Maintaining the security of your WordPress website is paramount, especially if you’re a sole trader with limited technical knowledge.

The recent findings from the 2024 WPScan Website Threat Report highlight several potential threats that could compromise your website. Here’s a detailed, easy-to-understand breakdown of these threats and practical steps you can take to protect your site.

Understanding Website Security

1. Types of Vulnerabilities (and simple explanations):

• Cross-Site Scripting (XSS): Imagine you have a bulletin board where customers can leave notes. XSS is like someone leaving a note that, when read, tricks the reader into doing something they didn’t intend, like handing over sensitive information. It’s a common issue but not the most frequently exploited in attacks.

• SQL Injection: This type of attack is akin to someone manipulating the filing system in your office to access confidential files. The hacker inputs commands that trick your website’s database into revealing information it shouldn’t. This was the most detected attack type, indicating it’s a prevalent risk for WordPress sites and one a client of mine (on some cheap hosting platform) experienced!.

• Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF): This happens when an attacker tricks a user into executing actions on their website without their knowledge, similar to someone forging your signature to sign a document.

• Authorisation Issues: This involves attackers gaining access to parts of your site they shouldn’t be able to, much like someone using a stolen keycard to access a restricted area of a building.

2. Severity of These Vulnerabilities: Most vulnerabilities reported were of medium severity, which can still significantly disrupt your business operations if exploited. High and critical severity vulnerabilities, while less frequent, pose a greater risk and can lead to severe data breaches or loss of control over your website, for which you will be held accountable!

3. Common Attack Vectors: The most typical ways attackers exploit these vulnerabilities are through weak or repeatedly used passwords and the use of pirated plugins that contain hidden malicious code. Both are akin to leaving your front door unlocked or installing a faulty security system that criminals can easily bypass.

Why This Matters to You

As a sole trader, you might think your website is too small to be targeted, but this is not the case. Hackers often automate their attacks and can indiscriminately target thousands of small sites. The damage from such attacks can range from a temporary disruption of your online services to severe data breaches that compromise your customers’ personal information.

How You Can Protect Your WordPress Site

Protecting your WordPress site doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here are several actionable steps you can take:

• Regular Updates: Keep your WordPress core, plugins, and themes updated. Developers frequently release updates to patch security vulnerabilities. Think of it as routine maintenance on your car to keep it running smoothly and prevent breakdowns.

• Strong Passwords and User Permissions: Use complex passwords and change them regularly. Also, limit the number of people who have administrative access to your website. This is like ensuring that only trusted family members and friends have keys to your house.

• Security Plugins and Firewalls: Install a security plugin that includes a firewall. This acts as a security guard for your website, blocking suspicious activity and monitoring traffic for potential threats.

• Regular Backups: Set up automated backups of your website. In the event of an attack, this allows you to restore your site to a previous, unharmed state, similar to having insurance that covers theft or damage to your physical business.

• Security Monitoring and Malware Scans: Regularly scan your website for malware and other malicious activities. This is like routinely checking for signs of tampering or break-ins.

OR Let Me Do It All For You!; How My WordPress Maintenance Service Can Help

For just £30 per month, my WordPress maintenance service provides comprehensive security solutions tailored for non-tech-savvy business owners. Here’s what you can expect:

• Daily Security Checks: Every day, I check your site for new vulnerabilities, ensuring that your defences are always up-to-date.

• Hourly Uptime Monitoring: I monitor your website around the clock to ensure it’s always accessible to your customers.

• Daily Malware Scans: I scan your website daily for malicious software and potential breaches.

• Weekly SEO and Analytics Reviews: Each week, I check how your website is performing in search engine rankings and analyze traffic patterns to improve your visibility.

• Regular Updates: I handle all updates to your WordPress core, themes, and plugins, ensuring you’re protected against the latest threats.

• Backups and Performance Checks: I perform daily backups and regular checks on your website’s speed and performance.

Sole traders face a unique set of challenges, especially when it comes to managing their WordPress websites.

While WordPress is renowned for its user-friendliness and flexibility, the complexities of website management often require more technical expertise than most busy entrepreneurs possess. This can lead to several issues that impact both the efficiency of your business operations and your online presence.

