What crucial WordPress security issues you be aware of?

WordPress is the most popular Content Management System (CMS) worldwide, powering more than a third of all websites existing today. Its popularity also makes it an appealing target for cyberattacks, and it too has its share of security vulnerabilities.

While WordPress may have its own security issues, it isn’t the only platform that is targeted by cyber-criminals, with the theft of data becoming a highly lucrative business. From personal blogs to large business websites, no one has been safe from the potential threats posed by malicious actors. Regardless of if your site is a small blog or a large business, you need to know how to secure your website regardless of its purpose. Top of any list should be installing the UpdraftPlus backup plugin – The world’s most popular and highest rated backup plugin. In the event that you should ever find yourself a victim of an attack, you can at least rest easy in the knowledge that you have a secure backup in order to restore your site. 

Here are some WordPress Security issues you should know about and how to address them;

1. The plugin system

Part of what makes WordPress so popular is its modularity. You can quickly and easily expand base features thanks to the plugin system. Unfortunately, not all plugins are created to the high standard of UpdraftPlus, and some can introduce new vulnerabilities to your WordPress website.

The ‘PWA for WP & AMP’ Plugin for example exposed over 20,000 WordPress websites to an access control vulnerability. Due to allowing arbitrary file uploads, attackers could remotely execute code and take over websites running this plugin. Users should be aware of two things from this example. The first is to limit the number of plugins used on your WordPress site where possible. The second is to ensure that all your applications – including plugins and WordPress version – are regularly updated. Updates sometimes add new features, but their main purpose is to address newly discovered vulnerabilities.

2. SQL injection attacks

Data is a new and highly valuable commodity, and one reason attackers target websites is to steal information held in the database. SQL Injections are a popular way of doing this, with attackers embedding SQL commands on websites that may compromise sensitive information.

If you’re wondering how this happens, think about the average form you’ll find on many WordPress websites. It allows users to provide information such as usernames and passwords for login. If an attacker inserts SQL code in these fields, the underlying database may process that code and perform unexpected actions. There are several ways you can work to prevent SQL injection attacks, but the most common is to implement strict input validation. For example, you can add the following code to your .htaccess file to ensure that all input is excluded from SQL queries;

# Enable rewrite engine

RewriteEngine On

RewriteRule ^(.*)$ – [F,L]

# Block MySQL injections

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} [a-zA-Z0-9_]=http:// [OR]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} [a-zA-Z0-9_]=(..//?)+ [OR]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} [a-zA-Z0-9_]=/([a-z0-9_.]//?)+ [NC,OR]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} =PHP[0-9a-f]{8}-[0-9a-f]{4}-[0-9a-f]{4}-[0-9a-f]{4}-[0-9a-f]{12} [NC,OR]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (../|..) [OR]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} ftp: [NC,OR]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} http: [NC,OR]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} https: [NC,OR]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} =|w| [NC,OR]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} ^(.*)/self/(.*)$ [NC,OR]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} ^(.*)cPath=http://(.*)$ [NC,OR]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (<|%3C).*script.*(>|%3E) [NC,OR]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (<|%3C)([^s]*s)+cript.*(>|%3E) [NC,OR]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (<|%3C).*iframe.*(>|%3E) [NC,OR]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (<|%3C)([^i]*i)+frame.*(>|%3E) [NC,OR]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} GLOBALS(=|[|%[0-9A-Z]{0,2}) [OR]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} _REQUEST(=|[|%[0-9A-Z]{0,2}) [OR]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} ^.*([|]|(|)|<|>).* [NC,OR]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (NULL|OUTFILE|LOAD_FILE) [OR]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (./|../|…/)+(motd|etc|bin) [NC,OR]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (localhost|loopback|127.0.0.1) [NC,OR]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (<|>|’|%0A|%0D|%27|%3C|%3E|%00) [NC,OR]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} concat[^(]*( [NC,OR]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} union([^s]*s)+elect [NC,OR]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} union([^a]*a)+ll([^s]*s)+elect [NC,OR]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (sp_executesql) [NC]

RewriteRule ^(.*)$ – [F,L]

 

3. Cross-site scripting attacks

How the XSS attack works (Source: Imperva)

Like SQL Injection attacks, Cross-site scripting (XSS) attempts to inject malicious code into vulnerable websites. One example is posting information that leads website users to another website that then attempts to steal personal data. This scenario can be potentially dangerous as the other website may not even need input from the user. It can simply scan user identification data such as cookies, session tokens, and more.

You can generally prevent XSS attacks using a Web Application Firewall (WAF). This useful tool allows you to block specific traffic on websites. Most top WordPress security plugins like All In One WP Security & Firewall will have this feature available. If you’d rather focus on running your WordPress website and want to leave the security to the experts, One WP Security & Firewall is a great way of doing so. It not only helps you block most types of attacks but can also scan your WordPress website for vulnerabilities you may not be aware of.

4. Brute force attacks

WordPress makes use of a credential system that allows administrators and other authorized users to access its control features. Unfortunately, many users tend to employ weak and obvious passwords. Brute force passwords make use of scripts that make continued and multiple login attempts to a WordPress site until successful. The script works with a database that holds a dictionary of commonly used usernames and passwords (such as Admin and Password1), hoping that you would have chosen one of these combinations without putting any thought into the risks.

You can however do several things to limit the effectiveness of brute force attacks;

  • Use complex and unique passwords
  • Block access to the WordPress admin directory
  • Add Two-factor Authentication (2FA)
  • Disable directory browsing
  • Limit the number of login attempts

5. Distributed denial of service attacks

DDoS attacks try to overcome a website with a flood of requests mimicking visitor traffic. (Source: dnsstuff)

Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks consist of a massive flood of requests that target a website. This flood is intended to cripple a website, making it inaccessible to regular visitors as it is unable to cope with the volume of requests. While DDoS isn’t unique to WordPress, websites based on this CMS can be especially vulnerable since it requires more resources to serve a request than regular static websites. It can be impossible to guard against a determined DDoS flood however, but even the most prominent organisations have succumbed to these attacks. One example of this was the GitHub attack in 2018, in which their website came under a 20-minute DDoS flood attack.

Generally smaller websites aren’t the target of such a massive volume. To mitigate against smaller DDoS waves however, make sure you use a Content Distribution Network (CDN). These server networks can help balance incoming loads and help in serving content faster.

6. Cross-site request forgery attacks

Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks are another way attackers force web applications like WordPress to recognize fake authentications. WordPress is especially vulnerable since these sites generally hold many user credentials. The CSRF attack is similar to the XSS attack discussed earlier in many ways. The main difference is that CSRF needs an authentication session, while XSS does not. Regardless, the ultimate aim is to divert a visitor towards an alternative location to steal data.

CSRF prevention needs implementation at the plugin level in most cases. Developers typically use anti-CSRF tokens to link sessions with specific users. WordPress website owners can only rely on plugin updates and general website hardening techniques to help prevent CSRF attacks.

