factored into the choice. A slow or unreliable host can cost you in traffic, conversions, and credibility. 

4. Select a Website Building Platform

Once you have secured your domain and hosting, your next step should be to select a website-building platform that will allow you to design, build, and manage your site without writing code from scratch.

Most often, for beginners and, probably, seasoned users, WordPress.org is the most popular and trusted of all the open-source, customizable content management systems, with many themes and plugins so that you can transform your design and extend its functionality. 

Of course, other mediums are out there depending on your preferences. Wix and Squarespace promote drag-and-drop simplicity, making them ideal for anyone who wants an all-in-one solution with little setup. 

You could also consider Shopify if it is mainly focused on e-commerce. However, these may have some limitations in customization, SEO control, or long-term flexibility.

Take time, weigh your options, and judge how well the technology suits your goals and budget. Once you have selected a suitable one, visit the preferred choice to set it all up and bring the site to life.

Expert Opinion: Kate Starr (Backlinko)

WordPress.org: Best for a blog, WordPress.org is known for its versatility and customization opportunities

5. Set Up the Platform

After choosing your website building platform, the next step is to get it up and running. If you’ve decided to use WordPress, this process is pretty straightforward, especially when using a host optimized for WordPress.

All the big hosting companies these days offer a one-click WordPress install to save you the technical inconvenience. WPX, for example, allows you to install WordPress on your domain with a few clicks. They also offer free SSL certificates to add an extra layer of security, so your site will show the trusted padlock icon and HTTPS by default.

Once installed, you can view your WordPress dashboard at yourdomain.com/wp-admin. This is where you will manage content, design, plugins, and all other settings.

Some things to do right away:

• Update your site title and tagline under Settings > General.
• Choose an SEO-friendly permalink structure under Settings > Permalinks. “Post name” is a good option.
• Install required plugins such as a cache plugin (for speed boosts), a security plugin, and an SEO plugin like Yoast or Rank Math. 
• Install auto-backups either from your hosting or plugin. WPX takes daily automatic backups, so your data remains secure.

6. Pick a Theme or Template

Now that your platform is set up, it’s time to give your site a look and feel appropriate to your intention. That’s where themes (or templates) come in. A theme decides the layout, appearance, and overall visual design of your site—like colors, fonts, headers, footers, and so on.

On WordPress, you can choose from thousands of free and premium themes. You can view free themes directly on your WordPress dashboard under Appearance > Themes > Add New. Use filters to refine by features like layout type, niche (blog, business, portfolio), or popularity.

When choosing a theme, keep these tips in mind:

• Match the theme to your website’s purpose (e.g., portfolio, blog, e-commerce).
• Look for responsive design – your theme must also be pretty on desktop and mobile.
• Check reviews and update history to ensure it’s actively and regularly supported.
• Test the demo to understand how it’d go in real life.

Pro tip: Avoid using more complex themes than necessary or jam-packed with unnecessary features. Clean themes will be faster and easier to customize.

7. Create Core Pages

Once you install a theme, you will start building your site’s content. The first thing to do is to create core pages, the must-have pages for every professional-looking website. These pages showcase what visitors get and thereby establish the brand in their presence online.

Here are some essential pages to get you started:

• Home Page: Because it’s often the first impression, it should succinctly inform who you are, what you offer, and where to direct the user next (living browsing services, reading a blog, or shopping products).
• About Page: Tell them your story. Who you are, your mission, your background, or what makes your business or project unique. People connect with people, so a little personality goes a long way here.
• Contact Page: Make it easy for people to contact you by providing a contact form, email, social media links, or even a map if you have a physical location.
• Services or Products Page: Explain what you provide as clearly as possible. Break it down by category or feature, and add some testimonials or case studies to enhance credibility.
• Blog Page: It helps with SEO, builds trust, and keeps your site looking fresh and active if you have regular content to publish.
• Privacy Policy/Terms of Use: These are crucial for websites that collect user data, run ads, or run an online store. Many sites allow you to download free templates to start with before you customize them as you wish.

To create a new page in WordPress, go to Pages > Add New, give your page its title, and add your content using the block editor (or a page builder if you’re using one).

Start simple. You can always come back and make improvements or expand pages later. This should be reduced to the essentials, simple and easy to navigate, and have the same ending goals as the website.

8. Add Content

Now that your core pages are set up, it’s time to add content that will interact with your visitors. Think of your content as a conversation. What would you tell someone visiting your site for the first time?

Start with simple, straightforward language. You don’t need to be a professional technophile or anything; just speak in your voice and focus on getting your visitors straight about what you do and how they can gain from it. If you’re writing an About page, describing your services, or defining a product, your text should always be readable, relevant, and helpful.

Good writing builds trust. It shows that you’re familiar with your audience and naturally leads them through your site. Don’t worry about making everything immaculately perfect right out of the gate. Just get your point across first; polish and tweaks can come later.

Opposite view:

Don’t let your material remain too casual or sloppy from the start. Visitors generally judge a site in seconds, and sloppy writing can make you appear to be an amateur. The occasional efforts are okay, but it may be worth trying to create zippy, professional material that builds confidence from the first impression.

9. Optimize for SEO & Mobile

After your content goes live, the next step is to ensure that people can locate your website and that it loads correctly on any device. That’s where SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and mobile responsiveness come in.

Start with the basics of SEO. Use plain page titles and headings that tell users what your content is about. Include keywords your target audience might search for, but don’t overdo it, write for humans first, search engines second. Including meta descriptions, using clean URLs (like /about instead of /about-us-page123), and structuring your content with correct heading tags (H1, H2, H3) also help Google better comprehend your site.

