Ep.4: DIY WordPress Maintenance

Do you prefer a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach to build, grow, and maintain a business and its website using WordPress? It’s all fun and games in the beginning, but as soon as something goes wrong or functionality needs to be added, that’s when most challenges arise and people start to struggle or get stuck.  

In this episode, we talk to Lee Rickler from Point and Stare, a London-based WordPress agency. Lee shares some of the basics of looking after your own WordPress website properly and building a business website that works. 

Episode Highlights and Topics:

• WordPress: Changed from hand-coding everything to a content management system 
• Assumptions/Perceptions: WordPress is really simple, but in reality, it’s more complex
• Downsides to WordPress: Maintenance, security, and potential problems afterward
• Misconception: WordPress is free, cheap, and easy, but functionality/features add up
• Best Practices: How to build a WordPress website for a business to not get hacked
• Free vs. Paid: Limitations and restrictions of WordPress.org or WordPress.com
• Hosting: Ask questions, get advice, search Google, and conduct due diligence
• Current Content: Make sure backups, SSL certificates, plugins, and themes are updated
• Pure Luck and Transparency: Be honest about what you can/can’t do and outsource 
• Networking: Everyone likes to buy something, but no one likes to be sold to       

Resources/Links: 

• Lee Rickler on LinkedIn
• Point and Stare on Twitter
• Point and Stare
• WordPress.com
• WordPress.org