1. Maintenance

For those who are not tech-savvy, the regular maintenance required to keep a WordPress site running smoothly can be a time sink. Updating plugins, themes, and core WordPress software are crucial tasks that need attention to ensure compatibility and functionality. Neglecting these can lead to website issues or downtime, which directly impacts business activities.

2. Security Concerns

Security is a major concern for any website owner. WordPress sites are often targeted by hackers due to their popularity. For a sole trader with limited technical knowledge, setting up robust security measures like daily security checks and malware scans can be daunting and often overlooked, leaving their site vulnerable to attacks.

3.  Fear of Breaking the Site

For non-tech-savvy sole traders, the fear of accidentally breaking their WordPress website during updates or changes is a major pain point. This anxiety can lead to avoidance of necessary site maintenance, potentially causing security vulnerabilities and poor site performance. When a site issue does occur, not knowing who to turn to or how to quickly resolve the problem can escalate stress and impact business operations severely.

4. SEO and Performance Optimisation

Keeping up with SEO trends and maintaining website performance is critical for staying visible to potential customers. However, without technical expertise, many sole traders struggle to optimise their sites effectively. This includes not knowing how to check SEO rankings, analyse website speed, or understand Google Analytics data, which can be essential for drawing in and retaining visitors.

5. Issue Resolution

When things go wrong, such as a site going down or a plugin causing conflicts, resolving these issues can be stressful and confusing for non-tech-savvy site owners. The downtime while figuring out a solution or waiting for help can lead to lost revenue and decreased customer trust.

How I Can Help Solve These For You?

Recognising these challenges, I offer a comprehensive WordPress management service designed specifically for busy sole traders who may not have extensive technical expertise. My service, I DO FOR YOU, includes a wide range of features aimed at alleviating the burdens of website management:

• Daily Security and Maintenance Tasks: From daily security checks to plugin, theme, and core software updates, I handle all the routine tasks that keep your site secure and functioning optimally.

• Performance Monitoring: With hourly uptime monitoring and daily performance checks, you ensure your site can remain operational and fast, providing an excellent user experience.

• SEO and Analytics: Weekly SEO rankings and Google Analytics reports are provided to keep you informed about your site’s visibility and visitor behaviours, allowing for strategic adjustments.

• Proactive Support: Regular maintenance, like comment moderation and broken link checks, keeps your site clean and professional. I also manage cloning and server migration as optional extras.

• Comprehensive Backups and Updates: Daily backups and major WordPress updates are managed as they are released, ensuring that your site is recoverable and up-to-date without you lifting a finger.

• Weekly Reports and Additional Tools: I send out weekly reports so you’re always in the loop, and I add your website to Google Analytics and Google Search Console, ensuring it’s properly indexed by Google.

With these services, I take the stress out of managing your WordPress site, allowing you to focus on growing your business without worrying about the technicalities of website management. 

If you’re new to website development or simply looking to enhance your WordPress site’s functionality, plugins are your best friends.

In this article, I’ll guide you through the basics of plugins and show you how to install, activate, configure, and manage them effectively. Let’s tackle the world of WordPress plugins!

What Are Plugins?

Plugins are like extensions for your WordPress website, a bit like apps on your phone. They provide additional features and functionalities that go beyond the basic capabilities of your site. Whether you want to create a contact form, improve your site’s performance, add social media sharing buttons, or even build an online store, there’s a plugin for almost anything you can imagine.

Like apps, you need to check the plugin is safe to install on your website.  Plugins are built by many different people and sometimes they may not be well built (and therefore break your site) or may contain malicious code (Malware).

Here are some steps you can follow to ensure the plugins you install are safe:

1. Use the Official WordPress Plugin Directory:

   • The safest place to find plugins is the official WordPress Plugin Directory (https://wordpress.org/plugins/). Plugins listed here go through a review process, and the directory provides user reviews and ratings.

2. Check Ratings and Reviews:

   • Before installing a plugin, check its ratings and reviews on the WordPress Plugin Directory. Pay attention to both positive and negative feedback to get an idea of other users’ experiences.

3. Check Compatibility:

   • Ensure that the plugin is compatible with your WordPress version. Plugins that are not regularly updated may not work well with the latest WordPress releases, which could lead to security vulnerabilities.

