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.

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 Memeber 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.

Managing 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.

Membership 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.

Membership 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 Membership Data

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 WordPress Membership Site 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.

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.

That leaves WordPress to compete with commercial offerings. Platforms such as Shopify and Wix come to mind.

Again, these systems can’t match WordPress’ market share. But they do have an advantage in marketing muscle. They have the resources to create a seamless campaign. They can speak to their targeted audience with clarity.

WordPress tends to struggle with messaging. You can see it at both the macro and micro levels. It covers big things like defining what the platform does and who it’s for. And it also happens with individual features.

The result is confusion – even among seasoned users. It also makes things harder for those who teach others. There’s a lack of consistency. Not to mention frequent changes to the terminology we use.

How much does this impact WordPress? