That often leaves us with some form of technical debt. It could be a WordPress theme that isn’t compatible with the latest version of PHP. Or a hacked-together layout that won’t adapt to future needs. The worst case is software that is no longer supported.

It will impact every website sooner or later. There are ways to manage or even prevent it, though.

So, how do you keep technical debt from becoming a nightmare? Let’s review a few tips for minimizing the impact.

Build with Sustainability in Mind

The first step is to reduce the chances for technical debt to take hold. In practice, it’s about building with sustainability in mind.

There are several things you can do. For one, use tools that are popular and well-maintained. It’s not a guarantee of smooth sailing. It does increase the chances of future viability, though.

Let’s use WordPress as an example. The content management system (CMS) has existed for over 20 years. It is continually updated. A large ecosystem of themes and plugins is also thriving.

Perhaps there’s another CMS that catches your eye. It hit the market only recently – there aren’t many users yet.

There’s nothing wrong with this new CMS. But is it sustainable? Only time will tell. Therefore, it may not be the best long-term solution. Using it comes with some level of risk.

Best practices also guard against technical debt. Use the latest standards when writing code. Don’t rely on CSS hacks to build layouts. Comment your code and take detailed notes.

The idea is to think about the present and future. That could save you some headaches down the road.

Perform Regular Audits of Your Website

The status of your stack can change in an instant. Thus, it’s a good idea to perform regular audits.

A website audit should cover both hardware and software. On the hardware side, make sure your web hosting is still viable. Check your site’s performance and resource usage. The results should tell you if you need to upgrade.

You’ll also want to look closely at the software you’re using. Start with the server’s OS. Move on to versions of PHP, MySQL, or whatever you have in place. These items are crucial to your site’s well-being.

From there, it’s time to look at your CMS, themes, and plugins. Also, review any software dependencies – JavaScript libraries are a good example.

Look for outdated items. Are updates available? Is it still actively maintained?

This process will help you identify potential problems. From there, you can take action.

So, how often should you audit your site? A yearly review is fine for small websites. Large and mission-critical sites would benefit from biannual or quarterly inspections.

Use Change as an Opportunity

Perhaps you found an item or two that needs addressing. That’s OK – change is inevitable!

The good news is that change also presents an opportunity. You can reassess how your website is working. There is a chance to build a more stable foundation for the future.

In some cases, you may have to swap one item for another. For example, maybe a WordPress plugin you use has been abandoned.

Now is the time to find a replacement that will offer better longevity. It’s also possible that you no longer need what the old plugin offers. That’s one way to reduce technical debt.

You might also need to modernize your code. We often do this when dealing with PHP compatibility issues.

It’s not only a chance to use the latest version of PHP. You can also look for ways to improve functionality and security. After all, reviewing the code you wrote years ago can show how far you’ve come. There’s a chance to build it better and stronger.

You can do more than bring your website up to date. You can also make forward-thinking changes. The hope is that you can lessen the technical debt you have today – and for the future.

Take Control of Your Site’s Technical Debt

Every website will deal with technical debt. That’s part of its lifecycle.

The difference is in how much debt you’ll face. Critical thinking early in the site-building process can reduce your burden. To that end, always search for the most stable and functional solution.

Changes will come eventually. That’s an opportunity to recalibrate your approach. You can review what works and what doesn’t. The lessons you learn will come in handy as your site evolves.

The key is to think about each step you take. Consider how it will impact your site today, tomorrow, and a year from now.

You probably won’t eliminate the need for change. However, you can learn how to make change more manageable.

The post How to Manage Your Website’s Technical Debt appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

There are also some responsibilities, though. Making sure your installation is up-to-date is among them. And software updates come frequently. Experts tell us to apply updates as they are released. Doing so improves website security, squashes bugs, and adds features.

We may assume that hitting the update button is the right thing to do. But what could go wrong? Is there a potential for harm?

That came to light during a supply chain attack on multiple WordPress plugins. Hackers infiltrated each plugin’s code repository. From there, they added malicious code to otherwise legitimate software. Once installed, that code created a shadow administrator account. It’s scary stuff.

Perhaps this isn’t a common scenario. But it’s a reminder to take precautions before installing an update.

Here are some tips to keep your site safe when updating WordPress.

Find out What’s Changing

Yes, you can automatically update WordPress core, plugins, and themes. That puts you at risk for a supply chain attack, however.

There’s nothing wrong with automatically updating minor versions of WordPress core. They often contain security fixes. But it’s safer to update plugins and themes manually.

You’ll want to know what’s changing and why. A little research will tell you everything you need to know.

First, take a look at what updates are available for your site. Navigate to Dashboard > Updates to see what’s available.

Next, take note of any plugin and theme updates. Plugins offer version details. Click the link next to each item to see them.