4. Check for Support Options:

   • A good plugin developer provides support options. Look for plugins with a dedicated support forum on the WordPress Plugin Directory or other channels. This is important in case you encounter issues or need assistance.

5. Evaluate the Number of Active Installs:

   • A high number of active installs can be an indication of a plugin’s popularity and reliability. However, this is not the only factor to consider, as newer plugins can also be secure and valuable.

6. Read the Plugin Description:

   • Carefully read the plugin’s description. Make sure the plugin meets your requirements and that you understand how to configure and use it properly.

7. Security Plugins:

   • Consider using security plugins like Wordfence or Sucuri to scan and monitor your site for vulnerabilities. These plugins can also help you identify potentially malicious code in other plugins.  Alternatively, you can get me to scan and report on your website for you (amongst many other things).

8. Backup Your Website:

   • Before installing any new plugin, always back up your WordPress site. This ensures that you can easily restore your site if something goes wrong during or after the plugin installation.

By following these steps, you can minimise the risks associated with installing WordPress plugins and make informed decisions about the tools you add to your website.

Installing Plugins

Installing plugins is easy with WordPress. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

You will need to be an administrator of your website to be able to do this.

1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard. This is where you manage your site’s content and settings.

2. Navigate to the “Plugins” tab on the left-hand menu.

3. Click on “Add New” to access the plugin installation screen.

4. In the search bar, type the name or functionality you’re looking for. For example, if you want a plugin to create a contact form, search for “contact form.”

5. Browse through the search results and find a plugin that suits your needs. Pay attention to the number of active installations, ratings, and reviews to gauge its reliability and popularity.

6. Once you’ve chosen a plugin, click on the “Install Now” button next to its name.

7. After the installation is complete, click on “Activate” to enable the plugin on your site.

Activating and Configuring Plugins

Once you’ve installed a plugin, it’s time to activate and configure it. Here’s how:

1. After activating a plugin, you’ll usually be redirected to a setup or configuration page. If not, you can find the plugin’s settings under the “Plugins” tab in your WordPress admin dashboard.

2. Explore the settings and options provided by the plugin. Each plugin is unique, so the configuration process may vary. However, most plugins offer intuitive interfaces and easy-to-follow instructions.

3. Take your time to customise the plugin settings according to your preferences. Don’t hesitate to experiment and tweak the options until you achieve the desired results.

Managing Plugins

Managing your plugins is essential to keep your site running smoothly. Here are a few key points to remember:

1. Regularly update your plugins. Developers frequently release updates to enhance security, fix bugs, and introduce new features. To update your plugins, go to the “Plugins” tab in your WordPress admin dashboard and click on the “Update Now” link if updates are available.

2. Deactivate and delete unnecessary plugins. If you’re no longer using a plugin or it’s causing conflicts with other elements of your site, it’s best to deactivate and delete it. To do this, go to the “Plugins” tab and click on the “Deactivate” and “Delete” links respectively.

3. Be mindful of plugin compatibility. Before installing a new plugin, check if it’s compatible with your version of WordPress. Outdated or incompatible plugins can lead to performance issues or even break your site.

4. Research and choose reputable plugins. Stick to plugins that are regularly updated, well-rated, and widely used by the WordPress community. This minimises the chances of encountering compatibility problems or security risks.  You should check if it’s had lots of downloads and lots of good reviews!  Like a phone app, if you are not sure to seek advice before installing, bad plugins may contain viruses’

Congratulations! You’ve embarked on an exciting journey into the world of WordPress plugins.

By installing, activating, configuring, and managing plugins effectively, you can enhance your website’s features and take it to new heights.

Remember to choose reputable plugins, stay up to date with updates, and don’t hesitate to experiment and explore the vast collection of plugins available. Happy plugin-ing!

As a website owner, it is crucial to prioritise not only the aesthetics but also the user experience of your website.

Your website serves as the initial point of contact between your brand and potential customers, making it essential to leave a positive impression.

In this article, we will explore the fundamental aspects that require attention to ensure your website content is valuable and beneficial to your audience.

Craft an Engaging and Irresistible Landing Page

The landing page holds utmost significance as it is the first glimpse visitors get of your website. It is vital to make a lasting impression. Your landing page should be visually captivating, delivering a clear and concise message. It should present an enticing offer that compels visitors to explore your site further.

