The most common WordPress issues explained and resolved

1. Error Messages on Your WordPress Website

Problem

Error messages like the “white screen of death” or “500 internal server error” can be frustrating and disrupt your site’s functionality.

Solution

a. Deactivate all plugins:

• Go to your WordPress dashboard.
• Click on “Plugins” in the left-hand menu.
• Select all plugins and choose “Deactivate” in the bulk actions menu.
• Check your site to see if the issue is resolved. If it is, reactivate the plugins one by one to identify the culprit.

b. Check your theme:

• Temporarily switch to a default WordPress theme like “Twenty Twenty-One” to see if the issue is related to your current theme.
• If the problem disappears, consider contacting the theme developer for support.

c. Increase the memory limit (technical knowledge required):

• Edit the wp-config.php file of your WordPress installation.
• Add the following line of code near the top of the file: define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');
• Save the file and check if the issue is resolved.

2. A Slow Website with Slow Loading Times

Problem

Slow loading times can deter visitors and harm SEO rankings.

Solution

a. Optimize images:

• Use an image compression plugin like “Smush” to reduce the file size of images.
• Ensure that images are not larger than necessary and use the appropriate file format (JPEG for photos, PNG for images with transparency, etc.).

b. Use a caching plugin:

• Install and configure a caching plugin like “W3 Total Cache” or “WP Super Cache” to speed up page loads for returning visitors.
• Enable browser caching to store static resources on the user’s local computer.

c. Consider a CDN:

• Consider using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) such as Cloudflare or Amazon CloudFront to improve loading times by distributing your site’s content across multiple geographical locations.

d. Host your website with WP Masters:

• We offer only professional hosting, one of the fastest WordPress hosting options in the Netherlands. This hosting is faster than your current hosting in 95% of cases. Contact us for more information.

3. Security Vulnerabilities in WordPress

Problem

WordPress websites that are not kept up-to-date are vulnerable to security breaches and hacks.

Detailed Solution

a. Keep WordPress, themes, and plugins up-to-date:

• Regular updates often include security patches. Always ensure you’re using the latest versions.

b. Use strong passwords and two-factor authentication:

• Employ complex passwords and consider setting up two-factor authentication (2FA) for an additional layer of security.

c. Install a security plugin:

• Plugins like “Wordfence” or “Sucuri Security” can help monitor your site’s security and block malicious activities.

4. Broken Links (Page Not Found)

Problem

Broken links can negatively impact the user experience and harm SEO.

Detailed Solution

a. Use a link checker plugin:

• Identifying and fixing broken links is essential for the health of your website. Install a WordPress plugin like “Broken Link Checker” to automatically detect broken links. Here’s how to do it:
• Go to your WordPress dashboard.
• Click on “Plugins” in the left-hand menu.
• Click on “Add New Plugin.”
• Search for “Broken Link Checker” and click “Install Now.”
• Activate the plugin and navigate to “Tools” > “Broken Links” to view a list of broken links.
• The plugin provides options to manually update or remove the broken links.

b. Regularly update your links:

• In addition to using a link checker plugin, it’s vital to manually update your links regularly. Here are some tips for doing this effectively:
• Check both internal and external links for outdated or non-functional URLs.
• If you link to external websites, verify that those websites are still active and their content remains relevant.
• Use tools like Google Search Console to receive notifications about broken external links pointing to your site.

5. SEO Issues

Problem

Poor SEO practices can reduce the visibility of your site.

Detailed Solution

a. Use an SEO plugin:

• Optimizing your website for search engines is an ongoing task. Use a WordPress SEO plugin like “Yoast SEO” to help improve your site’s SEO-friendliness:
• Install and activate the “Yoast SEO” plugin.
• Go to the plugin’s dashboard and follow the steps to configure the basic settings.
• Optimize your pages and posts using the plugin’s built-in analysis and recommendations.
• Regularly perform keyword research and integrate relevant keywords into your content.

b. Conduct keyword research:

• Using the right keywords is critical for good SEO. Here’s how to conduct keyword research and integrate them into your content:
• Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to find keywords relevant to your niche or industry.
• Identify keywords with high search volume and low competition.
• Integrate these keywords naturally into your texts, including titles, headings, and body content.

6. Responsiveness Problems

Problem

A non-responsive design can harm the user experience on mobile devices, leading to higher bounce rates and visitor loss.

Detailed Solution

a. Choose a responsive theme:

• One of the best ways to ensure mobile display is to choose a WordPress theme designed for responsiveness on various devices. Here’s how:
• Navigate to your WordPress dashboard and go to “Appearance” > “Themes.”
• Search for themes with the term “Responsive” in the description.
• Preview the themes on both desktop and mobile devices to evaluate their responsiveness.
• Install and activate your chosen theme.

b. Test on multiple devices:

• Testing your website on multiple devices is essential to ensure proper functionality on mobile. Follow these steps for testing:
• Use your smartphone, tablet, and desktop to view your website.
• Check that the content adjusts automatically to different screen sizes.
• Pay attention to issues with buttons, menus, images, and text display.
• Use online responsive design checkers and emulator tools to evaluate your site on various devices.

c. Optimize images for mobile:

• To ensure smooth loading on mobile devices, optimize images for different screen resolutions. Here’s how:
• Use image compression tools or WordPress plugins like “WP Smush” to compress images without quality loss.
• Consider using different images for different screen sizes by implementing responsive image elements.

d. Adjust the mobile display:

• Besides using a responsive theme, you can often adjust your website’s mobile display for an even better user experience. Here are some adjustments to consider:
• Simplify navigation by removing or hiding unnecessary menu items on mobile devices.
• Utilize mobile-specific features like “Click-to-Call” for phone numbers.
• Ensure forms and buttons are large enough for touchscreen use.

Conclusion: Are All WordPress Problems Solved?

The world of WordPress can be challenging, but with sufficient knowledge and the right approach, common problems can be overcome. Staying updated on best practices and solutions for issues that arise while building and managing a WordPress website is essential.

With the detailed solutions discussed in this article, we hope to have helped you avoid common pitfalls and create a smooth-running, secure, and mobile-friendly WordPress website.

Our WordPress Masters are happy to provide you with free advice on WordPress maintenance and development. If you need help or just want to ask a question to a group of enthusiastic WordPress specialists, don’t hesitate to leave us a message.

In addition to advice, we also help WordPress users further develop and design their websites. We create custom, unique websites with WordPress. Take a look at our portfolio or send us a message with your ideas, and let’s set up a meeting.