Some hardening actions that may work include;

  • Disabling file editors
  • Targeted blocks of PHO execution
  • 2FA implementation

Final thoughts on WordPress security issues

There is sometimes a misconception that WordPress is a highly vulnerable web application. However, this isn’t an entirely fair claim. Part of it stems from the widespread use of WordPress, but a more significant reason is the failure of website owners to take the necessary proper precautions.

We often take security for granted without thinking of the consequences of choosing a simple password. Website owners however have to take responsibility not just for the integrity of their websites, but also for the safety of their users’ data.

Author Profile

Pui Mun Beh is a digital marketer of WebRevenue

The post What crucial WordPress security issues you be aware of? appeared first on UpdraftPlus. UpdraftPlus – Backup, restore and migration plugin for WordPress.

The history of WordPress: What’s next for millions of web publishers?

What is the history of WordPress? WordPress can lay more claim than any other entity for shaping the internet as we know it today. Every day, over 500 sites are created using WordPress. Compare that to the 60-80 that SquareSpace can boast, and you have an idea of WordPress’s penetration. It is ubiquitous. 

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Why is this? Well, it’s effective, easy to use and largely free (although users do of course have to pay for a domain name, hosting and any premium plugins or themes). The average internet user may want to start blog posts or create a simple website, but have little in the way of tech savvy and even less disposable funds. Step forward, WordPress. 

Itt wasn’t necessarily an easy ride to the top. The history of WordPress is a story of remarkable ascendancy. It is an interesting tale of rapid improvements and refusing to sit on its laurels and success. 

Birth

The history of WordPress starts when the blogging tool b2/cafelog was parked by its developers, who had elected not to take it any further. Two programmers who had been working on the project decided to start something themselves by building a platform on top of b2/cafelog. 

These two individuals, Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little, managed to get the first instance of their product (version 0.7) released in May 2003. Upon its official launch, users responded favorably to the admin interface, user interface, text filter and templates (which were XHTML 1.1 compliant)

Early days

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Version 1.0 followed, which was known as the Davis Version (named after the American musician Miles Dewey Davis III). As Matt Mullenweg is a jazz enthusiast, every version comes with a plugin called “Hello Dolly,” (in reference to Louis Armstrong) automatically installed. The Davis release included multiple post categories and an easy installation process. 

WordPress 1.2 (Mingus – named after Charlie Mingus) was released in May 2004. This release incorporated plugin architecture, a key and defining part of WordPress. This meant that users could create their own plugins and share them with other users. 

It was this openness that set WordPress apart right from the beginning. It’s this openness that has resulted in there being a total of 56,000 free plugins and 2500 themes available on WordPress.org – the official WordPress repository. 

At the same time of WordPress’ latest developments, the dominant force in blogging software (Moveable Type) was declaring a tightening up in its licensing arrangements and a pricing restructure, which left many bloggers aggrieved and looking for an alternative content management system. The result was a massive popularity boost for WordPress. 

One of the positives of this mass adoption was a consequent stream of improvements that were generated and applied due to the open nature of the program and its plugin approach. The product thus improved at a rate that was truly impressive. 

2005 saw the introduction of version 1.5 (Strayhorn – after pianist Billy Strayhorn), which incorporated Pages and seriously upgraded the themes facility, which allowed for a different theme for each weblog category. 

This was followed in the same year by version 2.0 (Duke – after Duke Ellington), which introduced a radically redesigned admin dashboard. This dashboard didn’t just look different, it gave much better usability and allowed bloggers to avail themselves of the facility to add categories or tags without having to leave the post editor. 

Further developments of WordPress were released with new and useful features. These included an anti-spam plugin, fast posting, quick imports, built-in caching, autosave options and better search engine privacy. 

Continued growth

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In 2006, the WordPress name and logo were trademarked by Automattic. Following another UI redesign (involving web designers Happy Cog), the ownership of WordPress was transferred to the WordPress Foundation in 2010. This protected WordPress from the whims of any particular company and meant that growth could continue unabated. 

Version 3.0 (Thelonious – after Thelonious Monk) was released in summer 2010. This featured customization for post types, backgrounds, headers and menus, as well as admin screens with contextual help. With the addition of the Twenty Ten theme, the concept of a ‘default theme’ for each year was introduced.

In 2011, E-commerce developments really started to take off as there was a good deal of e-commerce platforms being built using WordPress. This resulted in a rapid growth in online stores being created using WordPress and moved WordPress away from it’s traditional ‘blog’ website image. 

Image galleries were then given a boost in 2012 by the introduction of a custom theme enabler and new media manager. 

The benefits of automation were delivered by Version 3.7 (Basie – after Count Basie) in 2013, which gave its users an automatic updates feature for new software releases. This wasn’t welcomed universally as it was felt it took away control from users, so tutorials were released on how to disable this feature. Another of 3.7’s extra features was support for installing files in the correct language and keeping them up to date. 

2013 also saw a big step in the history of WordPress when it became the most widely used CMS in the world. This position has subsequently been consolidated, with WordPress holding over 65% of CMS’s market share in 2022.

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Staying on top

From MySpace to Atari, the enemy of continued success is complacency. This is not something that you could accuse the WordPress Foundation of, as in 2013 they introduced another improved UI (called MP6). In version 3.8 (Parker – after Charlie Parker), the platform was designed to work with any screen size. WordPress began to take notice and address the growing use and popularity of smartphone usage – particularly in the online shopping sector.  

Version 3.9 (Smith – after US jazz pianist Jimmy Smith) followed in April 2014. This gave users the ability to edit and preview images inside the post editor, which greatly enhanced convenience. Other improvements included audio and video playlists and widget previews. 

There was a significant milestone in 2014: this was the first year in which non-English WordPress downloads outnumbered English downloads. The impact of WordPress had now become truly global. 

The various incarnations of version 4 that emerged in 2015 produced greater refinements, as well as seeing the first infrastructure being put in place for REST API (an application programming interface using a particular software architectural style). 

In 2015, the leading e-commerce plugin (WooCommerce) was acquired by the makers of WordPress, Automattic. WordPress was now becoming a major commercial player and could work in close compatibility with the world’s best business apps

Version 4 continued to be improved during 2016 and 2017, with developments such as plugin and theme previews and updates, content recovery and customization and included the beginnings of the WordPress block editor. 

2018 witnessed the debut of version 5.0, with a major innovation in the shape of the completion of the block editor, which was now named Gutenberg. 

Another big step forward came in 2019 when the ‘Site Health’ facility was launched in version 5.1 (Betty – vocalist Betty Carter). This gave users the ability to see for themselves how secure and up-to-date their software was. Those who struggled previously to define zero-party data were now becoming au fait with such concepts.

Three more releases followed in 2020, with 5.4, 5.5, and 5.6 (respectively, Adderley, Eckstine, and Simone), including the launch of the ‘Full Site Editing’ feature, which was improved further in 5.7 (Esperanza) and 5.8 (Tatum). The key benefit of this feature was the ability it conferred on users to create site-wide templates and to complete post revisions with ease. 