A thoughtfully designed landing page can significantly contribute to converting visitors into customers, playing a pivotal role in your overall website strategy.

Ensure Easy Accessibility to Critical Content

Visitors arriving at your website anticipate a seamless and efficient navigation experience.

To meet their expectations, it is crucial to ensure that your critical content, including product or service offerings, contact information, and other vital details, is prominently displayed and easily accessible.

Employing clear headings, subheadings, and bullet points can help visitors swiftly locate the information they seek.

Optimize Content for Mobile Devices

With the increasing prevalence of mobile browsing, it is imperative to ensure that your website is mobile-friendly. Your content should be easily readable and navigable on smaller screens, with concise and easily digestible information.

Ensure that your images and videos are optimized for mobile devices, and your website loads quickly across both mobile and desktop platforms.

Maintain Cohesion Between Text and Images

The text and images on your website should work harmoniously to convey a cohesive message. Select images that are relevant to the content of your page, enhancing rather than distracting from your text. It is crucial to choose high-quality images that are optimised for the web, with file sizes that facilitate quick loading.

Harness the Power of Visual Storytelling

Images have the ability to engage visitors effectively and communicate a visual narrative about your brand.

When selecting images for your website, consider the story you wish to convey and choose visuals that align with your message. For instance, if you sell a product, include images of people using it, or if you promote a service, showcase images of satisfied customers.

Emphasize the Top Three Key Messages

Your website should convey your core message and the top three things you want visitors to know about your brand. It is vital to prominently display these key points and make them easily accessible.

Employ headings, subheadings, and bullet points to break up your content, enabling visitors to absorb information effortlessly.

Make Contact Details Easily Accessible

Your contact details should be readily available to visitors, including your phone number, email address, and physical address if applicable. Consider incorporating a contact form or live chat option to facilitate seamless communication between visitors and your team.

Ensure a Clear Description of Offerings on the Homepage

The homepage holds great significance, serving as one of the most vital pages on your website. It should provide a clear and concise description of your products or services. Create a visually appealing and easily navigable homepage that effectively communicates what you offer.

Prioritise Human-Friendly Content

While optimising your website for search engines is important, it is equally crucial to prioritise content that resonates with human visitors. Focus on delivering valuable information, engaging storytelling, and a user-friendly experience.

By catering to human needs and preferences, you can establish stronger connections and foster meaningful engagement with your audience.

By implementing these essential elements, you can ensure that your website not only captivates visitors visually but also delivers an enjoyable user experience.

Remember, your website is a powerful tool for leaving a positive impression on potential customers and building a strong brand presence.

WordPress Management tasks include updating software, managing plugins and themes, ensuring security and backups, and optimising site performance.

WordPress is classified as a ‘CMS (Content Management System) and not just a website builder.  You can use it to create a website but you can also scale it much easier than a standalone website builder and you have much more flexibility in terms of moving to better or cheaper hosting at some point and owning your business domain name outright (many website builders do not allow these).

All content management systems (CMS) require some management, including WordPress (and other popular ones such as Drupal, Joomla, Shopify, and Magento). 

The level of management required may vary depending on the CMS and the specific needs of the website owner. For example, some CMSs may require more technical knowledge to manage, while others may be more user-friendly and require less technical expertise.

WordPress management tasks involve maintaining and optimising your WordPress website, including tasks such as updating plugins, themes, and core files, securing the site from hacking attempts, backing up site content, and optimizing site performance. It can be done by a website owner or a professional service provider.

What are the highest priorities for WordPress Management Tasks?

1. Backups.  Updates or website changes should never be completed without a recent backup so backing up your website is one of the highest priority tasks you should manage before doing anything else.  What would life be like if you lost all the content of your website today?  Could you recover it?

2. Updating the themes and plugins is the second priority as out-of-date themes and plugins can cause your website to break, conflict with other software, and more importantly, leaves it vulnerable to security breaches, spam and malware.

3. Malware scans and security checks should also be run regularly to ensure your and your client’s data is safe from the breach and complies with privacy regulations.

These are all of equal priority and are the minimum tasks that should be completed.

Can I complete the WordPress Management Tasks myself?