Plugins hosted on WordPress.org also have a support forum. Check them to see if other users have reported issues. You may also find notes from the developer.

It will take a bit more research for items hosted elsewhere. You might check their documentation, private support forum, or GitHub repository.

These details will help you make an informed decision. Seeing bug reports, for example, may lead you to hold off on updating.

Feel free to ask questions if you have concerns. Knowledge is power, as they say.

Back up Your Website Frequently

Security isn’t the only potential issue here. A software update could cause other problems. You might find a compatibility issue. Or an update might introduce a conflict with another plugin or theme. There’s also a chance that the update will fail.

It’s never a bad idea to back up your site before applying updates. You’ll have peace of mind knowing you can roll back if needed.

Your web host may provide backup capabilities. If not, you can also use a backup plugin. These options are usually seamless. Choose one that fits your desired workflow.

A tool that creates incremental backups is preferred. The feature improves the efficiency of both backing up and restoring your site.

And don’t forget about backing up your database! Some updates make changes there as well.

Test Each Update for Issues

Don’t update and walk away. You’ll never know what sort of trouble you left behind. At least, not until a client discovers it.

Be sure to test updates after installing them. Ideally, you’ll have a staging environment to work with. That gives you the freedom to test without impacting users.

So, what should you test? That depends on the type of updates you installed.

If you updated WooCommerce, look at your site’s products. Add an item to your cart and test the checkout process. Edit a product or setting from the WordPress dashboard. Be on the lookout for anything that doesn’t work as expected.

Follow the same pattern for other items. Determine what could be impacted by the update. Then, test on both the front and back ends.

You can use your browser’s developer tools to help. For example, the console tab will alert you to issues like 404 and JavaScript errors. These can affect stability and site performance.

The process shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. And you’ll rest easy knowing that everything is working correctly.

A Holistic Approach to Updating WordPress

We all appreciate convenience – especially with mundane tasks. Such is the case with updating WordPress. It’s easy to hit the update button without a second thought.

That puts your site at risk, however. There are a myriad of things that can go wrong. Therefore, it’s worth paying attention.

Perform some research regarding each update. Get a sense of what is changing. From there, you can gauge the potential impact.

In some cases, you might want to delay installing an update. That’s OK. Only security-related updates should be considered an emergency.

Being proactive also means keeping site backups. That will be your safety net should something go wrong. Testing on a staging environment is also recommended.

The bottom line is to pay attention. Your site and its users will be glad you did.

The post How to Stay Safe When Updating WordPress appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

Websites that feature eCommerce or memberships are prime examples. Each plugin may store data in a different spot. Some create separate database tables. Others use the default WordPress locales.

Export plugins exist that help in some – but not all – circumstances. For example, you might be able to export customer orders. However, grabbing additional data not directly related to those orders may not be possible.

Writing a custom query is another option. But you’ll need to know your way around PHP and MySQL. Not everyone has the expertise to do so.

Artificial intelligence (AI) can help. As I discovered, tools like ChatGPT can do the dirty work. It simplified the process and saved me loads of time. Perhaps it saved my sanity as well.

Here’s how to use AI to get what you need from the WordPress database.

Before We Get Started

There are a few items we should mention before starting:

• Back up Your Site’s Database or Create a Local Copy of Your Site
  None of what we’re doing here should hurt your database. However, create a fresh backup – just in case.
• You can also create a local copy of your site for experimenting. That enables you to work without the risk of harming your production website.
• Have Access to a ChatGPT Account
  We’re using ChatGPT for this demo. Therefore, you’ll want to have access to a free account. You can follow along and experiment.

Other AI tools, such as Google Gemini, may also work. The point is to use an AI tool that will generate code.

Also, a warning: Use caution when generating code. AI tools can make mistakes! Review the code before using it.

What Are You Doing with the Data?
There are a couple of things you can do with the data you retrieve:

• Display the data on the front end of your site;
• Download a CSV file that contains the data;

You’ll want to determine this beforehand. The process is a bit different depending on your choice.

Oh, and you’ll also need access to your site’s database. Access to your theme is required for displaying data on the front end.

Retrieving User Data from Different Plugins

Now, onto our experiment. Let’s take a common sticking point and try to make sense of it.

Our fictional website has two purposes. We sell various products with WooCommerce. Customers come to our site, create accounts, and order from us.

On the other side of the coin, we also sell memberships. Our members pay for access to exclusive content. We use the Restrict Content Pro plugin to power this feature.

Both WooCommerce and Restrict Content Pro have reporting features. For example, we can find out how many members we have. Or the number of WooCommerce customers.

But what if we want to combine this data? There’s no straightforward way to do this. So, let’s see if AI can help.

Step 1: Find the Data You Want

The first step is to determine what data you want to retrieve. Then, you’ll need to find the data inside the WordPress database.

