WordPress is the most popular web development platform for beginners. But many rookie web developers make mistakes with WordPress.
Today, I'm going to identify common WordPress mistakes and explain how you can increase the speed, conversion rate, and responsiveness of any WordPress website. Here's why your WordPress site is underperforming:
4) Your copywriting is bad
If you're trying to sell someone a product or service online, then you need good copywriting skills.
Unfortunately, good copywriting skills don't grow on trees. Good copywriting requires skill and experience.
If your website has bad copy, then you may have trouble conveying the benefits of your product. Here are some easy tips and tricks you can use to improve your web copy:
-Keep it simple, yet descriptive: The best copywriting walks the line between simple and descriptive. Instead of using three descriptive words to explain your product, you should use one really good one.
-Avoid overusing superlatives: People can say anything they want on the internet. You can say you have the "best", "cheapest", and "most beautiful" product in the world, but nobody is really going to believe you. Instead of using meaningless superlatives, add real meaning and facts behind your words. Say your product includes "same day shipping" and offers a "price match guarantee" against your competitors. Today's internet users glaze over superlative words and focus on numbers and concrete guarantees.
-Explain why and how your product solves a problem: This is the most basic point of copywriting - you should be explaining how the consumer can use your product to solve a problem. Unfortunately, too many rookie copywriters ignore this lesson. Explain how your product solves a problem and why it's a better solution than anything offered by your competitors. Make your customers believe that they need your product in their daily lives.
If you can absorb those three lessons, you can improve your copywriting and increase the conversion rate of your WordPress website.
3) You're using too many (or not enough) plugins
Plugins are one of the most valuable benefits of using WordPress. Plugins are easy-to-install and let users do everything from caching their site to collecting email addresses.
There are thousands of WordPress plugins available today. Very few of these WordPress plugins are worth installing.
Some people install too many plugins - which can significantly increase loading times and reduce performance. Others install too few - and fail to take advantage of the unique WordPress benefits.
Below, you'll find some of the most popular free WordPress plugins available today. All of these are worth installing:
- W3 Total Cache
- Google XML Sitemaps
- Yet Another Related Posts Plugin
- Yoast WordPress SEO Plugin
- Broken Link Checker
- Contact Form 7
- SEO Friendly Images
Remember: having too many plugins can be confusing for users. It can also severely reduce site speed.
2) You're not using a WordPress-friendly theme
One of the many great advantages of WordPress is the mobile-friendly design. Most WordPress themes come with pre-packed mobile designs. These designs compress your site to fit onto iPhone, Android, and other mobile screens.
But some themes are more mobile-friendly than others, and some themes aren't mobile-friendly at all. Open your site on a phone or tablet (and check on a friend's mobile device while you're at it) to see if it's fast, responsive, and easy-to-navigate. If it's not, then consider switching to a more mobile-friendly theme.
1) You have a slow web host
There's a reason I put this at number one: even if every other part of your website is perfect, a slow web host can destroy your performance.
WordPress is a platform built for speed. It's heavily optimized and there are a number of plugins - like W3 Total Cache - which you can use to increase that performance even more.
But you can only increase website performance so much before you hit a glass ceiling with your web host. Choosing the right web hosting plan is important whether you're running a personal blog or selling products online.
If you're still using shared hosting or free hosting, then I can guarantee that your website is underperforming due to slow speeds.
Remember: 90% of visitors will click the ‘Back' button if your website doesn't load within 4 seconds. A good web hosting plan is an investment. Don't shoot your WordPress website in the foot by choosing a cheap, low-quality hosting plan.