Yes with a little knowledge.  To complete WordPress management tasks yourself,  you need to be able to access the WordPress admin dashboard and look for the ‘red dot’ notifications and follow their instructions.

Various tools and services are available to simplify and automate these tasks, such as backup plugins, security plugins, and performance optimization plugins.  However, it should be noted that all these tools can slow down your website and create even more tasks to perform (as they will also need maintenance)

Anyone who owns or operates a WordPress website might need WordPress management tasks done for them instead (I can do this for you). This includes sole traders, small businesses, bloggers, individuals, non-profit organizations, and government agencies, among others.

There are several reasons why you might need WordPress management. For example, you may not have the technical skills or time to manage your website yourself, or you may want to focus on running your business rather than managing your website. Additionally, you may want to ensure that your website is always up-to-date, secure, and optimized for performance, which requires ongoing maintenance and management which you may forget to do or run out of time to accomplish.

Some other jobs my ‘done for you’ WordPress management tasks are:

• Scanning your website for malware and other security threats

• Regularly backing up your website data to prevent loss of important information

• Updating WordPress core, plugins, and themes to ensure compatibility and stability

• Monitoring the ‘uptime’ and instantly correcting a website if it ‘goes down’

• Being on hand to provide jargon-free tech advice and support where needed

• SEO Checks and Reports

• Checking for broken links

• On-Demand backups for big changes

Why use WordPress if it needs this work?

WordPress is considered to be an extremely popular and powerful platform for website creation and management for several reasons:

1. Easy to use: WordPress is user-friendly and easy to navigate, even for those with little or no technical experience.

2. Customizable: WordPress is highly customizable, with a vast range of themes and plugins available that allow users to add functionality and design to their site.

3. Open source: WordPress is open-source software, which means that it is free to use, modify and distribute.

4. SEO-friendly: WordPress is built with SEO in mind, with features such as clean and optimized code, customizable permalinks, and easy integration with SEO plugins.

5. Large community: WordPress has a large and supportive community of developers, users, and contributors who constantly work to improve the platform and develop new features.

6. E-commerce ready: WordPress has many e-commerce plugins available, making it easy to set up and manage an online store.

7. Mobile responsive: WordPress is mobile-responsive by default, which means that it works well on all devices, including smartphones and tablets.

Overall, these features and benefits make WordPress one of the most versatile and powerful platforms for website creation and management.

Don’t let your WordPress website fall behind!

Get daily WordPress management tasks for just £30 per month, including crucial security checks, theme and plugin updates, daily backups, and optional extra backups.

Plus, take advantage of my broken link monitor, performance checker, uptime monitor, and SEO ranking checker to ensure your website is always running smoothly (included).

Keep your website secure and up-to-date by signing up for my WordPress management services today!

Analysing your competitors’ websites can be a valuable way to improve your digital marketing strategy.

However, it’s essential to keep in mind that website competitors are not necessarily the same as business competitors.

1. Learn from SEO Savvy Competitors

Take a look at your competitors who are performing well in search engine rankings. Analyse their website structure, the content they publish, and their keyword strategy. Emulate what they are doing, such as using similar keywords, optimising website structure, and leveraging social media to promote content.

2. Identify Serious Gaps with Less Savvy Competitors

Less savvy competitors can also provide valuable insights. Identify gaps in their website and marketing strategies that you can exploit. You can leapfrog over them and gain a competitive edge in the market. For example, look for areas where they lack content, have poor user experience, or lack optimisation for specific keywords.

3. Use keywords to Sneak Peek at Competitors

Start by checking a keyword you would like to rank for in search engines. Use the incognito mode on your web browser to see the search results as they appear to the general public. This way, you can analyse the competition without any biases. Here are some things to look for when analysing search results:

• Check the top results and see if they are actually business competitors.

• Look for any website showing up on page one more than once.

• Determine if your competitors are paying for ads.

• Look at related keyword suggestions at the bottom of the page.

• Check if the results are mostly directories or direct businesses.

• Analyse if the websites have reviews and ratings.

4. Deconstruct Your Top Competitors’ Websites

Identify three competitors from the search results and go to their websites to analyse them in detail. Here are some things to look for when deconstructing their website:

• Check the title, description, and page URL for keywords.