Our goal is to create a CSV export file that includes users who are:

• A customer in our WooCommerce shop AND…
• Have an active membership via Restrict Content Pro;

Data isn’t always easy to locate. In some cases, you may need to reference plugin documentation. Or contact their technical support. A thorough database search can help if all else fails.

In our case, WooCommerce and Restrict Content Pro create custom database tables. That will make our job a bit easier.

• WooCommerce table names use the ‘wp_wc‘ prefix.
• Restrict Content Pro table names use the ‘wp_rcp‘ prefix.

We’ll also want to bring in data from the ‘wp_users‘ and ‘wp_usermeta‘ tables. That allows us to tie customer and membership data to specific users.

With that in mind, we’ll look for the following information:

Step 2: Ask ChatGPT to Create a Database Query

Next, we’ll ask ChatGPT for some help. We’ll want to provide a clear explanation of the task.

Here’s the prompt I used:

I'd like to create a MySQL database query for a WordPress website. I only want to retrieve users who have both a WooCommerce Customer ID and a membership via Restrict Content Pro.

Here is the data I'd like to retrieve:

From the wp_users database table:
ID

From the wp_usermeta database table:
Meta Key: first_name
Meta Key: last_name

From the wp_wc_customer_lookup database table:
customer_id

From the wp_rcp_memberships database table:
status
object_id

Step 3: Get the Response

ChatGPT’s response included a code snippet and a detailed explanation of it (view the full response). The snippet joins multiple database tables together to produce a single report.

So, how do we see if it works? We can run the query in a tool that connects to the site’s database. I’m using a local website that includes AdminerEvo.

You could also use phpMyAdmin, MySQL Workbench, or similar apps. ChatGPT can even provide instructions for whatever app you’re using.

I’ve pasted the query into the SQL Command screen inside AdminerEvo.

Step 4: Study the Results

The results are in! Our fictional website has 198 users. 15 of them have a paid membership. There are also 200 product orders.

So, how many are WooCommerce customers and Restrict Content Pro members? A grand total of seven.

The query results returned the columns we requested. From here, we can tweak things further or export the data.

Going Further with AI

Our example query may seem simple. However, bringing together data from multiple plugins is challenging. A custom solution is often the only solution.

I’m no coding expert. Thus, figuring out how to get data became frustrating. Thankfully, AI has proven to be a terrific tool for the job.

It’s one of the areas where this technology shines. Many of us struggle to write this sort of code on our own. Writing a prompt describing what we want isn’t so bad, however.

There are also opportunities to take things further. We could change our prompt to display data on a WordPress page. Or return data relevant to the currently logged-in user.

A working knowledge of PHP and MySQL can take you a long way. So, experiment and see what you can accomplish. And be sure to add up all the time you save in the process!

The post How to Use ChatGPT to Export Data from a WordPress Database appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

One recent debate involves the WordPress Site Editor. The feature allows us to design and build an entire website within the browser.

Some find this to be a great leap forward. But others are concerned that it gives site owners too much control. They worry that there aren’t enough protections to keep a client from accidentally breaking the layout. I believe that there are valid points on each side.

But this discussion also got me thinking about how we train clients. Is the Site Editor (or any tool, for that matter) relevant to them? Do they need to know every aspect of how their website works? And where do we draw the line about what’s important?

Let’s explore the challenges in educating clients about their websites. Along the way, I’ll share my thoughts on why knowing it all isn’t all that great.

The Risk of Overwhelming Your Clients

Modern websites are becoming more complex. And it’s not just the high-end enterprise variety. Even an old-school “brochure” site can have several moving parts.

We can thank the proliferation of content management systems (CMS) for that. These apps allow for greater flexibility. But that also means more code. Themes, plugins, and custom creations each add another layer to the mix.

This makes educating clients more challenging. Limited time and resources may force us to leave out certain items. Thus, we can’t easily provide a complete explanation of every feature.

Perhaps this sounds like bad news. But that’s not necessarily the case. By focusing on the essentials, we’re helping clients understand what’s most relevant.

Take automobiles, for example. Cars come with all manner of complex systems. But do we know how each one works? To do so, we might have to spend weeks (or months) in a specialized course. And our heads would likely be swimming in superfluous facts and figures.

If the goal is to empower clients to perform specific tasks, it’s OK to skip past the things that don’t impact them.

What’s Important? Look at a Client’s Workflow

The areas of focus for client training aren’t always obvious. Some tasks, like logging in, are universal. But there will also be unique aspects as well.

Much depends on what your client wants to accomplish. Maybe they will be publishing articles or regularly adding events to a calendar. They might focus on processing eCommerce orders.

This information is vital. It helps guide us in how to effectively implement features. And it also gives us an idea of a client’s workflow. From there, we can design a training program that fits their needs.