Just as important is making your site look and behave well on phones. Most customers are viewing via phone today, so mobile compatibility is not optional. Choose a responsive theme that will adjust automatically to changing screen sizes. Check your pages on phones and tablets to ensure everything from images to buttons looks and works as intended.

Last but not least, employ web-optimized images (small file size but high image quality), speed up loading time, and use non-intrusive pop-ups that don’t cover the whole screen when on a mobile device. A speedy, readable, and easy-to-browse website ranks better and gives users a better experience.

10. Launch and Promote

Once it’s all done, your pages are up, your design is solid, and your site works well on every device, it’s time to go live with your website and show it off to the world.

Start by triple-verifying your pages for spelling mistakes, absent images, or dead links. Ensure that your contact forms work, that navigation is smooth, and that your website loads quickly. After you confirm that everything works fine, make your site publicly accessible.

But that’s only half the battle. The other half is promotion. Post your site on your social media sites, inform your network, and put the link in your email signature. If you have a blog, begin regularly posting helpful material; that’s one of the best long-term methods of generating traffic via search engines.

If you have a business site, you can also experiment with email newsletters, Google Business listings, or plain ads. Be sure to track your traffic using tools like Google Analytics so you know what is working and where you need to improve. 

How to Start a Website – Conclusion

A well-structured website is not just a cyber presence; it’s a tool for connection, believability, and growth. Having gone through these ten steps, you have established a foundation for something worthwhile, whether a pastime or a business opportunity. 

Having experienced the process now, don’t try to perfect every aspect for too long. Launch your site, take advice, and adapt as you progress. The web promotes action; the sooner you do it, the faster you grow.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I do first when starting a website?

First, choose a domain name. Your domain name will be the address of your website on the Internet (e.g., www.yoursite.com). It’s best to choose something easy to remember and related to what you’ll have on your site.

Do I need to learn to code to create a website?

No, you will not need to learn to code. There are numerous website builders (like WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace) where you can create a professional website without any coding skills. They depend on drag-and-drop features for ease of use.

What is web hosting, and why is it important?

Web hosting is the facility by which your website is stored and accessible through the Internet. It’s essential since your website wouldn’t be found on the web without it. Your website would operate on the pace provided by the host server.

How do I make a website when I am not a designer?

You can use pre-made website templates provided by site builders. Such templates are customizable so you can alter colors, fonts, and layouts according to your wishes, even without design skills.

How do I publish my website online?

After you’ve established your site and filled all the content, the last part is to connect your domain to your hosting company and launch the site. When you press the “Publish” button, your website will go live for the entire world to see.

This article covers everything you need to know, from backing up your files to transferring the database and finalizing your cloned site. Let’s get started on making your WordPress cloning process as simple as possible!

Create a Backup of Your WordPress Site

Before you begin the cloning process, the first and most crucial step is to create a complete backup of your WordPress site. A backup safeguards your data and settings in case anything goes wrong during the cloning process. You can create a backup manually by downloading your WordPress files via FTP and exporting your database through phpMyAdmin. Alternatively, you can use popular WordPress plugins like All-in-One, UpdraftPlus or Duplicator for a quicker, automated backup solution. By securing a reliable backup, you’ll have peace of mind and a solid foundation to restore your site if needed.

You can check on our Step-by-step guide on how to clone your WordPress website with a Duplicator. 

In this step-by-step walkthrough, we are going to be using the free version of the ‘Duplicator WP plugin’

So first things first, we need to install and activate the Duplicator plugin.

Activating the Duplicator plugin

Firstly, we need to install the free Duplicator plugin, which can be found in the back end of WP from the “Add Plugins” menu or here:

Creating a backup package

After installing the Duplicator plugin, you have to create a “Package” which you will move later to your new domain.

This ‘Package’ contains all of your website files and the database with an installer.php file which is needed for the second part of the process, as discussed below.

It’s very easy to create the package – go to the Duplicator menu and click “Packages”, then click the “Create New” button:

There are a lot of options on the next page and a lot of visible settings under the Storage, Archive, and Installer icons, but you don’t have to touch any of them. 

Just leave them as default and click on the “Next” button.

The Duplicator plugin will then scan your website files and database and check if they exceed the 500 Mb threshold of the free version.

IMPORTANT: If your website is bigger than 500 Mbs, the plugin will not allow you to continue further (that means you will need to either reduce the size of the website or upgrade to the paid version).

There will also likely be some notices and warnings from the plugin but none of the described issues will prevent the plugin from properly working – for example, one of the warnings here about the “PHP Open Base Dir” is ON but that should not cause any issues.

From here, click the tick box, then the “Build” button:

Downloading the package

After the ‘Package’ is built, you now have to download the “Installer” and the “Archive”:

And you’ve successfully completed Step 1 and created a backup of your WordPress website. 

Set Up a New Environment and Uploading a Duplicator Package

Uploading the Duplicator package is a step that brings your cloned WordPress site closer to completion. By transferring the package files to your new server, you’ll prepare the site’s data and configuration for quick deployment. This process ensures that everything from your original site is ready to be seamlessly restored and set up in the new environment.

Note: You must add your new target domain to your hosting account BEFORE you continue further – we are using the current WPX user panel in this demo.

If you are not aware of how to do that please check the following guide. Both of those files can be uploaded via the WPX File Manager or FTP with FileZilla, for example.

In this example, we will use the WPX File Manager.

Navigate to the /public_html of your new domain name.  Our new target domain is newsite.com (yours will be different, of course).

Simply drag and drop BOTH the Installer and the Archive files in the empty /public_html of your new domain name.

After both files are uploaded, you have to run the installer file from the browser, which is easier than it sounds. 