What’s next for WordPress?

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WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg says that the future of WordPress will continue to focus on Gutenberg and will be about the four main priorities that its developers have held since the beginning. These four are easier editing, customization, collaboration and multilingual support. 

Mullenweg also thinks that more and more people will use WordPress with self-hosted sites. New possibilities regarding hosting and domains are always coming up. For instance, users can now acquire a free io domain should they wish. 

Up until recently, relatively few large-scale organizations used WordPress as their content management system. This is changing though due to security updates combined with the other security features that have been introduced and the extensive range of features that are being constantly added.

WordPress is continuing to work on full site editing service techniques with Version 5.9, in 2022, promising to deliver an improved editing experience provided by the block editor. 

It is also a reasonably safe bet that the jazz greats will continue to be honoured! 

Conclusion

What this history lesson teaches us is the importance of small to major continuous improvements. Through active development, WordPress has become the go-to option for a wide range of content types. As a result, WordPress has been hugely responsible for the massive rise in blogging and online stores worldwide.

Its role in putting e-commerce in the hands of businesses around the globe has resulted in significant growth and wealth creation. Many, many jobs are now reliant on the brainchild of Mullenweg and Little. The history of WordPress is one of empowering bloggers and supporting business growth. 

Grace Lau – Director of Growth Content, Dialpad

Grace is responsible for leading branded and editorial content strategies, partnering with SEO and Ops teams to build and nurture content. She has written for VMBlog and Brightpearl. Here is her LinkedIn.

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WP-Optimize release latest 3.2.3 update

The latest update for WP-Optimize 3.2.3 has now been released. This new release features a fix, feature and a tweak update. 

The main focus in this latest release is the ‘Preload Minify Assets’ feature. While WP-Optimize does already have a ‘Preload’ feature with caching functionality that can preload all pages and minified assets, this new update now gives users a separate minify preload feature for users who are using a hosting provider that provides server level cache – such as Kinsta. 

As such, if a user is using a hosting provider that uses ‘Nginx’, rather than ‘Apache’ – these hosts most likely provide caching themselves. In this scenario, users of WP-Optimize need to disable the caching functionality within the host, as they are unable to use the ‘Preload’ function. Even on ‘Nginx’ servers, minified assets are allowed and preferred in order to boost performance. 

The updates to WP-Optimize 3.2.3 are available for download now and also includes the following:

  • FIX: Cache – ‘Purge cache permissions’ setting does not allow additional roles to access the purge cache tool
  • FEATURE: Minify: Pre generate assets
  • TWEAK: Make smush details button work in media modal window

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How to revamp and redesign your WordPress site guide

It might surprise you to learn that WordPress powers nearly 40% of all the websites on the internet. It’s an outrageously high figure, considering that more than a billion websites currently exist. In this blog we are going to look at a recommended “how to redesign WordPress site guide”.

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WordPress is loved for its ease of use, the customizability it offers and the low costs associated with this particular CMS platform. While there are many advantages for the user, there are also some issues that need to be considered too.

Due to the low barrier of entry with WordPress, it’s quite common to see simply-designed websites that are basic in their design and function. For individuals, start-ups and small businesses, this might be fine to begin with. However the likelihood is that, sooner or later, a revamp is going to become necessary.

Any business that wants to take advantage of ecommerce sales channels will surely recognize that the importance of a website’s design cannot be ignored. In terms of your digital real estate, your website is of primary importance. Rather than sticking with your original and rushed site, site owners are better off pressing ahead with a redesign that is sure to impress. 

What Is a website redesign?

It might sound obvious, but the truth is that many people don’t fully understand exactly what a website redesign is or what it entails. There’s a perception that website redesigns are wholly cosmetic and simply change the appearance of the front page with a new logo and colour scheme, but of course that’s not the case at all.

A website redesign is a process where you update, refashion, repair, or restructure a website. You do this with the purpose of building greater traffic, more sustained engagement and more substantial revenue. 

The scope of a redesign can change considerably from one website to the next. Whenever starting any kind of work or making changes on your WordPress site, it is essential that you create a backup using UpdraftPlus to safeguards every page of the website. There will be some website redesigns that will only change backend upgrades or technical repairs. After all, you might have already nailed the aesthetic for your brand. 

The direction of your website revamp can also be determined by the type of business you’re running – at least in part. For example, the challenges for creating and designing an effective website for a CCaaS solution provider will obviously vary from a clothes retailer. 

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Why is a website redesign necessary?

It’s possible that the WordPress website you built is one that you really like, but have found that it is not performing to expectations. This might not be because the previous design process was a failure. Instead, it’s likely to be a simple matter of trends.

There’s also the state of your business to consider. The direction of your organization might have changed, either in terms of branding or sales strategy. These changes can result in a need for website redesigns.

A comprehensive redesign can raise the utility of your website to better focus on your sales strategy and customers. It can provide a better on-site experience, leading to more opportunities for your business, greater revenue and more profit.

Preparing for your WordPress redesign

While it might be tempting to simply throw yourself into a redesign project, certain steps need to be taken prior to any upgrading. Measured steps are your best friend here. 

Here’s how you get started:

1. Understand the redesign’s purpose

If you’re going to complete an effective WordPress redesign, you need to understand why you’re carrying out the process in the first place. 

Often, website redesigns are completed because the current setup can look dated and stale. Your site may have the right functionality, but could be in desperate need of a new aesthetic. You do not have to create a whole new site and start again from square one if your site is already achieving results, but just needs an update. 

Understanding your motivation behind a revamp means that you’re going to be far better placed to create a roadmap.

2. Collect vital data

A website redesign should never be a matter of guesswork. In the digital age we have access to a mountain of data – it’s time that you used it.

With website analytic software – like Google Analytics – you can garner all sorts of valuable information. You can unlock insights regarding the types of people visiting your website, as well as their behavior while they’re on your site. 

The more information you can gather, the better. It’s also worth considering user questionnaires, surveys and feedback forms.

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3. Complete a website audit

It can sometimes be challenging to see our own WordPress sites with clarity. To bring about effective change however, it is a process you have to complete.

A website audit is your next step.

Take a long, impartial and hard look at your website in the context of current web design trends. Go through the process of completing the actions on your website that ideally you want your users to be following in order to make a purchase/sign up etc. Is the process clear? Are there any tasks which may be a struggle? Take note in order to fix these issues when carrying out your redesign.

Visit your competitor’s websites and see how they have set up their designs and how they funnel potential customers into making a purchase. This is an excellent way to get some inspiration and take advantage of all the hard work and research others have already done. You’ll also need to undertake a review of all the plugins that you’re using for your website. WordPress is an impressive CMS platform, but having too many unused plugins on your site can cause it to load slower than it would otherwise.