It starts with the initial conversations you have with them. As you learn the project’s details, you’ll be able to ask questions about how they plan to interact with their site.

In addition, you’ll also have an idea of what can safely be left out. For instance, consider a client who won’t need to touch their home page layout. There’s no reason to spend precious time demonstrating a feature they won’t use.

Are Some Features Better Left Hidden?

Hiding or choosing to ignore certain features can sound suspicious. Some may see it as trickery. But that’s not the goal here.

To expand on that idea, let’s revisit the WordPress Site Editor. It’s a design tool intended to make for easier template changes. Thus, it’s not likely to be part of a client’s day-to-day workflow.

You might still mention that the feature exists. And you could even give a quick summary of its purpose. In that case, a friendly warning about the potential dangers should also be offered. But a deep dive into how it works is probably not necessary.

In my experience, clients tend to be focused on their to-do lists. Website tasks are often only a part of their responsibilities. Therefore, the more efficient we can be in training, the better it is for all parties.

And this doesn’t preclude us from exploring features later. As a client evolves, there could be an opportunity to dig into something you previously ignored. But initially, the features covered should be based on need.

Clients Don’t Need To Know It All

When you think about it, most of us buy products without understanding their every facet. Cars, mobile devices, and all manner of appliances come to mind.

The ability to operate these items is what matters. Do we need to know exactly how our microwave oven heats a meal? It may make for great party conversation. However, knowing how to use it is probably more important.

Websites are no different. We build them to suit our client’s needs. And we help them learn what they need to know to achieve their goals.

The most relevant information, therefore, is the best use of everyone’s time. Everything else is secondary.

The post Do Clients Need To Know How Their Website Works? appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

Each website within that network can have its own users, themes, and plugins. As a super admin, you have a wide range of control over what is and isn’t allowed for those sites. For example, you can set things up so that sites can only choose from a limited selection of pre-installed themes or plugins that you deem acceptable.

That makes multisite perfect for grouping together any number of sites within an organization. Large companies, educational institutions, or like-minded communities can leverage this tool to bring several related factions under one big umbrella.

Naturally, the WordPress developer community has been on board with multisite for several years. As a result, there is a large selection of handy multisite-specific and compatible plugins to add all kinds of different functionality. Today, we’ll introduce you to some selections that we think are among the most essential.

The Top WordPress Plugins for Multisite

WordPress Multisite Enhancement Plugin

Multisite Enhancements offers several helpful features for administrators. For starters, it will show you which sites are using a particular plugin – which can be incredibly difficult to discern on large networks.

In addition, it will serve up each site’s ID, current memory usage, and whether or not a site is using SSL. There are plenty of little tweaks that make for more efficient network management.

Broadcast Multisite WordPress Plugin

While it doesn’t have a large userbase, Broadcast is one of those plugins that offers something really useful: The ability to share content across multiple sites on the same network.

This is perfect, say, for a retail store that has a site for each one of its physical locations. Plus, there are a ton of commercial add-ons that offer compatibility with popular plugins, along with other desirable functionality.

Security Audit Log for WordPress Multisite

WP Security Audit Log works for all sites but could be of particular interest to multisite admins. The plugin provides an easy way to keep track of all changes made to sites throughout your network.

What’s more, super admins can delegate access to event logs and settings across other user roles – or block everyone else out. Either way, you’ll stay on top of who’s doing what.

User Switching WordPress Multisite Plugin

Attempting to troubleshoot user-related issues on a busy multisite network is difficult.

With User Switching, admins and super admins can easily switch between any user account. This allows you to see things as individual users do and will help track down problems more quickly.

Disable Comments for WordPress Multisite

Not everyone needs comments. And trying to manage them on a large network of sites is a bit like herding cats. Disable Comments lets you shut down comments (even the mere mention of them) on both the front and back end of your install. Alternately, you can block only specific post types if you wish.

NS Cloner WordPress Multisite Plugin

If you need to quickly replicate an existing site in your network, NS Cloner will do the trick. The plugin will copy virtually everything from the target site, including theme settings, plugin configurations and content. In the right situation, this could be a huge timesaver.

Inactive Logout for WordPress Multisite

Inactive Logout can be very useful if your network has many users who need to access the back end. Invariably, someone is always leaving themselves logged in for hours at a time – even when they’re not at their computer.

The plugin can be set to log out inactive users after a specific period of time, helping to mitigate an unnecessary security risk.

Classic Editor for WordPress Multisite

Maybe the Classic Editor is far from a multisite specialist. But it does offer some key features for super admins. First, it offers the ability to turn off the block editor (a.k.a. Gutenberg) network-wide.

Alternately, you can leave things up to individual site admins. This option allows each site in the network to use the content editor they feel most comfortable with.