Running the Duplicator installer

In the browser bar, type the new domain name slash installer.php – in this example this will be http:/newsite.com/installer.php

If everything up to this point has been done correctly, this is what your screen should look like:

We are very close to finishing the whole process.

The only step left is to connect the database.

The Duplicator plugin will ask you for:

Host:
Database:
User:
Password:

The “Host” is always localhost with WPX, as it’s set by default. The rest of the required information you will need to copy from your own WPX User Panel.

The “Database” name can be found in the “Databases” menu in your WPX Client Panel. Navigate to your Client Panel → Database (1) and copy the database name (2) that is connected to your new website.

Next, you need to create a database user for your website.

As you are in the “Database” menu – click on the “Add new database user” button on the right-hand side of your website’s database:

A full tutorial can be found here. Once you create the database user, fill in the username and the password in the Duplicator Wizard.

In the next step, the Duplicator plugin screen shows you your new URL and the new path to your files which the plugin will use to automatically search and replace in the database.

To check the changes to your site’s URL that will be applied to the database paths and the Site URL – select the “Settings” tab.

Leave everything with the default settings and then finish the process by clicking the “Validate” button:

Once the installation has been validated, you need to accept the terms & notices(1), click Next(2), and then OK to confirm the settings.

Congratulations! 

You successfully migrated/cloned your website to a new domain name without any downtime. 

Now it’s time to check and test the cloned website.

Check the new website

Once your WordPress site has been cloned, the final step is to thoroughly check and test the cloned website. Verifying that all pages, plugins, and features are working correctly ensures a smooth transition and identifies any potential issues early on. This testing phase is crucial for confirming that your cloned site mirrors the original in both functionality and appearance.

You can now click the “Admin Login” button to log in to the new website but use the same WP admin login credentials from the original website.

Conclusion

In these just three easy steps, you can successfully clone your WordPress site, ensuring a seamless experience whether you’re testing changes, migrating to a new host, or creating backups. By creating a reliable backup, utilizing a cloning plugin, and verifying the new site’s functionality, you gain the flexibility to manage your online presence effectively. This streamlined approach not only saves you time but also reduces the risk of errors during the cloning process. Embrace the convenience of cloning your WordPress site today, and enjoy greater control over your website management and development efforts.

Why Automatic Updates Matter

Automatic updates in WordPress, by design, reduce risks related to outdated components that hackers may exploit. When core files, themes, or plugins fall behind on updates, it leaves gaps that malicious actors can use to compromise websites. Each new version released by WordPress, plugin developers, or theme authors usually includes fixes for known issues, making updates essential to your site’s health.

However, security isn’t the only benefit. WordPress updates often enhance performance, improve compatibility, and add new features. For example, a recent WordPress update improved the block editor’s speed and usability, adding tools that simplify content creation.

Types of WordPress Automatic Updates

There are four main types of updates in WordPress, each with a unique function:

1. Core Updates: WordPress categorizes these as either minor or major updates. Minor core updates are usually security-focused, whereas major updates introduce new features. Minor updates are automatic by default in WordPress, while major ones have been made automatic since WordPress version 5.6.
2. Plugin Updates: Plugins provide essential functionalities, from SEO enhancements to security layers. As plugins add functionality, keeping them updated ensures compatibility with WordPress core and other plugins.
3. Theme Updates: Themes dictate the look and feel of your site. When they update, they often bring compatibility tweaks or new features, which can prevent design issues and ensure smooth interactions with plugins.
4. Translation File Updates: For multilingual sites, automatic translation file updates can keep your site’s language files current, especially useful for maintaining localized content for global audiences.

Customizing Automatic Updates for Your Site’s Needs

Automatic updates in WordPress are convenient but sometimes need adjustments for specific site setups. WPX users can access these controls through the hosting panel for easy management. WPX provides you with options to turn on WordPress auto updates and turn off WordPress auto updates with a few clicks. You can also manage plugin updates and theme updates from the same menu.

If you’re using a different hosting provider, that does not offer this feature,  you can modify WordPress automatic updates in the wp-config.php file.

For example, to enable WordPress auto updates for only minor core updates, add this line:

define( ‘WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE’, ‘minor’ );

And if you want to disable WordPress auto updates, all you need to do is remove the line from the wp-config.php file. 

For more control, plugins like Easy Updates Manager offer user-friendly interfaces to manage updates, from enabling/disabling to scheduling them.

Advantages and Drawbacks of Automatic Updates

WordPress automatic updates offer ease and enhanced security, especially for users managing multiple sites or smaller sites that need minimal maintenance. However, some WordPress users prefer manual updates for full control, particularly for sites with customized themes or complex plugin setups, where compatibility issues may arise after an automatic update.

Best Practices for Automatic Updates

To get the most from automatic updates, consider these practices:

• Schedule Regular Backups: Ensure you have reliable backups, especially before major updates. WPX provides daily backups, which are invaluable in case an update causes issues.
• Monitor Your Site: Even with automatic updates, periodically check your site’s functionality. 
• Leverage Expert Support: With the WPX Fixed-For-You Guarantee, you can count on our support team to help you configure or troubleshoot anything, including WordPress automatic updates, which is especially useful if you’re unfamiliar with WordPress settings or run into unexpected issues. 

How WPX Supports Your Site’s Updates

WPX Hosting simplifies the process by offering automatic backups, site performance optimization, and 24/7/365 ready-to-help support. For WPX customers, support is just a click away, offering expertise in troubleshooting issues, configuring settings, and answering questions about update management.

Automatic updates are a powerful tool to keep your WordPress site secure, functional, and up-to-date. By understanding your options and using WPX resources, you can confidently manage these updates, whether you opt for full automation or a custom approach tailored to your site’s specific needs.

