When it comes to maintaining your website’s health, it’s easy to assume everything is covered. But some critical aspects often slip through the cracks. It’s not just about having a pretty design; your site needs to run smoothly and efficiently to attract and retain visitors. A site that’s slow, hard to navigate, or not optimized for search engines can turn potential customers away faster than you think. 

Unfortunately, even the most experienced developers can overlook some important details. These oversights can significantly impact your site’s performance and user experience. From Search Engine Optimization (SEO) blunders to outdated plugins, these small issues can snowball into bigger problems if not addressed. Let’s dive into some of the common things that might be slipping under your developer’s radar and how you can fix them. 

Neglecting Essential SEO Practices 

First up: SEO. If your website’s URLs change and your developer isn’t adding 301 redirects, it’s like moving without leaving a forwarding address. A 301 redirect informs search engines that a webpage has been permanently relocated to a new URL. It ensures that all the SEO value of the old page is passed on to the new one. This can cause you to lose traffic and your hard-earned search rankings. So, always ensure those 301 redirects are in place! 

Also, have you connected your sitemap to Google Console? A sitemap helps search engines crawl and index your site more efficiently. Without it, your site might not appear in search results as prominently as it should. By submitting your sitemap to Google Console, you’re essentially telling Google, “Here’s the blueprint of my website—please index all these pages!” This is especially important for larger sites or those with frequent content updates, such as a blog or an e-commerce site. This is a simple yet crucial step that a good custom WordPress development company would never skip. 

Overlooking Analytics Configuration 

Similarly to Google Console, Google Analytics 4 (GA4) configuration should be a priority of your developer. GA4 is a powerful tool that provides deep insights into how visitors interact with your website. It tracks user behavior, measures the effectiveness of your marketing efforts, and helps you better understand your audience. If your GA4 account isn’t configured correctly, you’re flying blind. You need accurate data to make informed decisions about your website. Make sure your developer reconfigures your GA4 account, so you have clear insights into your site’s performance. 

Ignoring ADA Compliance 

Accessibility is another biggie. Your site should be accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. That’s where ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) comes in. ADA compliance isn’t just a legal requirement; it’s a way to ensure your website is usable by as many people as possible. This includes people with visual impairments, hearing difficulties, and other disabilities. Ignoring ADA compliance can hurt your site by alienating a significant portion of your audience and potentially leading to legal trouble. Don’t let it become an oversite—make sure your developer is prioritizing ADA compliance. 

The Plugin Problem: Failing to Update, Maintain, and Optimize 

Speaking of inclusivity, let’s talk plugins. Plugins are essential for adding functionality to your WordPress website, but they can also be a double-edged sword if not managed properly. 

First, let’s tackle the issue of outdated plugins. Think of plugins as the apps on your smartphone. Just as you wouldn’t ignore app updates because they often include important security fixes and performance improvements, you shouldn’t neglect plugin updates on your website. Developers should be on top of this, ensuring all plugins are up-to-date and any unnecessary ones are removed.  

Secondly, plugin maintenance is equally important. Regular updates and maintenance are crucial to keeping your site safe and running smoothly. Developers should routinely check for plugin updates and apply them promptly. Additionally, they should audit your plugins periodically to remove any that are no longer necessary. This not only improves security but also reduces the chances of conflicts that can cause your site to break. 

 Finally, overloading your site with plugins is a big no! While plugins can add valuable features, too many can slow your site down to a crawl. Each plugin can add its own scripts, styles, and database queries, which can collectively bog down your site’s performance. A smart approach is to use custom code or blocks to limit the number of plugins. Custom WordPress development services often include creating bespoke solutions to meet your specific needs without relying on heavy, off-the-shelf plugins. 

Using Heavy, Templated Themes 

Ever heard of Beaver Builder or Elementor? These are popular page builder plugins that many developers use to create websites quickly. While they offer flexibility and a range of design options, they can also add a lot of extra code to your site, which can slow it down. Custom themes, on the other hand, are built specifically for your needs and are much more efficient. They reduce the amount of unnecessary JavaScript and other bloat, resulting in a faster, more streamlined website.  

Companies offering accountant website design or CPA website design services can create a custom theme. This theme can be tailored to include all the specific features the firm needs to support their clients. For example, features like secure client portals, detailed service descriptions, and compliance with industry regulations can all be customized. This ensures that your site is not only fast and efficient but also highly functional and secure. 

Advantages of Hiring a Custom WordPress Coder: Let’s Review! 

We’ve now covered a variety of hidden components to website design that can often be overlooked by developers. Hiring a WordPress coder offers several advantages that can significantly enhance your website’s functionality, performance, and user experience. Here’s a review of what we’ve covered, along with some additional advantages to consider:  

  • Expertise in WordPress: A WordPress coder has specialized knowledge of the platform’s architecture, themes, plugins, and best practices, ensuring your website is built efficiently and reliably. 
  • Customization: WordPress coders can create custom themes and plugins tailored to your specific needs and brand identity, making your website unique and highly functional. 
  • Optimized Performance: They can optimize your website for speed, performance, and SEO by implementing best practices like caching and image optimization, which improves user experience and search engine rankings. 
  • Security: With their knowledge of security practices, WordPress coders can implement measures to protect your site from threats, ensuring it’s built with secure coding standards. 
  • Responsive Design: They can create websites that automatically adjust to different devices, ensuring a consistent and positive user experience on desktops, tablets, and smartphones. 
  • Scalability: A WordPress coder can build a site with scalability in mind, allowing for easy expansion and the addition of new features as your business grows. 
  • Support and Maintenance: Ongoing support and maintenance options ensure your website remains up-to-date, secure, and running smoothly. 
  • Integration with Third-Party Tools: They can effectively integrate third-party services like e-commerce platforms and payment gateways, enhancing your site’s functionality. 
  • Compliance and Standards: WordPress coders stay updated with industry standards and compliance requirements, ensuring your site meets accessibility standards and legal regulations. 
  • Cost-Effective Solutions: Using a WordPress coder can be more cost-effective than building a custom website from scratch, leveraging WordPress’s robust foundation to reduce development time and costs. 

 Make sure your developer is ticking all these boxes to keep your site healthy, secure, and performing at its best. It’s worth the effort to find a developer who understands and addresses these critical aspects. Take a moment to review your site and see if any of these issues need attention. 

How Align Marketing Group Can Help

Don’t waste time and money on website development that doesn’t deliver results. Align Marketing Group has a proven track record of creating high-performing websites for accounting firms and financial services firms. We specialize in clean design, clear communication of your services, and features that make it easy for potential clients to contact you. Contact us today to see how we can improve your online presence. Your website (and your visitors) will thank you!