Multiple Possibilities

There are several real advantages to opting for a multisite network rather than using separate WordPress installs. The biggest may be that administration is much more efficient, as everything you need can be accessed from one place.

And with the added boost provided by the plugins above, you can tweak a network to match your workflow better.

The post 8 Best Free Plugins for WordPress Multisite appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

Using WordPress as your base platform provides a number of plugin-based options. Over the past several years, I’ve had the experience of using several of them to build in membership capabilities for a variety of websites. Each one presented unique challenges, including some that didn’t match up with the functionality offered by the chosen plugin.

All told, there are a lot of things to consider. So, before you decide which path to take, think about the following factors. They’ll help you develop a plan of attack for your project.

Types of Available Memberships

The first thing to look at is what type of memberships the site will offer. For instance, you’ll want to determine if there will be single or multiple levels. The more levels you offer, the more complex your setup will likely be.

Multi-tiered memberships often mean that each level has its own separate set of benefits. Some levels may have access to more content (we’ll discuss that in a moment) or require the ability to allow members to set up “sub-accounts”.

eCommerce may also play a role here. If you plan to charge for membership, it’s important to map out how you plan to collect fees. That not only means picking a compatible payment gateway, but also whether you’ll want memberships to be renewed. Depending on your choice, members could be renewed automatically or manually.

Lastly, plan for how members will access their account. In many setups, you won’t want anyone except administrators to have access to the WordPress Dashboard. The ability to access account information from the front end may be a desirable feature to have.

Access to Content

Next on your to-do list is to determine what, if any, special access your site’s members will require. This could be anything from a single “Members Only” page to walling off specific categories or custom post types.

If you have more than one membership type, this often means restricting content based on level. This can be done via custom user roles, either manually through custom code or plugin settings. Custom code may provide more flexibility, while a plugin will be much easier to use.

And, if your site will allow anyone to join (as opposed to a private organization), it’s worth thinking about what the public can access. This could mean offering a trial membership that “drips” content or simply making some content fully-available to everyone.

Another, often overlooked, consideration is how you want search engines to treat protected content. Some membership plugins offer control over this, while others require you to develop your own solution. If you don’t want members-only content to be indexed by Google, plan ahead. Many SEO plugins will allow you to turn off indexing for these areas.

Member Data

Chances are, you’ll want to have access to your membership data. This can include the basics, such as names and email addresses. But there’s a lot more you can (ethically) collect and things you can do with it. And, there are also some concerns with how you handle it.

Mailing Lists
A membership plugin that ties in with a mailing list service such as MailChimp can be great for putting together a newsletter. A simple checkbox on your signup form or profile will allow members to opt in.

Reporting
Running membership data through reporting software (or via built-in membership reports) can help you determine trends. For instance, you might notice that more people are joining during a certain month or maybe your members are concentrated in a specific region. You can also better judge the effectiveness marketing campaigns, etc.

Custom Data
There may be data you want to collect that is specific to your organization. Things like educational background or areas of expertise. This can help you better target content and services to specific groups of members. If your membership plugin doesn’t have this capability, something like Advanced Custom Fields could be used to further tweak member profiles.

Exporting
Exporting data in WordPress can be tricky – especially if you use more than one plugin to collect member info. That information can be spread all over your site’s database. Therefore, you’ll want to determine where the data you need is stored and find an effective solution for exporting it to your preferred format.

Privacy Concerns
Any data your members provide should be protected to the best of your abilities. Make sure you use SSL and only collect the information that is necessary. And you’ll want to ensure compliance with GDPR or other local regulations. WordPress has some of this capability built into core, but plugins may not necessarily comply. If you’re unsure, ask the plugin’s author about ways to scrub a user’s data.

Keep Members Happy

Above all, every decision you make with regards to building a membership site should be on the side of member happiness. Keep things simple in terms of navigation and the ability for members to manage their accounts. Employ those little UI enhancements that make interacting with the website easy and fun.

And, once your site is up and running, it’s a good idea to solicit member feedback. You might receive some helpful suggestions that you can use to further improve the experience.

WordPress affords you the opportunity to build a membership site to match your needs. But planning is crucial. Take time to consider what’s required and then implement the right tools to make it all come together.

The post How to Build a Successful Membership Site with WordPress appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

And, seeing as how so many of us reap rewards from the web design community, it’s only natural to want to give something back. However, finding a way to do so isn’t always so clear-cut. Maybe you have a desire to do something positive, but what should that be?

Thankfully, there are a number of different avenues you can take. It’s just a matter of finding a way to contribute that is the best fit for both your skills and personality.

That’s where we come in! Let’s look at some things you can do to help out your fellow web designers (and maybe make the world a better place in the process).