Final Thoughts

Just as you’d maintain your home’s security, regularly updating your WordPress site is key to its health and safety. WordPress Automatic updates help protect your site from vulnerabilities and keep it running smoothly without requiring constant oversight. By leveraging WPX’s easy-to-use update tools, you can enjoy the benefits of automatic updates with minimal effort. Whether you prefer fully automated updates or a more hands-on approach, WPX offers the resources and support needed to keep your site secure and performing at its best.

Is your website ready for this year’s Black Friday rush? With shoppers eagerly hunting for the best deals, your WordPress or WooCommerce site needs to be fully prepared to handle the Black Friday website traffic surge. This means ensuring it runs smoothly, loads fast, and stays secure. Black Friday is the biggest eCommerce event of the year, and starting your Black Friday website preparation now can make all the difference.

To help, we’ve put together a simple Black Friday website checklist to guide you step-by-step on how to optimize WordPress for Black Friday and make your WooCommerce Black Friday prep seamless and successful. Follow along to prepare your WordPress site for Black Friday 2024—let’s dive in!

1. Start Early

Preparing your website for high traffic events such as Black Friday is a big task that’s best done well in advance. Giving yourself time allows you to:

• Identify Issues Early: Starting early lets you detect and address any website problems before traffic surges.
• Run Thorough Tests: You’ll have time to test updates, load speeds, and optimizations without rushing.
• Get ahead of your competitors:  Early planning allows you to have unique deals and an effective Black Friday marketing campaign that makes your business stand out. Plus, it gives you the time to study what your competitors have done in the past and figure out how to do even better.

2. Optimize Site Speed

A slow-loading page is a sure way to drive customers to competitors. Black Friday shoppers expect a seamless, fast experience, and even a few seconds of delay can lead to abandoned carts. That is why it is so important to Speed up your WooCommerce site. Here are some tips: 

• Image Compression: Use plugins like WP Smush or Eww Image Optimizer to compress images without sacrificing quality.
• Enable Caching: WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache plugins can significantly reduce load times by caching resources.
• Optimize Hosting: A high-quality host like WPX can improve site speed, especially during traffic spikes.
• Lazy Loading: This helps images load only when users scroll to them, reducing initial load times.

Why having the Best WordPress hosting for Black Friday traffic is essential? For example, if you’re a WPX user, you can simply request our Optimization Team to handle it all for you. This will save you precious time that you can use to work on your marketing strategy. 

Just fill out our Optimization Form, and our specialists will thoroughly check and optimize your site to ensure it’s ready for peak performance.

3. Ensure a Seamless User Experience

An intuitive and easy user experience (UX) can make a significant impact on your Black Friday sales. Small improvements in navigation, search, and accessibility can keep customers engaged and reduce bounce rates. Here’s how:

• Simplify Navigation: Ensure your menus are clear and easy to navigate, with quick links to popular categories or Black Friday deals.
• Optimize Site Search: Use a search plugin like SearchWP to improve search accuracy, and enable autocomplete to help users find products faster.
• Improve Accessibility: Make sure your site is accessible to everyone by testing with screen readers, using clear fonts, and ensuring buttons and links are easy to click on both mobile and desktop.

An optimized site with great UX will help create an easy shopping experience for visitors, which is important when they’re on a time-sensitive shopping spree.

4. Update and Test All Plugins and Themes

Updating plugins and themes is essential for performance and security, especially ahead of a high-traffic event. However, make sure to:

• Create a Backup before starting: There are several methods that I’ve covered in a previous topic.  
• Test Key Plugins: Ensure that the most important plugins for your site run smoothly. 
• Check Compatibility: Make sure your theme is compatible with all updated plugins.

5. Strengthen Website Security

Security threats increase during high-traffic periods, so make sure your site is protected. That is why it is best to improve your Website security for Black Friday. Here’s a quick security checklist:

• Enable Two-Factor Authentication: For admins, using plugins like WP 2FA can add an extra layer of security.
• Update Passwords: Require strong, unique passwords for all user accounts.
• Use a Security Plugin: Plugins like Wordfence can help monitor for malicious activity. WPX provides great security coverage see what’s included with every plan here. 
• Regular Backups: WPX provides daily backups, but for added safety, use a backup plugin like UpdraftPlus to schedule additional backups during Black Friday weekend.

6. Plan and Schedule Promotions in WooCommerce

Plan your Black Friday promotions, and schedule them to go live automatically. WooCommerce makes it easy with built-in features:

• Discount Rules: Use WooCommerce’s sale pricing options or a plugin like Discount Rules for WooCommerce to set up various discounts.
• Create a Sense of Urgency: Use countdown timers or banners to remind customers of the sale’s limited time.
• Schedule in Advance: WooCommerce lets you set sale start and end times, allowing you to automate launch and close.

7. Optimize Checkout for Fast Conversions

A smooth, user-friendly checkout process is key for high conversion rates. Here’s how to streamline your WooCommerce checkout:

• Use One-Page Checkout: Keep customers on a single page for faster checkout.
• Enable Guest Checkout: Avoid unnecessary friction by letting customers check out as guests.
• Optimize Payment Gateways: Offer multiple payment options, including popular ones like PayPal, Stripe, and even Apple Pay if your target audience prefers it.

8. Optimize for Mobile Shopping

More than half of Black Friday purchases are made on mobile devices, so a mobile-friendly site is essential. Focus on:

• Responsive Design: Ensure your theme is fully responsive.
• Test Mobile Experience: Test your website on multiple devices and screen sizes to verify that the experience is smooth.
• Simplify Navigation: Make sure menus are easy to use, and add clear call-to-action buttons for mobile users.