• See which page opens when you click on the link.

• Use the “CTRL” or “CMD” and “F” keys to find out how many times the keyword appears on the page.

• Look at the page source for metadata.  To view the page source you can right-click most websites and choose ‘View Page Source.  If this option is unavailable they may have disabled it.  You can override this by putting “view-source:” at the beginning of the URL in the address bar then hit ‘enter’.

• Analyse if they have backlinks, which can indicate their website’s authority.

To streamline your competitor analysis, you can also use tools such as Moz.com’s Competitor Tool to find out more about your competitors’ website metrics, backlinks, and search engine ranking.

Analysing your competitors’ websites can provide you with valuable insights and ideas to improve your digital marketing strategy.

Keep in mind that website competitors may differ from business competitors, and there are different things to look for when analysing their websites. By following the tips and tricks mentioned above, you can improve your online presence and gain a competitive edge in the market.

Imagine you want to make a picture book to share with your friends. You draw all the pictures and write the story, but you need a place to keep the book so that your friends can see it.

In the same way, when people make a website, they need a special place to keep all the pictures, text, and other things that make up the website so that other people can see it.

This special place is called website hosting. It’s like a big computer that is always connected to the internet and stores all the files that make up a website.

So, just like you might keep your picture book on a shelf for your friends to see, a website is kept on a special computer (host) that lets people all over the world see the website anytime they want, just by typing in the website address.

Sure! When someone creates a website, they first need to choose a name for their website, which is called a domain name.  The domain name is the address people use to find a website on the internet, like the address of a house or a building.

Once a domain name is chosen, the website owner needs to find a place to store the files that make up the website, which is where hosting comes in. Hosting is the service that provides a computer called a server to store the website files and make them accessible on the internet.

When someone wants to access a website, they type the domain name into their web browser. The browser then sends a request to the server where the website is hosted, asking for the website files. The server sends the files back to the browser, which then displays the website to the user.

Hosting providers typically offer different types of hosting plans, such as shared hosting, VPS hosting, or dedicated hosting, which determine the resources and level of control the website owner has over the server.

Website hosting is an essential component of the online presence of any website.

It plays a crucial role in ensuring that a website is accessible to visitors and provides a reliable platform for storing and delivering website files.

When it comes to choosing a hosting provider, there are several factors to consider. One important consideration is the type of hosting plan that best suits your needs. Shared hosting is a popular option for small websites or beginners as it involves sharing server resources with other websites. It is cost-effective and requires minimal technical knowledge to manage. However, the downside is that resources are shared, which can lead to slower loading times if other websites on the server experience high traffic.

For websites that require more resources and flexibility, virtual private server (VPS) hosting is a suitable choice. With VPS hosting, a physical server is divided into multiple virtual servers, each with its allocated resources. This allows website owners to have more control over their server environment and better scalability.

Alternatively, dedicated hosting provides the highest level of control and performance. In this type of hosting, an entire physical server is dedicated to a single website, ensuring optimal performance and security. Dedicated hosting is typically used by large websites with high traffic volumes and specific resource requirements.

In addition to the hosting plan, it is essential to consider the reliability and uptime of the hosting provider. Downtime can lead to a loss of visitors and potential customers, so selecting a reputable hosting provider with a proven track record of reliability is crucial. Reading reviews and seeking recommendations from other website owners can be helpful in making an informed decision.

Security is a significant concern for websites.

Hosting providers offer different levels of security measures, such as firewalls, malware scanning, and SSL certificates, to protect websites from cyber threats and ensure the safety of visitors’ data. It is important to choose a hosting provider that prioritizes security and offers robust measures to safeguard your website.

Lastly, consider the scalability and support options provided by the hosting provider. As your website grows, you may need additional resources or assistance from the hosting company. Opt for a hosting provider that offers scalability options to accommodate your website’s growth and provides reliable customer support to address any technical issues or inquiries.

Website hosting is the service that provides a place to store and deliver website files to visitors who access the website through its domain name.

It is crucial to choose the right hosting provider and plan based on your website’s requirements, considering factors such as hosting type, reliability, security, scalability, and customer support. With the right hosting solution, your website can thrive and provide an enjoyable experience for visitors worldwide.