4. Create a website redesign roadmap

Now that you’re armed with all the information needed to create your wonderful new WordPress site, it’s time to get started with a concrete plan.

Begin by creating a website redesign roadmap that gives you a clear plan of action. 

This will ensure you have a total understanding of the scope of the project, and the time needed to get the job done. You’ll also need to consider the key performance indicators (KPIs) that will help you understand the effectiveness of the redesign once you complete it.

Performing Your WordPress website redesign

With all the information required to optimize and update your site, you are ready to press on with the redesign. But before you do, there are some important tasks you have to complete first. 

Back-up Your site

If you are making any changes to your site – changes as small as installing, updating or deleting a plugin, then you should always take a backup first. UpdraftPlus is the world’s leading and most popular WordPress backup plugin. Download and install the plugin today for total peace of mind. Even the most minor of changes can affect your site in ways that could make it unusable. 

With UpdraftPlus installed, if anything goes awry while you’re in the midst of making changes, you have a fall-back option to restore your site to its original state. 

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Create a style guide

In web design, a style guide acts as a compilation of the code standards of a particular site. These choices impact the site’s visual style – including patterns, fonts, headers and links. For those who already have a style guide, this is also a good opportunity to update it. Playing with colors, fonts and design assets to craft an impressive aesthetic is always the goal.

Create Your wireframes

A wireframe is an illustration of a web page’s interface. It denotes the structure, allocation of space, implemented functions and the intended behaviors of users. In conjunction with the data gathered earlier, wireframes can help give your site redesign direction and focus. With wireframing carried out, it’s far likelier that your website will offer seamless navigation. 

Cut unwanted elements

This is a chance to get ruthless with the parts of your website you no longer deem necessary. Many WordPress websites get cluttered without you even realizing what’s happening. A redesign is a great chance to re-evaluate what you might or might not need. You should also prioritize getting rid of other unwanted content, like spam comments. The more clean and user-friendly your website, the better the user experience. 

Upload a Favicon

This isn’t a term that everyone is familiar with, but favicons are something you should probably know about. A favicon (sometimes known as a favorites icon or a bookmark icon) is the small image that users will see when they bookmark your website. When your site is added to a users list of bookmarks, the favicon will allow them to quickly identify you.

Every small step you take to create a more enjoyable user experience will be appreciated. 

Introduce a new TLD

The most effective websites are memorable – they stand out and stick in the memory. It might surprise you how a small change – like a new top-level domain (TLD) – can make such a large difference. Many Saas and CPaaS providers are choosing to register with new TLDs in an effort to set themselves apart, as in a crowded and competitive market space, every edge counts. You might consider an io registrar for your WordPress website for example. This TLD has a great visual, has tech associations (input/output), and has a pronunciation that rolls off the tongue. 

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Create your prototypes

Next you will want to create prototypes. This is the point at which you’ll really be able to tell how effective your website is going to be as you will get a good feel for the interface and the aesthetic. However, completing your prototypes is only half the battle. It’s also necessary to complete extensive quality assurance checks. These evaluations will ensure that no unwanted hiccups surface once your WordPress site is back up and running. 

Roll out your redesigned site

With the new design complete and the prototypes approved, the moment to go live has arrived. If you have used a staging site to redesign your site, then you will now have to transfer the new site over to the live site. You’ll have to monitor your website’s performance metrics and keep a close eye on those key performance indicators for a period after the redesign’s launch. 

Again, gathering data using analytics software and user surveys is an excellent way to determine the success of your WordPress redesign and if there are any issues that need to be fixed. 

Revamping WordPress websites made easy

A lot of time, effort and work goes into a website. There are a huge number of elements to take care of and factors to consider. Even with a user-friendly CMS platform like WordPress, things can still get complicated. As a result, many people will put off carrying out or even thinking about a redesign, as long as the site currently works. With the help of this essential guide on how to complete a WordPress website redesign, it doesn’t have to be painful. Follow the tips listed above, back-up your site using UpdraftPlus, and you can’t go wrong!

John Allen – Director, SEO, 8×8

The post How to revamp and redesign your WordPress site guide appeared first on UpdraftPlus. UpdraftPlus – Backup, restore and migration plugin for WordPress.

UpdraftPlus security release – 1.22.3 / 2.22.3 – please upgrade

Our new UpdraftPlus release, 1.22.3 (free version) / 2.22.3 (paid versions) is a security release. The short version is: you should update. To get the details, read on!

On the evening of February 15th, we received a security defect report from security researcher Marc-Alexandre Montpas of Automattic, who during an audit of UpdraftPlus found a previously unknown defect in current versions of UpdraftPlus, which has had a CVE identifier reserved of CVE-2022-23303.

This defect allows any logged-in user on a WordPress installation with UpdraftPlus active to exercise the privilege of downloading an existing backup, a privilege which should have been restricted to administrative users only. This was possible because of a missing permissions check on code related to checking current backup status. This allowed the obtaining of an internal identifier which was otherwise unknown, and could then be used to pass a check upon permission to download.

This means that if your WordPress site allows untrusted users to have a WordPress login, and if you have any existing backup, then you are potentially vulnerable to a technically skilled user working out how to download the existing backup. Affected sites are at risk of data loss / data theft via the attacker accessing a copy of your site’s backup, if your site contains anything non-public. I say “technically skilled”, because at that point, no public proof of how to leverage this exploit has been made. At this point in time, it relies upon a hacker reverse-engineering the changes in the latest UpdraftPlus release to work it out. However, you should certainly not rely upon this taking long, but should update immediately. If you are the only user on your WordPress site, or if all your users are trusted, then you are not vulnerable, but we still recommend updating in any case.

Users who are using UpdraftPlus Premium’s feature for encrypting your database backup are protected against data loss/theft from this problem, assuming that you have kept your encryption password secret. (There is no known vulnerability allowing the attacker to also access this). In such cases, only any confidential information in the backup of your files is at risk (and then usually only your media/upload files, since plugins and themes are usually only public code that contains nothing sensitive, being downloadable from their original supplier/author by any member of the public). Note also that the WordPress database, following modern security standards, hashes stored passwords. This means that your WordPress login password is protected even from someone who has obtained even an unencrypted copy of it.

This information is now being released approximately a day after updated, secured versions of UpdraftPlus became available. During that time, the majority of sites have been updated.

Again, we urge all users to update if they have not done so already. We at UpdraftPlus sincerely apologise for any and all inconvenience that has been caused, and wish to thank Marc for working together with us. From the moment we received the report, it was “all hands on deck”. An update was pushed to Premium users within the hour. We have lost a good amount of sleep, because your sites and their backups matter to us, and we will continue working hard to make sure that continues to be the case.

(Addendum: versions 1.22.4 / 2.22.4 have subsequently been released, which deals with a conflict with a bug in a popular third-party plugin, via adding a work-around (we have also reported the issue to the plugin author)).