Lend a Hand in Support Forums

When a web designer runs into a roadblock while working on a project, where do they turn? Quite often, it’s a support forum such as Stack Overflow. Or it may be something a bit more niche, such as the WordPress.org support forums.

These communities are great for getting even the toughest questions answered. Whether it’s a sticky situation with CSS or perplexing PHP, odds are you have been helped by an answer found in one of these resources somewhere along the line.

That is reason enough to pitch in and pay it forward. If you happen to see a fellow developer who has an unanswered query that’s in your area of expertise, feel free to offer a helping hand. Just be sure to respect any community guidelines that are in place.

Even if you don’t have the exact answer, it’s still possible to point someone in the right direction. That alone can lift a huge weight off of their shoulders when problem-solving.

Contribute to an Open-Source Project

Open-source tools are a boon to web designers – and maybe to mankind as a whole. Just the idea of people collaborating on a project that benefits all is inspiring (we’re getting a bit misty-eyed just thinking about it).

These projects run the gamut from large applications like WordPress all the way to tiny CSS frameworks. It seems like there is something to help with virtually every aspect of building or maintaining a website.

The thing is, many of these ventures rely solely on dedicated volunteers. They need people who can contribute code, test out bug fixes, write documentation and handle support. The bigger the app, the greater the need.

If there’s a particular open-source project that you enjoy, why not offer up your talents? Even a small commitment of your time can be a big help in keeping things moving forward.

Create and Share Your Own Resources

Whether your specialty is in code or design, you have something positive to offer the web design community. If you’re feeling especially generous, you might even share something of your own creation.

This can take a number of forms. It could be in building your own open-source app. Or perhaps you let your inner-artist shine by releasing a free UI kit or set of custom icons. If you’re a coder, adding tutorials to your blog or snippets to your GitHub profile can serve as a valuable resource for others as well. Business advice is also a well-received contribution.

You don’t have to necessarily be an expert or commit to something that’s going to take up all of your free time. The point is more about offering up items, however small, that other web designers can benefit from. The fact that it reflects your particular talents makes it all the more meaningful.

Become a Mentor to Other Web Designers

There’s an old adage that says, “each one, teach one”. The idea is that taking the time to teach someone can lead to great things. And, if enough of us participate, the community as a whole will reap the rewards.

That certainly applies when it comes to mentorship. By taking another web designer under your wing, you can help them reach their potential. They, in turn, can do the same for someone else.

Again, you don’t have to be the world’s foremost expert on web design. Sometimes, being a mentor is more about being a good listener. Find out what your mentee’s goals are and offer tidbits of advice where you can.

Of course, this kind of relationship will likely cover things like code or design techniques. But it might also include the experience of dealing with clients, learning new skills or discussing ideas.

Giving a little bit of your time and knowledge can make a difference in someone’s life and career. Plus, it also provides you with a warm and fuzzy feeling. It’s a win-win situation!

Promote Best Practices and Ethics

You may not realize it, but if you’re promoting best practices and ethical behavior – you’re benefitting the entire web design community.

For example, touting the virtues of accessibility and standards-based code on social media does two things: It spreads the good word about these subjects and it can help to convince web designers to adopt them.

Then there’s the way you serve clients. It’s a matter of both putting best practices into action and treating clients in an ethical manner. By doing so, you are helping the industry build and maintain a great reputation.

In the grand scheme of things, these are little steps. But, over time, they add up to something substantial.

Giving Back Is Its Own Reward

We hope that the ideas above have inspired you to give your time and skills to make the web design community a better place. And, if you’re already contributing in some way, hopefully they’ve reinforced why you’re doing so.

Of course, these are but a few potential options. The web is a great big place and there is no shortage of room for innovation. You may find a different way to share your creativity and unique experiences.

It’s a safe bet that each one of us has benefitted from the kindness, generosity and wealth of resources this community has to offer. So, let’s all pitch in and keep it going, shall we?

The post 5 Ways You Can Contribute to the Web Design Community appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

But with that flexibility also is the reality that it’s easy to do things the “wrong” way. Now, in this case, “wrong” means that something is either inefficient or a bit of a pain to maintain down the road. While it may work in the sense of being functional, there are usually better ways to get things done.

Let’s have a look at five of the more common mistakes found in theme development, along with alternatives that will save you future headaches.

1. Using Absolute URLs in Templates

If you’ve ever looked at the HTML code a WordPress page or post produces, you’ll notice that both images and internal links use absolute (full) URLs. But this isn’t the best way to get things done when adding code to your theme templates.

As an example, let’s say you are developing a website that is using a temporary URL. A hardcoded absolute URL in a template means that you’ll have to manually make code changes when you are ready to launch the site on its permanent domain. While this can be done, it’s too easy to forget all of the spots where this type of code could be lurking.

