Web Design: Essential Tips for Implementation

Have you ever considered giving your website a fresh look and feel? Web design plays a pivotal role in this process, yet some may struggle to grasp the best approach. Explore our essential tips to kickstart your journey!

Securing Your Website from Bugs (Not the Creepy Crawly Kind!)

In this blog, we primarily discuss websites built using WordPress, but fear not if you're using a different content management system (CMS) – these tips are universally beneficial.

Did you know that WordPress powers over 40% of all websites on the internet?

Before delving into any significant website project, it's crucial to back up your website. Why, you may ask? Accidents occur, and creating a backup of your site before initiating any updates adds an extra layer of security. So, if an unexpected mishap does arise, you can revert the site to its original state. After all, you wouldn't want to invest time and effort only to find yourself in a worse predicament.

A software 'bug' is defined as an error, flaw, or fault in the design, development, or operation of computer software that causes it to produce an incorrect or unexpected result, or behave in unintended ways.

If you're seeking a free WordPress backup plugin to support your web design project, consider trying out UpdraftPlus.

Now, you might be wondering, what's the worst that could happen? We'll delve deeper into this in the following section.

Implementing Critical Website, Theme, and Plugin Updates

We're all accustomed to updates – they've become an integral part of our digital experience and how we engage with our devices.

An 'update' is defined as to "make (something) more modern or up to date."

But why do some updates lead to more harm than good?

There are several reasons why updates don’t always proceed smoothly. Here are a few common issues, along with their potential causes and remedies:

• The update was interrupted – a prevalent error occurring when your internet connection is disrupted, causing the update process to be severed and resulting in a critical error. To mitigate this risk, use an ethernet cable whenever possible. If not, run a speed test on your connection to ensure its stability before proceeding with the update. However, even with precautions, errors may still occur, hence creating a backup beforehand is essential for website recovery. More troubleshooting tips can be found here.
• The update itself contains an error – caused by flawed code in the update itself. In such cases, it's advisable to reach out to either WordPress support (for WordPress updates) or the plugin developers to report the issue. Subsequently, consider uninstalling the plugin or restoring the site using your backup.
• Compatibility issues – these can affect your website, as well as installed plugins and themes. Typically, these issues require an ironic update to resolve, but like the scenarios above, they can sometimes exacerbate problems. For instance, you may encounter difficulty installing a desired plugin because the current version of WordPress isn't compatible. Your options in this scenario are to either update WordPress or seek an alternative plugin that is compatible. Once again, this underscores the importance of having backups in place to mitigate risks.

In conclusion, updates are indispensable for maintaining digital security, and embarking on a web design project should be an exhilarating venture. To overcome any potential hurdles and achieve your desired outcome, follow the essential tips we've provided to ensure a smooth journey.

Did you know that we offer web design services?