David Anderson (lead developer)

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WP-Optimize vs W3 Total Cache (W3TC): Which is the best WordPress optimization plugin?

When there are two equally great products gaining popularity at a fairly equal pace in the same market, only small but important detail can set them apart.   

Think of two high end hairdressers that both offer the same services and quality hair cuts. The first hairdresser will answer the phone and process your booking within 30 seconds, while the second hairdresser leaves you on hold for 20 minutes as they are too understaffed to take the call. Which hairdresser would you most likely end up going to? In a world where your time is limited and everything demands efficiency, your answer would most likely swing towards the former. 

This is the same with websites. People are more likely to visit and continue to use your website if they are sure it’s fast. The loading speed will largely determine if they will stay or return. For every 100 people that visit your WordPress website, around 50 of them will abort if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. 

In this article we will discuss two of the most popular speed boosting WordPress plugins – WP-Optimize and W3TC. While both of these plugins can increase your website speed, the small, but important details will dictate which plugin you end up using.

What can performance-boosting plugins do for your WordPress website?

At some point, everything needs a boost to improve performance. Race cars require a measured dose of nitrous oxide for that extra final kick and humans consume energy drinks to get some more work done. A website is no different. A WordPress site needs a performance-boosting plugin such as WP-Optimize or W3TC, to significantly improve its performance. 

WP-Optimize

WP-Optimize is a market leading all-in-one plugin. It caches your WordPress website, cleans your database and compresses your images. With over a million active installations and tens of thousands of 5-star ratings from all over the world, WP-Optimize ranks at the very top of the list of the most trusted, used and sought-after performance-boosting plugins. 

Does it meet your needs?

The following are just some of its functions to help you decide:

Optimizes your site’s database

Redundant files, such as unusable comments, unnecessary drafts, transients and revisions to mention only a few, will only slow down your WordPress site. You need a suitable plugin that will seamlessly get rid of these redundant files from your site while still leaving your site intact and running smoothly. WP-Optimize is your best option for achieving this.  

With the additional benefit of the integrated UpdraftPlus Backup plugin that comes with WP-Optimize, you won’t need to install a third-party backup plugin to secure your site.  

Compress your images

WP-Optimize compresses your site’s image files to your precise desired size without any dent in the resulting quality. While other plugins may use Imagify for this purpose, the feature comes built-in for WP-Optimize. 

With WP-Optimize, users get to determine the degree to which they are compressed. The image optimization feature in WP-Optimize is a cutting edge and leading image optimization platform. One of the easiest and quickest ways you can improve the speed is by optimizing your images. This process, which is commonly known as ‘smush’ or ‘smushing’ allows users to optimize, compress and resize all the large original images and convert them to smaller file sizes that are easier and quicker to load, without sacrificing any loss in image quality.

WP-Optimize Premium lazy loading

The Premium version of WP-Optimize includes a feature called lazy loading. . Lazy Load helps your website to delay the initialization of some of these components until they are needed as not all components are required to load every time your website is viewed. This feature can help improve performance and maximize the resources of the system. 

Page caching

By caching your site’s pages with WP-Optimize, your site is able to generate a separate set of files for mobile or desktop users, as well display personal page preferences for users that are logged-in. By using this feature, it can further add to the speed and help boost the overall performance of your site. 

Free/Premium versions

The WP-Optimize plugin has both a free and a premium version for download. The core features of WP-Optimize are free and can be downloaded here. Although the premium version, which is available here, comes with additional features that can help improve the speed and performance of your site further.  

W3 Total Cache (W3TC)

Like WP-Optimize, the W3TC plugin also has more than one million active installations. It comes in just behind WP-Optimize in both popularity and has a user review score of 4.5 stars. 

The following are some of its features: 

Minifying

While this often causes some problems for WordPress sites (in which case you have to perform a restore), it can be useful, especially if you are combining JS and CSS files.

Page cache

Although not as effective as WP-Optimize, W3TC also offers page caching when you enable it on your site. Others caching options include Opcode cache, Database cache, Object cache and Browser cache. 

Import & export

Both the free and the premium versions of W3 Total Cache feature import and export options. This option allows you to export your primary settings to your computer and then upload them to other WordPress sites. This can be a very useful feature for businesses with multiple websites. 

Robust feature set

While W3TC has an extensive set of features, this can lead to some confusion for less experienced WordPress users as the menus and multiple options can often be unclear and difficult to understand. 

WP-Optimize vs W3TC

Features WP-Optimize W3TC
Database optimization Yes Yes
Page Cache Yes Yes
Image compression Yes No
Mobile-specific cache Yes No
CSS and JS minification Yes Yes
GZIP compression Yes Yes
Simple setup Yes No
Preload cache  Yes Yes
Free version Yes Yes
Built-in backup Yes No

Conclusion

After reading this blog, some things should be clear. They include:  

  • It is important that your WordPress website has a performance-boosting plugin to give visitors the best experience. 
  • WP-Optimize and W3TC are both top examples of performance-boosting plugins that are 2 of the most highly rated and downloaded available.  
  • Of the two plugins discussed in this article, comparing both their free and premium versions, WP-Optimize comes out as the clear leading in this comparison 

You know what your WordPress site needs now. Good luck. Download and install WP-Optimize today!

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9 tips and tactics for building a solid WordPress site SEO strategy

Search engine optimization or “SEO” stands at the forefront of all digital marketing activities. To put it simply, SEO is the process of getting websites to rank higher on a Google search result. While there are other search engines available of course, we will specifically be looking at Google as Google owns over 87% of the overall global search market

As a business owner, your goal is to reach the widest pool of customers possible, and then pursue the leads that will hopefully convert to sales. The higher your ranking on a search results page, the better your visibility and chances of reaching these customers. SEO is the means to do just this. It is a complex process that comprises many elements, like SEO copywriting, keyword research, intuitive web design and seamless website navigation.

If you’re looking to boost your website’s SERP ranking, here are nine tips and tactics for building a solid website SEO strategy:

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1. Ensure your website is mobile responsive

54.8% of the world’s web traffic came from mobile devices in 2021. This is why your WordPress site must be optimised for viewing on smartphones and tablets. A website that is not mobile responsive will require tedious screen pinching and zooming.

This does not provide a good user experience and poses a very real risk of users leaving your site.

A mobile responsive website changes the look and layout of a site based on the device it is viewed on. The typical design elements considered while optimising a WordPress site for mobile responsiveness are:

  • Creating ample space for tap targets
  • Eliminating horizontal scrolling
  • Utilising text that doesn’t require zooming

Better user experience boosts user engagement – making mobile optimization one of the key steps in an SEO strategy.

2. Create a plan for acquiring backlinks

Backlinks are external websites that link to yours through either blog posts or articles. A backlink is like a vote of confidence for your website and boosts your domain authority. Backlinks are also a great way for a wider pool of prospects to discover your website and click through to it.

How do you earn backlinks?