WordPress has built-in ways to determine the correct URL – pulled right from the Settings > General area of the Dashboard.

For a link, echoing esc_url( home_url() ) will provide a full path to the home page. So, instead of explicitly placing the URL in your code, you could add a simple link back to your home page like so:

<a href="<?php echo esc_url( home_url() ); ?>" />Home</a>

What’s more, you can also use this to point to secondary pages. For example, if we wanted to link to our site’s About Us page, we could use the following code:

<a href="<?php echo esc_url( home_url() ); ?>/about-us/" />About Us</a>

A similar snippet also works for images. This example pulls an image from our active theme’s /images/ subfolder:

<img src="<?php echo esc_url( get_stylesheet_directory_uri() ) ; ?>/images/hello.png" />

2. Adding Scripts and Styles Directly to a Template

Using third-party scripts and styles with WordPress is a world of its own. When you first start out in building themes, you may be tempted to simply place <script> or <style> tags, or even a Google Font embed code directly into your theme’s header. This is generally how things are done with static HTML sites, so it makes sense to do the same here.

But, like just about everything else in WordPress, there is a better way to go about it. Instead, take advantage of wp_enqueue_script() and wp_enqueue_style() – which add scripts and stylesheets to the correct spots for you. It also makes managing assets that much easier, as everything is called from your theme’s functions.php file.

Rather than reinvent the wheel here, the WordPress Theme Handbook has a fantastic guide on how properly add scripts and styles to your theme.

3. Calling Outside Instances of jQuery

In a related note, one of the hidden secrets of WordPress is that it already includes a copy of jQuery, along with several popular UI features. So, you don’t need to install jQuery or call it remotely. This makes it easy to take advantage of the popular JavaScript library and implement elements such as tabs, datepickers, dialogs and a whole lot more.

The only catch is that you have to specifically enable the items you want to use through your theme’s functions.php file. While that creates a bit of a learning curve, it also cuts down on bloat.

And, truth be told, it’s not overly difficult to implement a desired jQuery UI element. For example, to enable the use of jQuery UI Tabs, just add the following snippet to your functions.php:

function my_jquery_elements() {
   wp_enqueue_script( 'jquery-ui-tabs', array('jquery'));
add_action( 'template_redirect', my_jquery_elements ', 10 );

This tells WordPress to load in the element from its already-existing library. From there, design your tabs and define them as specified in the jQuery UI documentation.

4. Taking Customization Too Far

The ability to add custom fields and custom post types can make life for both developers and site content editors much easier. They offer convenience, better content organization and a more intuitive UX. But sometimes we take it too far.

I’m a huge fan of custom fields, for example. But even I admit that there have been times when I’ve customized a theme to the point of inflexibility. Fields are great for setups where we know exactly what content will need to be input – like the fields of a staff member profile.

However, it can get messy when there are inconsistencies in the types of content someone wants to add. Clients are notorious for having “minor” exceptions in content that can make using customizations more difficult. Conditional logic can account for some of this, but you can only take it so far before the UI gets out of hand.

There are no hard and fast rules for this type of customization. The only thing we can really do is use our best judgment about what should be customized and what can be better left to either the WordPress content editor or even a niche plugin. When we do add fields or post types, just know that things could change down the road and try to build with that in mind.

5. Failing to Comment Code

I’m going to make another admission here: Commenting code is not one of my strong points. It’s not that I don’t use comments at all, but it’s more that they aren’t very articulate. Usually, I’ll point out the start and end of particular items with not a ton of insight in-between. Should I be doing more? Probably so.

Commenting is important because it at least provides some reference points within the code. When digging through PHP or JS files that contain more than one thing, you’ll want to know where to find a particular item.

Even if you’re the only one who will ever edit that code, comments are highly recommended. If, for instance, you need to change something six months from now, it’s unlikely that you’re going to remember the exact spot you placed a snippet of code.

So, I’m not going to be a huge hypocrite and implore you to comment everything with great depth. But I will say that even a minimal effort here makes future maintenance easier for you or another developer that has to comb through your work.

Better Techniques Over Time

Building your own WordPress theme can be a great experience. But it does take a good bit of practice to pick up on the finer details of creating a well-coded theme and easy to maintain. The more experience you gain, the more your techniques will evolve.

I can honestly say that the first few themes I put together were nowhere near as efficient as they are now. And I’m also certain that they still might not be up-to-snuff when viewed by a truly expert developer. In that sense, our evolution is a constant one.

Finally, I’d like to note that I have personally made every one of the mistakes mentioned above. It’s only through trial and error, along with several visits to the Codex, that I found out how to start doing things the “WordPress Way.”

The lesson is that we’re all going to make mistakes. But each one provides us with a chance to learn and improve.