9. Implement Cart Abandonment Recovery

One of the most important WordPress Black Friday sales tips is having a backup for customers who are abandoning the cart. Abandoned carts are a common issue on Black Friday, but there are essential WordPress plugins for Black Friday sales like CartFlows or Abandoned Cart Lite  that can help recover lost sales:

• Email Reminders: Send automated reminders to customers who leave items in their cart.
• Offer Incentives: Include discount codes or small incentives to encourage customers to complete their purchases.
• Use Urgency: Mention the limited-time Black Friday deals to remind users to act quickly.

10. Improve Your Site’s SEO and Black Friday Visibility

Getting organic traffic to your site can make a big difference during Black Friday. Here are some ways to improve SEO:

• Optimize for Black Friday Keywords: Use keywords like “Black Friday deals,” “discounts,” and “sale” in product descriptions and meta tags.
• Update Your Homepage: Feature your best Black Friday deals on the homepage with SEO-optimized headings.
• Create Black Friday Content: A blog post or landing page about your Black Friday deals can attract additional search traffic.

Bonus Tip: Monitor Real-Time Analytics and Customer Behavior

Use analytics tools to keep a close watch on user behavior and site performance on Black Friday:

• Google Analytics: Track real-time visitor data, including bounce rates, session times, and conversions.
• Heatmaps: Tools like Hotjar can show you where customers are clicking and scrolling, revealing potential issues.
• Monitor Site Uptime: WPX’s hosting offers a high level of uptime, but additional monitoring through services like UptimeRobot can ensure any issues are flagged immediately. 

Final Thoughts

With the right preparation, your WordPress and WooCommerce site can be ready to handle the Black Friday rush smoothly, maximizing sales and delivering a great user experience. Starting early on these steps will give you ample time to troubleshoot any issues and provide a seamless shopping experience for your customers.

This Black Friday, let’s make every second count! Happy selling!

P.S. Don’t forget to check out our Black Friday deals!

Protecting customer data, preventing unauthorized access, and ensuring a smooth shopping experience are critical for your business success. WooCommerce security isn’t just about keeping your site safe; it’s about building trust with your customers.

This guide covers essential topics like common vulnerabilities, practical tips to secure your store, and the best security plugins available. We’ll also discuss how WPX goes the extra mile to provide robust security for WooCommerce sites. Understanding these aspects will help you keep your store secure and your customers confident. 

Is WooCommerce safe? With suitable precautions and tools, it can be. Let’s walk through what you need to know to keep your store safe in 2024.

Common WooCommerce Security Vulnerabilities

WooCommerce security should be a top priority for any online store owner. Understanding the common vulnerabilities can help protect your store from potential threats. In this section, we’ll cover the key areas where your WooCommerce store might be at risk and how to address these vulnerabilities.

Weak Passwords and User Authentication

Weak passwords are one of the most common security risks. Hackers often use automated tools to crack simple passwords, gaining unauthorized access to your store. Using strong, unique passwords for all user accounts is crucial to WooCommerce security. 

A solid password includes a combination of letters, symbols, and numbers. It’s also essential to avoid using the same password across multiple sites.

Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of verification, such as a code sent to your phone. 

Even if hackers acquire your password, they cannot do anything with your account if they don’t have the second factor. Implementing 2FA for your WooCommerce store is a straightforward way to enhance security.

Outdated WooCommerce and WordPress Versions

Running outdated versions of WooCommerce or WordPress can expose your store to security threats. Developers regularly release updates to fix security vulnerabilities, improve performance, and add new features. When you ignore these updates, your store becomes a target for hackers who exploit known weaknesses in outdated software.

Automatic updates can ensure that your WooCommerce store remains protected without requiring manual intervention. Keeping your store’s software up-to-date is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to maintain WooCommerce security.

Vulnerable Themes and Plugins

Using poorly coded or outdated themes and plugins can put your WooCommerce store at risk. Vulnerable plugins or themes may contain security flaws that hackers can exploit to gain access to your site.

It’s essential to be cautious when selecting and installing themes or plugins. Look for products that are well-reviewed, frequently updated, and from reputable developers.

Regularly updating your themes and plugins is essential to WooCommerce security. Checking the reputation of these tools before installation can prevent many issues down the line.

SQL Injection Attacks

SQL injection attacks are a severe threat to WooCommerce security. These attacks involve inserting malicious SQL code into your website’s database queries. Once the code is executed, hackers can access or modify sensitive data, such as customer information or payment details.

To identify if your site is vulnerable, you can use tools like vulnerability scanners or consult with a security expert. Preventing SQL injection attacks requires input validation, using parameterized queries, and employing a Web Application Firewall (WAF). By securing your database, you significantly reduce the risk of a successful attack.

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

Cross-site scripting (XSS) is another common security vulnerability that can impact WooCommerce stores. XSS attacks happen when hackers inject harmful code scripts into your website pages. These scripts can then execute in your customers’ browsers, potentially leading to data theft or unauthorized actions.

The damage from an XSS attack can be severe, including compromised customer accounts and a loss of trust in your store. To protect against XSS, ensure that your website correctly sanitizes and validates user input. Additionally, using Content Security Policies (CSP) can help prevent the execution of unauthorized scripts.

How to Secure Your WooCommerce Store (Tips)

Safeguarding your WooCommerce store is essential for protecting your business and clients. Simple steps can make a significant difference. Below are some key strategies you should implement to enhance WooCommerce security.

Get a Safe Hosting Provider

Your hosting provider plays a significant role in your WooCommerce security. A secure hosting provider offers features like daily backups, DDoS protection, and server-level firewalls. 