The most obvious (but difficult) way is to create great quality content that effectively answers search queries. This improves the chances of it being referenced by industry peers. This method is broadly known as link building. For example, is your business in financial services? Then why not write a guest post on robotic process automation for a fintech blog.

Many companies reach out to peers to trade links. However, backlinks can also be earned through other activities such as:

  • Guest blogging
  • Sharing videos and infographics
  • Client testimonials
  • Answering questions on open forums like Quora

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3. Boost your site speed

47% of consumers expect a webpage to load in two seconds and 40% abandon a site that takes more than three seconds to load. So if you’re looking to do business online, your best bet is to get your website up to speed (literally).

This isn’t just one of those customer retention myths. Since 2010, Google has included site speed as a ranking factor in its algorithms.

The first thing you need to do to boost your site speed is to check your present speed. There are several free tools for this including Google PageSpeed Insights and GTMetrix. There is no single optimum speed for websites and scores should broadly be used as guidelines and not fixed standards.

Some of the most common ways of improving your site speed are:

  • Optimising images
  • Removing unnecessary plugins
  • Cutting down page size 

To help optimise your site, we recommend installing the WP-Optimize WordPress plugin. WP-Optimize Cache is a revolutionary, all-in-one WordPress performance plugin that caches your site, cleans your database and compresses your images.

4. Produce valuable content

Content creation is a vital aspect of SEO. The golden rule for web content writing is that it must answer a question knowledgeably. It is important to remember that your audience is a group of real-life people who are looking for something specific. 

For example, if you’re in the business of providing online courses for remote learning and a consumer has clicked through to your site after searching for “best remote learning courses”, they should get information related to remote learning.

Whilst it’s important to optimise your content with targeted keywords after thorough SEO keyword research, stuffing your page with them will not improve your SEO score. It can actually turn off your users and get you downgraded by Google’s bots – as they can choose to penalize you for having unrelated content and remove your site from their index.

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5. Use keywords in the right places

Targeted keywords are what drive SEO and it’s vital to have a thorough understanding of keyword research in your website’s SEO strategy. To start, identify ten words that are related to your product or service and then research those using tools like SEMRush and Ahrefs. Find out the search volume for these words and seek out a few variations.

Essentially you need to identify the main short-tail keywords and find some long-tail variations to boost the overall search volume for your product or service. For example, if you’re trying to improve your ranking for “best WordPress backup plugin”, you can identify a few related keywords such as “highest rated WordPress backup plugin”.

6. Write content for featured snippets

A featured snippet is a great way of getting your website higher in the search rankings. A snippet is the answer box that appears at the top of the page for any search query. You can improve your chances of appearing as that snippet by making some design and formatting edits such as:

  • Bullet points
  • Infographics
  • Answering specific query-based searches

Snippets are a great way to build awareness in your brand strategy and position yourself as a domain expert. For example, if someone is searching for the “best caching plugin for WordPress”, then a dedicated answer to the query could get you that coveted snippet. 

This is something for which you need keyword research. Identify keywords with high search volumes and then create content that aligns with those searches.

7. Write clean, clear clode

When adding any custom code to your WordPress site, it should be written following CSS and HTML best practises. A clear code helps Google identify and index the data of your website. The faster Google can crawl and index your website, the better your search rankings. The more pages on your site that are correctly indexed, the better the chances are of them being discovered.

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8. Use local SEO to target local customers

Local SEO is becoming increasingly important for businesses. The mantra for local SEO is NAP; short for Name, Address, Phone number. Make sure this information is consistent across all your marketing collaterals and your WordPress site. This helps Google identify you when a customer in your area searches for a product or service that you offer. Don’t forget to boost local SEO by also creating a free Google “My Business” account.

9. Optimise social media

The global active social media population stood at a whopping 4.2 billion in 2021. With such a massive pool of consumers to engage with, businesses all over the world are optimising their social media marketing. Ecommerce traffic and sales benefit greatly from optimising social media for business.  

SEO is crucial for businesses to be found online and with the right SEO strategy, you can drive robust organic growth for your business. 

Severine Hierso

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WP-Optimize vs. WP Super Cache: Which is the better WordPress optimization plugin?

Imagine you have the choice between two 5-star restaurants that serve equally great food, but one of them takes your order, serves you drinks and gets your meal out to you in ten minutes, while the other restaurant takes 60 minutes to even seat you at your table. Which one would you rather visit? In today’s modern world, where we are all trying to be more efficient with our time; you would almost certainly choose to eat at the first restaurant.

With so many distractions and options for people’s attention in today’s world, a smart business will adapt accordingly by not only giving the customers compelling, high-quality products, but designing the products to help them save time. This important fact should inform how you design your WordPress website. 

Once a user has visited your site for the first time, it is important to keep them coming back time and time again. Around 50 % of website visitors will simply abort loading your website if it takes more than three seconds to open. As such, it is vital that you make a good first impression with your website performance. 

While there are over a dozen performance-boosting plugins you can use for your WordPress site, we will be comparing two of the top choices – WP-Optimize and WP Super Cache.

Does your WordPress website need a performance-boosting plugin?

If you were an Olympic athlete, you would make sure you had the best running shoes available. The same is applicable for your website. All WordPress sites need performance-boosting plugins to help them to load as fast as possible and produce peak performance. 

Do you want your website to perform at the highest possible level? If your answer is yes, then your WordPress website will require a good performance-boosting plugin. 

WP-Optimize

Whenever WP-Optimize is mentioned, it’s three key aspects usually come to mind – cache, clean, and compress. As one the the leader all-in-one WordPress performance-boosting plugins, WP-Optimize helps to efficiently cache your website, clean it’s database, and compress the images. 

WP-Optimize currently has more than one million active installations, with users from all over the world. It’s impressive reputation, coupled with its all-in-one nature makes it the obvious choice for any WordPress site owner. 

The following are the primary functions of WP-Optimize. .  

Database cleaning 

Nothing slows down your website like redundant files. These can include transients, unnecessary drafts, unpalatable comments, and revision files. Your website needs an effective plugin that will automatically remove this unneeded content without tampering with the integrity of your website. WP-Optimize is about the only plugin that removes trackbacks and pingbacks. 

Image compression

Beyond just compressing the images on your site, you get to determine the degree to which they are compressed. The image optimization feature in WP-Optimize is a cutting edge and leading image optimization platform that works well and it’s easily the best in the WordPress market. One of the best ways you can improve the speed of your site via WP-Optimize is by optimizing your images. This process, which is commonly known as ‘smush’ or ‘smushing’ allows users to optimize, compress and resize all the images on a website, potentially saving many MB per image and improving loading speeds. This feature is available on both the free and premium versions of WP-Optimize.

Lazy Loading

Simply put, lazy load describes the process where a website delays the initialization of components until such a time where they are necessary. This is done to boost the performance of the website and efficiently utilize the system resources. WP-Optimize features this lazy load option and it’s arguably the best one available in the WordPress market. 