The post How to Avoid Common WordPress Theme Development Mistakes appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

Modern websites have multiple dependencies. They include everything from PHP, your content management system (CMS), to JavaScript libraries. Even the classic 5-page brochure site can’t escape their clutches.

None of these items are immune to change. Sometimes, those changes add extra work to our plates.

The situation presents a multitude of challenges for developers. We may need to refactor a feature’s code. Or go through an arduous manual testing process. Both involve a lot of time and money.

So, how do you carry out such an endeavor? Here are some tips for managing software changes that impact your website.

Assess the Impact of the Change

On the surface, some software changes may not seem so serious. For example, updating your WordPress install. It’s often a routine task – until it’s not.

Sometimes, a theme or plugin undergoes an overhaul. The new version could mean changes to your implementation. Thus, you won’t want to click the “update” button until you assess what’s happening.

You can learn a lot by reading documentation regarding the change. For example, a changelog may offer vital information.

Hopefully, you’ll gain a clearer picture of what steps you need to take. If not, it’s time to contact the developer or post in a support forum.

We’re also assuming you have intimate knowledge of your website. That includes an understanding of how the site was built – along with its dependencies.

What if you inherited the website from another developer? You may need to dig a little deeper to gauge the impact of an update.

Create a Staging Environment for Testing

It’s always worth repeating: Don’t implement critical updates without testing. You run the risk of something breaking in the process. Not fun at all.

A staging environment will allow you to test without risk. It’s an exact copy of your website, hosted locally or on a remote server.

Think of a staging environment as a playground for experimentation. You can turn on debugging or install development tools to catch any errors. Plus, you can add and remove components like plugins or libraries.

You might make a mistake or two – but that’s OK. There’s always an opportunity to reverse your changes or start fresh.

A staging environment is perfect for process-oriented updates – like upgrading to a new version of PHP. You’ll have a separate space to investigate and repair each issue. Again, it’s not something you want to do on a production site.

Your web host may offer a staging option. That may be your best bet. Ideally, you’ll want to use a server configuration that is as close as possible to your production environment.

If that’s not possible, try to get as close as you can with a local install. Having a place to test is the most important thing.

Take Notes as You Test

Some web hosts allow you to push your changes from staging to production. However, this isn’t always an option. Therefore, you’ll want to take notes during testing.

There are a lot of steps involved with software changes. For example, you may have implemented several code tweaks. A crucial item could easily get lost in the process. That might be a problem when it’s time to launch.

Having some project documentation on hand can be helpful. It will serve as a reference as you deploy any changes.

What should you include in your notes? Here are a few ideas:

• A list of changed files;
• Changed server or CMS settings;
• Items (like plugins or libraries) that have been added or removed;

These examples are a starting point. Feel free to document anything you think is relevant to your project. You’ll be glad you took the initiative when looking back! This step lessens the chances of making a mistake.

Oh, and be sure to back up your site before making changes. That can be a lifesaver should something go awry.

Prepare for Launch

Now that you’ve tested (and taken good notes), it’s full speed ahead! Much of what happens next will depend on the scope of your project. However, there are a few best practices worth following.

The first is to schedule a time to make the required changes. Try to do so when user impact will be minimal. Be sure to give yourself enough time for deployment and testing. You’ll also want to alert any stakeholders of what’s happening.

Next, create a checklist of tasks. List each step of the process in order. It’s a simple thing – but handy for keeping track of progress.

Also, make sure you have access to everything you need. For example, you may need permission to overwrite files on the web server. Or the account details for a third-party provider.

And don’t forget about any two-factor authentication tied to client accounts. You may need to coordinate a time to gain access.

Once you’re fully prepared, you can move forward with confidence.

Turn Big Changes into No Big Deal

Updates to system software and site components could mean extra work. It’s a staple of website maintenance. And you never know when something new will pop up.

Web designers need all the help they can get. As websites have more moving parts, so does the likelihood of something major coming along.

It may sound a bit scary – but do not worry! A solid process can simplify matters.

Assess your situation, test on a staging environment, and document your work. Prepare for the change as you would a job interview. When something comes up, you’ll be able to handle it gracefully.

The post How to Handle Major Software Updates on Your Website appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

The best part? All of these books are completely free to download! We’ve curated this collection of our favorite free eBooks for your convenience.

Whether you’re interested in CSS, HTML, JavaScript, PHP, WordPress, Git, UX, or any other web-related topic, you’ll find something that piques your interest. These eBooks come in various formats, including HTML, PDF, and even ePub, so you can choose the one that suits you best.

General Web Design eBooks

Web Typography eBooks

Web Performance eBooks

Web Accessibility eBooks

CSS & HTML eBooks

JavaScript & PHP eBooks

WordPress eBooks

Git eBooks

User Experience eBooks

General Design eBooks

The post 50 Free eBooks for Web Designers & Developers appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.