They also provide regular updates and patches to keep your server secure. Look for hosting providers with a strong reputation for security, like WPX or SiteGround, to ensure your store is well-protected.

Regular Backups and Restore Points

Frequent backups are essential for any WooCommerce store. If something goes wrong, a backup lets you restore your site quickly, minimizing downtime and data loss. Automated backup tools like UpdraftPlus or Jetpack can make this process hassle-free. Backups should be stored in a secure location, separate from your website.

SSL Certificates and HTTPS

An SSL certificate is a must-have for any online store. SSL encrypts the information between your website and your clients. This makes it more challenging for hackers to access sensitive data. 

You can obtain an SSL certificate through your hosting provider or use free options like Let’s Encrypt. Besides security, SSL also boosts customer trust and can improve your site’s SEO.

Implementing Web Application Firewalls (WAF)

A Web Application Firewall (WAF) acts as a protective shield between your website and the internet, blocking malicious traffic before it can harm your site. 

WAFs can prevent attacks, such as SQL injections and cross-site scripting. Popular WAF solutions like Sucuri and Cloudflare are easy to set up and offer strong protection for WooCommerce stores.

Regular Security Audits

Conducting regular security audits helps you identify vulnerabilities before they become problems. A security audit involves checking your website for weak points, such as outdated plugins or insecure settings. Tools like Wordfence and iThemes Security can help automate this process, ensuring your WooCommerce store remains secure.

Secure Payment Gateways

Using trusted payment gateways is vital for WooCommerce security. A secure gateway ensures that customer payment information is processed safely, reducing the risk of fraud. 

Make sure your payment gateways are PCI-compliant, which is a standard for securing credit card transactions. Services like Stripe and PayPal are known for their robust security measures.

Best WooCommerce Security Plugins

Using the proper security plugins is essential to keeping your WooCommerce store secure. Let’s discuss three top plugins that can protect your online store.

Wordfence Security

Wordfence Security is a leading plugin in WooCommerce security. It offers robust features like real-time threat detection, firewall protection, and malware scanning. Wordfence shields your store from common threats like brute force attacks and unauthorized logins. 

The plugin also alerts you to any security issues, allowing you to take quick action. If you opt for the premium version, you get additional features like country blocking and advanced manual scanning, giving your store an extra layer of protection.

Sucuri Security

Sucuri Security is another strong WooCommerce security option. It specializes in malware detection and offers a powerful firewall that filters out malicious traffic before it reaches your site. 

Sucuri also integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce, making it easy to monitor and manage your store’s security. The plugin provides regular security audits, which help you stay ahead of potential vulnerabilities. This comprehensive approach ensures your WooCommerce site remains safe and secure.

iThemes Security

iThemes Security is famous for its user-friendly interface and powerful security tools. It effectively handles brute force attacks by limiting login attempts and detecting file changes that could indicate a breach. 

The plugin also makes setting up security for WooCommerce simple, offering clear guidance through the process. Its ability to identify and fix common security issues helps keep your store running smoothly and securely.

How WPX Cares About WooCommerce Security

Keeping WooCommerce stores secure is a top priority at WPX. We understand how crucial WooCommerce security is in 2024, and we’ve implemented features designed to safeguard your site from threats. Here’s how we ensure your WooCommerce store remains secure and reliable.

WPX’s Dedicated Security Team

At WPX, our specialized security team is dedicated to protecting WooCommerce stores like yours. We constantly monitor potential threats and respond swiftly to any security issues that arise. 

Our 24/7 security monitoring ensures your store is always under our watchful eye. With our team on the job, you can focus on your business, knowing we’ve got your back.

WPX’s Free Malware Removal

We know how disruptive malware can be for WooCommerce store owners. That’s why we handle malware incidents quickly and effectively. Our free malware removal service is available to all clients, so you won’t face any hidden costs if your site gets infected. 

Our swift action minimizes downtime, keeping your store online and your customers secure. With WPX, you can trust that your site will remain safe and operational.

WPX’s Fast and Secure Servers

Speed and security go hand in hand. Our high-performance servers not only enhance speed but also reduce security risks. Faster servers are better equipped to handle traffic, making your WooCommerce store less vulnerable to attacks. 

We ensure our servers are secure with server-level protection that guards against various threats. This comprehensive approach to server security provides an additional layer of protection, giving you confidence that your site is well-protected with WPX.

Are you ready to take your website to the next level? Start with WPX today!

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Understanding Permalink Structures

Permalinks, or permanent links, are the URLs for your posts, pages, categories, and other content on your WordPress site. WordPress offers several types of permalink structures:

• Plain: http://example.com/?p=123
• Day and name: http://example.com/2023/06/14/sample-post/
• Month and name: http://example.com/2023/06/sample-post/
• Numeric: http://example.com/archives/123
• Post name: http://example.com/sample-post/
• Custom Structure: http://example.com/%postname%/

The preferred structure for most users is the “Post name” as it’s clean and SEO-friendly.

Common Permalink Issues

1. 404 Errors on Posts and Pages

A 404 error occurs when a web page cannot be found on the server. In WordPress, this typically means that the server cannot locate the post or page at the specified URL. Instead of displaying the desired content, the server returns a “404 Not Found” error message.

2. Broken Links After Changing Permalinks

Broken links occur when the URL of a post or page no longer matches the existing links on your site or external references, leading visitors to a “404 Not Found” error page. This typically happens after you change your permalink structure, which alters the URLs of all your posts and pages.

3. .htaccess File Issues

The .htaccess file is a configuration file used by Apache web servers to manage various server settings, including URL redirections, access control, and permalink structures for WordPress. WordPress automatically modifies this file to handle custom permalinks, making it a critical component of your site’s URL management.