Page caching

This feature allows your website to produce a separate batch of files for mobile and generate a separate cache for logged in visitors. Using page caching, WP-Optimize improves the speed and overall performance of the website. 

Pricing

WP-Optimize has both a free and a premium version. Usually, the free version is sufficient for the basic performance improvement you’d need for your website. You can download the free version easily by visiting their website (link). The premium version is for businesses looking for something extra and it comes in three packages: 

WP Super Cache

Created by Automattic, WP Super Cache is used primarily to cache a WordPress website. It does this by generating static HTML files that your server displays to people visiting your website. Many developers consider this to be a faster option than processing WordPress PHP scripts. 

The following are some features for this plugin: 

Suited for CDN (Content Delivery Network)

WP Super Cache works perfectly with CDN Networks. CDN allows your WordPress website to be stored on multiple servers all over the world so it can be downloaded from cache by visitors. In turn, this makes your website super fast, even if visitors are far from the origin server. 

Pricing

WP Super Cache only has a free version and can be downloaded from their WP.Org. All its features, as you have seen, are somewhat limited as they are only available on a free version. There is no option for users to upgrade when more features and tools are required.

WP-Optimize and WP Super Cache compared

Features WP-Optimize WP Super Cache
Database optimization Yes No
Page Cache Yes Yes
Image compression Yes No
Mobile specific cache Yes Yes 
CSS and JS minification Yes No
GZIP compression Yes Yes
Simple setup Yes No
Preload cache  Yes Yes
Free version Yes Yes
Built-in backup Yes No


WP-Optimize and WP Super Cache: Which is the better plugin?

From everything that has been discussed so far in this article and due to all the extra features and tools available to users, WP-Optimize is the superior of the two plugins. 

Conclusion

There are many takeaways to be found in the above analysis, but here are the top three: 

  • WP-Optimize and WP Super Cache both offer free versions of their plugin and both top rated performance-boosting plugins. 
  • Of the two plugins, WP-Optimize offers more features and more tools, giving a bigger boost to the optimization of your WordPress site. 

While some may argue that a direct comparison is unfair as WP Super Cache doesn’t have a premium version, It should be noted that for this analysis, the free version of WP-Optimize and WP Super Cache were compared – With WP-Optimize coming out as clearly the better and more complete plugin.

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WP-Optimize vs. Autoptimize: Which is the best WordPress optimization plugin?

Every day, it seems there is more and more competition for people’s time. Be it the internet, movies, TV, video games or streaming, these days, in order for your site to be successful and gain traction, you not only need to have an interesting and engaging website, but you also need to make sure it is fully optimized and loads quickly. 

Of course, as anyone that has set up and run a website will know, getting visitors to visit your website is one thing, but getting them to stay for an extended period is quite another. 

You may get visitors to your websites for any number of reasons, but they will only stay and return again in the future if it is efficient and professional. The most simple and obvious example of this is how long it takes for your site to fully load. New research by Google has found that 53% of mobile website visitors will leave if a webpage doesn’t load within three seconds. Page speed is a direct ranking factor, a fact known even better since Google’s Algorithm Speed Update. However, speed can also affect rankings indirectly, by increasing the bounce rate and reducing dwell time. Typically, the greater the speed of your website, the better your ranking will be. 

Having established the importance of page speed in trying to get your WordPress site fully optimized and on the first page of Google, which website performance-boosting plugin should you use? WP-Optimize and Autoptimize are two of the most popular plugins available for WordPress. In this blog we will look at both of them, evaluate performance and which one you should install

Website performance-boosting plugins

Your website should be performing to optimal speed if it hopes to attract visitors that will stay, interact and return in the future. Although you may have a great product and a modern and stylish design, it is not enough to just expect these factors to bring your success on their own. To help, you need to install performance-boosting plugins to ‘speed’ things along.. 

Your website has a reserved storage space called a ‘cache system’, and it’s specifically cut out for storing temporary data. Caching solutions will store static versions of your website in a cache. This allows WordPress to skip running heavier PHP scripts every time your site loads. This caching process helps to improve WordPress speed and performance and the overall user experience. This cache collects images, text, and other data when a visitor comes to your page for the first time. The essence of this is to give your site enough room to load faster and generally perfume more efficiently. 

But for your cache system to perform well, it has to have a decent CPU and RAM. But however great they are, they will soon run out with increasing traffic, leaving the site to render slowly. This is where performance-boosting plugins, such as WP-Optimize and Autoptimize help. They work round the clock to improve the efficiency and overall performance of your site.  

WP-Optimize

As the leading all-in-one plugin, WP-Optimize cleans your site’s database, compresses the images and caches the website. At the time of writing, WP-Optimize has more than a million active installations and a 5-star rating from hundreds of thousands of users on WP.org. WP-Optimize has become the plugin of choice for anyone that is looking to keep their WordPress site fast and efficient. 

Autoptimize

Autoptimize is another popular plugin for optimizing your WordPress website. Like WP-Optimize it works by aggregation and caching scripts and styles. Autoptimize will input CSS into the page head by default, as well as inline critical CSS. It will then defer the already aggregated full CSS, move the scripts to the footer and minify HTML. 

It features Google Fonts and image optimization, including Lazy Load with support for Web and AVIF formats. Autoptimize can be a good plugin to install if you want to improve your website’s performance. Like WP-Optimize, Autoptimize also has more than 1 million active Installations but has a lower 4.5 star rating. 

Comparison of WP-Optimize and Autoptimize (tabulated) 

Features

WP-Optimize

Autoptimize

Free version

Yes

Yes

Database Optimization

Yes

No

Browser Caching

Yes

No

Page Caching

Yes

No

Gzip compression

Yes

Yes

Lazy Load

Yes

Yes

Image Compression 

Yes

Yes

Cache Preloading 

Yes

Yes

HTML/CSS/JS minification

Yes

Yes

Backup

Yes

No

 

WP-Optimize and Autoptimize: Which is a better optimization plugin?

With both plugins having over a million active installs and a high star rating, the dilemma for every website owner is which plugin is more suitable for speeding up a website’s load time and improving the overall performance. As can be seen in the above chart, WP-Optimize has more features and tools and is clearly the better performance-boosting plugin.

WP-Optimize offers more value 

One thing WP-Optimize and Autoptimize have in common is that they both offer a free version of their popular plugin and optimizations functions. But both plugins are not created equal. Feedback from users who have used and compared the two plugins have shown that WP-Optimize is the superior of the two, both in features and in functions. 

WP-Optimize has a backup feature

WP-Optimize plugin comes combined with the UpdraftPlus backup service; the most trusted and biggest backup backup plugin in the world. By using WP-Optimize and UpdraftPlus, you can be rest assured that essential files, such as original high-resolution images on your WordPress site, are kept safe. The backup and restore functions for UpdraftPlus are so seamlessly built-in that they can be operated by just the press of one button – restoring your site or files to their previous state. Autoptimize lacks this feature and does not offer any kind of backup or restore service. So if you make a mistake while optimizing your site with Autoptimize, then you will be stuck with the changes you have made.

