WordPress is the easiest web design platform to use, and one of the best platforms to help your site achieve a higher search ranking. At the same time, there are some major WordPress don’ts that have the potential to hinder your ability to draw in and retain quality website traffic.

Unintentional Coding in WordPress

There’s a reason why WordPress includes a pasting option for Microsoft Word within the visual editor. If you are copying from other websites, a Word document, or from other word processing tools, then you may have noticed the formatting issues that carry over. Having incorrect coding can muddle up your site.

Your website visitors will not give a second glance to a site that they have to work to read. Always remember to use caution when pasting in content that may have additional formatting behind the scenes.

Slowing Down to a Crawl

Installing plugins can add a great deal of function to the site, but remember that the more you add, the longer it takes your site to load. Longer load times equals less of a chance that people will stick around. 

Adding excessive plugins leaves your site more susceptible to conflicts. The more plugins you have, the harder it will be to track down those conflicts. Keep plugins down to the minimum required to do what you need. Also, make sure to test compatibility as you go rather than loading a ton at once and then having to work backward to ensure everything carried over correctly. 

Broken Images are NOT Visually Appealing

Over time, excessive links and photos can slow down your site. On the other hand, relying on linking content from other sites puts your site at risk, too. What happens if that other site goes down? You are left with an unmanageable amount of broken links on your site.

Broken images look unprofessional and cloud up the user experience. It is worth the minimal labor involved in hosting the content yourself in order to keep your site visually appealing.

Don’t Cut Corners

Having a great looking and smooth running WordPress-based site means consistent upkeep. Though many of the above-listed mishaps seem like an easy out, they will end up costing you in the long run. Having a dedicated web developer handle your website aesthetic, content, and maintenance will keep things in running order and give your website the edge it needs to perform.

Need a bit more help than these few tips will offer? Let’s chat.