4. Plugin Conflicts

WordPress plugins extend the functionality of your site, but they can sometimes interfere with permalink settings. When a plugin conflicts with permalink settings, it can lead to issues such as 404 errors, incorrect URL structures, or site crashes. These conflicts typically arise due to coding errors, overlapping functionalities, or compatibility issues between plugins.

Fixing Permalink Issues

Step 1: Reset Permalink Settings

1. Navigate to Settings > Permalinks.
2. Select a Different Structure: Change to any other structure (e.g., from “Post name” to “Numeric”) and click “Save Changes.”
3. Revert to the Preferred Structure: Change back to your original structure and save again.

This simple reset can often resolve common permalink issues.

Step 2: Update .htaccess File

1. Access .htaccess File:
   • If you have FTP access, navigate to the root directory of your WordPress installation.
   • Alternatively, you can access it via your WordPress hosting control panel or a file manager plugin.

Check .htaccess Content: Ensure it contains the following default WordPress code:
plaintext

# BEGIN WordPress
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ – [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
</IfModule>
# END WordPress

2. Save Changes: If your .htaccess file is missing or corrupted, save a new one with the above code.

Step 3: Disable and Re-enable Plugins

1. Deactivate All Plugins:
   • Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins.
   • Select all plugins, choose “Deactivate” from the bulk actions dropdown, and click “Apply.”
2. Check Permalinks:
   • Visit your site to see if the permalink issue is resolved.
3. Re-enable Plugins:
   • Reactivate your plugins one by one, checking your site each time to identify any plugin conflicts.

Step 4: Check for Theme Conflicts

Sometimes, themes can cause permalink issues. Switch to a default WordPress theme (e.g., Twenty Twenty-One) to see if the issue persists. If switching themes resolves the problem, you must troubleshoot or update your current theme.

Step 5: Clear Caches

If you use caching plugins or server-side caching, clear all caches to ensure changes to permalinks are reflected. This includes:

• Browser cache
• WordPress caching plugins (e.g., WP Super Cache, W3 Total Cache)
• CDN cache (e.g., Cloudflare)

Preventing Future Permalink Issues

• Regular Backups: Always backup your WordPress site regularly, including the database and files.
• Update Plugins and Themes: Keep all plugins and themes updated to the latest versions.
• Monitor Plugins: Be cautious when installing new plugins. Read reviews and ensure they are compatible with your WordPress version.

Following these steps, you can troubleshoot and fix permalink issues in WordPress effectively, ensuring your site remains accessible and SEO-friendly. If none of the methods described work, you can always contact our support team.

More helpful step-by-step guides and fixes can be found in our knowledge base.

Luckily, we here at WPX Hosting are quite good at resolving all kinds of technical issues, including Critical Errors. That’s why we’ve decided to share our experience in dealing with these issues, specifically, the ones that sometimes appear after a PHP update, in this very article. We will cover what creates critical errors, how to pinpoint their origin, and how to tackle a critical error occurring after a PHP update.

This article follows our Technical Support Team’s troubleshooting process. 

What Does “There Has Been a Critical Error on Your Website” Mean?

To resolve an issue, we must first try to understand it. This leads us to the question: “What Does “There Has Been a Critical Error on Your Website” Mean?

Some WordPress errors may block you from accessing the WP Admin Dashboard, displaying the message, “There has been a critical error on this website. Please check your site admin email inbox for instructions.”

A critical error is a standard error that occurs because of the primary WordPress elements: plugins, themes, PHP versions, or WordPress versions. A change (most commonly an update) made in any of these elements can cause a critical error.

Specifically, they are caused by the following reasons:

• Incompatibility between plugins or between a plugin and the WordPress version or even the PHP version of the website can trigger this error.
• Problems with the active theme, such as outdated code or plugin conflicts, can also cause them.
• Syntax errors or coding mistakes in PHP files can lead to critical errors. These errors can occur in themes, plugins, or custom code snippets.
• When WordPress exceeds the allocated PHP memory limit, it can cause the site to crash with a critical error.

How to Fix Critical Errors in WordPress? 

Easier said than done, right?  Well, don’t worry—we’ve gathered our troubleshooting process in this article so that you can easily follow along and resolve critical errors on your site. 

Before proceeding with any of the changes described, make sure to back up your website. in an earlier blog article, we’ve covered the 3 methods to back up your WordPress website.

Check the Error logs 

WordPress typically sends emails when there is a critical error on your website. These emails will most likely contain the information on which plugin or theme caused it. However, if the email does not contain any specific information or you didn’t receive it altogether, you can check the error logs of your site. 

The error log is a file that contains all kinds of errors and warnings concerning your website. The file records four types of PHP errors – warning, notice, parse, and fatal. At the beginning of each log, you’ll see the type of error that was found. 

Here is an example of a PHP error found in one of the files of a plugin: 

The error shows the exact PHP file and the line that is causing the Critical error on the site. If you are a developer or more tech-savvy, you can open the file and fix the code. Another option would be to contact the Support Team of the Plugin itself, but while waiting for them to resolve the matter, you can disable the plugin, to fix the error on the site. 

But how to disable the plugin when you don’t have access to the Dashboard? 

The File Manager Method

Firstly, you need to access the file manager of your hosting, if you’re using WPX, check out our guide – How Can I Access My File Manager?  The File Manager gives you access to the files and, most importantly in this situation, the folders of your websites. 

When you open File Manager, you need to locate the /wp-content folder of your website. This folder contains the information of your website including media, plugins, themes, etc. 

Then open the plugins folder and rename the folder of the plugin that is causing the critical error conflict. 