Image compression feature: Which is best?

Like WP-Optimize, Autoptimize has an image compression feature built into the plugin. But it is recommended that you disable the feature on Autoptimize, as it does not appear to function optimally. Even Autoptimize advise that users use a third-party plugin like Imagify to compress your images. The image optimization feature in WP-Optimize is a cutting edge and leading image optimization platform that works well and it’s easily the best in the WordPress market. One of the best ways you can improve the speed of your site via WP-Optimize is by optimizing your images. This process, which is commonly known as ‘smush’ or ‘smushing’ allows users to optimize, compress and resize all the images on a website, potentially saving many MB per image and improving loading speeds. This feature is available on both the free and premium versions of WP-Optimize.

WP-Optimize is easy to use

After installation, both WP-Optimize and Autoptimize still require some fairly simple and straightforward ticks within the plugin options to fully set them up. However, WP-Optimize is much more straightforward and easier to set up for both WordPress novices and experts. Users may find that Autoptimize is a bit more complex and that you may need some technical know-how to make the kind of changes that are more easily identifiable in WP-Optimize.

Autoptimize has minify-related issues

Many users have sent and reported feedback in which they complained about running into problems when they set Autoptimize to minify CSS and JS. The recommended solution is to exclude CSS and JS files when trying to minify files. This is obviously not ideal and limits the kind of optimization that a user can perform on their site. WP-Optimize does not have this problem. Users can minify CSS and JS on WP-Optimize to their heart’s content! This is just another example of why WP-Optimize is superior. 

Conclusion

If you have read the above blog, then you will have already figured out for yourself exactly which plugin is the best and why. If you want to improve any aspect of your site and improve its speed and performance, then WP-Optimize is the easy favorite for all the reasons listed in this article.

 

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WP-Optimize vs. WP Rocket: Which is the best WordPress optimization and caching plugin?

More than 40% of your website visitors will close your site and leave if it takes over three seconds for your website to fully load. This phenomenon becomes more relevant as technology continues to advance with other devices vying for your attention, causing the global attention span to decrease. By now it should come as no surprise that site speed is crucial to the success and usability of your site and influences your website’s search engine rankings. Knowing this, if you run a WordPress based site, a common dilemma at this point will be ‘what website performance boosting and optimization plugin should I use?’ To answer that, we will compare and contrast two of the most popular optimization plugins: WP-Optimize and WP Rocket.  

What’s an optimization plugin?

Every website has a dedicated storage space reserved for keeping temporary data to ensure your WordPress website loads faster and generally performs more efficiently. This storage space is called a ‘cache’. When your website is opened for the first time it collects files, images, text and other necessary information about your device. It’s this data from the first visit that ensures your website loads faster on subsequent visits. 

Your cache system will require decent levels of RAM and CPU to properly carry out this function. But no matter how good they both are, increasing traffic will soon consume it, causing the page to render slower. This is where performance-boosting plugins come in. They are able to cache your WordPress site, clean your database and compress your images. This helps to increase the overall performance and efficiency of your WordPress site.

WP-Optimize

WP-Optimize is an all-in-one optimization plugin that cleans your database, compresses images and caches your website. Put all of these functions together and you get what the name implies, a well-optimized WordPress website, performing seamlessly and efficiently. 

WP-Optimize currently has over a million active installations. If you are serious about keeping your WordPress website in the best shape and providing a high-end user experience, you have to install WP-Optimize for your website.  

WP Rocket

WP Rocket is another optimization plugin that allows you to speed up your website in a few steps. It ranks among the most functional WordPress website performance plugins in the world. Like most optimization plugins (including WP-Optimize), WP Rocket can help to cut down your load time and boost your Google PageSpeed and Core Web Vitals scores. 

Comparison of WP-Optimize and WP Rocket features

Features WP-Optimize WP Rocket
Free version Yes No
Database Optimization Yes Yes
Browser Caching Yes Yes
Page Caching Yes Yes
Gzip compression Yes Yes
Lazy Load Yes Yes
Image Compression  Yes No
Cache Preloading  Yes Yes
HTML/CSS/JS minification Yes Yes
Mobile Specific Cache Yes Yes

Why is WP-Optimize a better caching plugin than WP Rocket?

WP-Optimize has a free version

You can install WP-Optimize on your WordPress website and start using it for free without any hidden charges. You get instant access to several features including database optimization, caching and image compression. WP Rocket does not offer a free version and as such, all of its features come at a premium. Buying a premium product without being able to test out it’s features and functionality can be an expensive and risky endeavor. With WP-Optimize, you can test out many of the major features and get a better feel for how the plugin can improve your site, without having to spend your hard earned money first. 

WP-Optimize is a better Premium option

While prices are subject to change over time, the general pricing levels of these two plugins show a significant difference of price and number of websites the plugin can be used on. While WP-Optimize not only offers a free version of it’s plugin, it also has a premium version that gives access to additional features, including logging, lazy load, multisite support and top-notch optimization scheduling. 

The premium version of WP-Optimize is more affordable than WP Rocket and will let you install it on more websites compared to WP Rocket.  

WP-Optimize

Name of plan Cost Number of websites 
Starter  $39 2
Business $69 5
Unlimited  $179 Unlimited 

WP Rocket

Name of plan Cost Number of websites 
Single $49 1
Plus $99 3
Infinite $249 Unlimited 

WP-Optimize comes with an image compression feature

In the bid to increase website speed and facilitate large file savings, WP-Optimize offers both Lossy and Lossless image optimization. Large, uncompressed images can be one of the leading factors on why a site could take so long to load. As an additional feature, you can also backup your original high-resolution image files, in case you need them in the future. WP Rocket does not come with a built-in image compression feature. You would have to install Imagify, a third-party plugin, to compress your images. 

WP-Optimize is integrated with UpdraftPlus backup

WP-Optimize uses UpdraftPlus to back up your site. UpdraftPlus is the world’s leading backup plugin and is an essential plugin to install in order to safeguard your files. The integration is so seamless that the backup and restore functions are automatic and super-convenient. WP Rocket does not have this option, which is an especially necessary and crucial feature when making any changes to your site.

WP-Optimize is more effective for page caching

Page caching gives your WordPress website the capacity to generate more than just a set of files for separate visits from different devices – This feature allows for an overall better website performance, and while both WP-Optimize and WP Rocket offer this feature, WP-Optimize is more effective in delivering noticeable results. 

Conclusion

As you have learned from this blog, both plugins will do a good job in optimizing your website. However WP-Optimize is the more effective option and can deliver better results. The addition of a free version of the WP-Optimize plugin also allows the user to experience and test out the basic features within the plugin, without having to make an expensive purchase. If you are looking to speed up your site, reduce image size and find the best caching option available, WP-Optimize is the plugin for you. Download and install it today!

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