For example, if the plugin causing the error is Akismet, you rename it to akisment-stop.  Changing the name of the plugin folder will deactivate the plugin. If that plugin was causing the issue, the critical error will be gone, and you will have access to your WordPress Dashboard.

Save the changes and check your site. 

What if the theme is causing the Critical Error? 

You can do the same for the theme, with one small difference. By changing the folder name of the theme, WordPress will automatically activate a default theme. The reason for that is an integrated mechanism within WordPress itself, which doesn’t allow the website to work with no theme activated.

Remember to open a non-cached version of your site after every change, so you can be sure that the error is fixed. Clearing the browser cache or opening the website in private mode should work in this case. 

Revert the PHP version

The easiest solution of course would be to simply change back the PHP version to the one previously used by the website. 

Typically, this should clear the critical error as you restore the old configuration eliminating the conflict between the plugin or theme and the PHP version.

This is the best option if you need to wait for the plugin or theme support to fix the conflict and release an update. Remember to always keep the latest versions of all your plugins, themes, and PHP. Deactivate and remove unused themes and plugins to improve your site’s security, performance, and reliability. 

Restore the website 

If none of the solutions above doesn’t work, you can always restore the website from a backup. Here at WPX, we make daily backups of all sites hosted with us. You can restore the website from an automatic backup with a just few clicks from the hosting panel. 

Or, if you have a personal backup made before the critical error appeared, you can use it to restore the site. 

Conclusion

At this point, you most probably understand that the sheer number of elements found in WordPress, each with its own pieces of code, can cause conflicts leading to critical errors.

Although this article covers the specific case of critical errors after a PHP update, the steps for resolving them we’ve discussed above can be applied successfully to other origins of critical errors.

So here we have it, folks. Following this article should ensure a working WordPress website after a critical error 90% of the time. As for the other 10%, you have the WPX Support Team 😉

We also hope that you will read this article out of curiosity rather than necessity.

What are the causes for Not Sending Emails through WordPress?

First, like any other issue, we need to get accustomed to it before we go ahead and tackle it with different fixes. We need to understand how the email system for WordPress works. There are two types of emailing systems that are separate and depend a lot on the type of setup you are using. 

The first system is the integrated one from WordPress or in other words mail function. In simple terms, it operates on a server level and it uses basic PHP language to send out mails through the contact form of your website. It is mainly used to handle communication directly, for example newsletters, sending or receiving mails from clients, visitors etc.

The second system is connected to the type of mail service you are using. For example, if you use Google Apps or Office 365 providers, then you have special external MX records  that are responsible for them to work properly on your website. The issue with these is, that sometimes it can make a conflict with the internal mail function of WordPress and cause disruption on the receiving and sending end, such as Not Receiving Mails errors. This type of mail service is often used for communication between different email addresses that are separate from your website contact forms.

What is SMTP and how does that fix the sending mails issue?

The next step is to explain a big part of the fix which comes through SMTP or in other words Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. It is mainly used to re-route the internal mail function of your WordPress website and fix any email issues. 

The reason for fixing these issues is connected to higher email deliverability and proper setup. It uses existing email addresses and works through them. To start the process, you would need to use an external SMTP service like WP Mail SMTP for example. 

Installing external SMTP and setting it up to work

To start the process, you would need to login your WordPress Dashboard. From there, navigate to Plugins (2) section and select Add New Plugin (2):

From there you would need to use the Search Bar and type in: WP Mail SMTP (1) and once it shows, choose Install Now (2) option:

Afterwards, only thing left is to Activate it in order to go through the email setup:

From there, you will be redirected to their Installation Wizard, where you just need to follow the instructions and type in all the needed information:

You will get a lot of options from different free or paid SMTP services which offer different pros and cons. In our case, we need to set it up by using the type of mail service and email address connected to the hosting. If you do not have an email address created, make sure to do so from this guide in order to use it for the setup and choose Other SMTP (1) with Save and Continue (2) option:

From there you would need to type in the select settings that are not input be default from the plugin such as:

• SMTP Host
• SMTP Port
• SMTP Username and Password
• From Email

To start off, the first option will be the SMTP Host or the server your email address is hosted on. To find the correct information, you would need to login your WPX Account and navigate to Email Boxes section to find the information:

Incoming/Outgoing Server would be the one to type in for the field SMTP Host.

The next one is the SMTP Port which again can be found in the same section in your account under SMTP Port:

The WP Mail SMTP plugin uses the default port 587, however, we recommend using the server one for secure SSL 465.

The third option would be SMTP Username and Password, that would refer to the specific email address login details so it can connect to it properly. You would need to type in the username set from creating your email address in order to login our integrated Webmail as the username and password that you have set in order to fill them out correctly.

The last option is to type in the business email address you plan to use for your website in order to associate the external SMTP setup to it:

Afterwards you can choose Save and Continue two times, the next page would have selected options for email deliverability and features that are okay to have enabled. The other ones are paid and are not useful unless you rely entirely on heavy mail communication, for example an online store where you need to be dependent on it.

The next two pages can be skipped since they are connected to subscribing to WP Mail SMTP newsletter and getting the paid version. Both of these steps can be skipped by choosing Skip this Step:

Once that is done, WP Mail SMTP will send out a test email to confirm that the setup is working properly. If you receive it, then everything is good to go. Additionally, you can make multiple test emails by navigating to the WP Mail SMTP section (1) and selecting Tools (2). From there you can type in the email address (3) you wish to send to and select Send Email (4):

That sums it up. You should receive an email similar to this one:

Keep in mind that the test email needs to be sent to a different email address than the one you have set up the plugin with. Otherwise, it may cause an email loop and will not work properly. 

If you are still experiencing email issues or have further questions regarding the topic, make sure to contact WPX Support for further help.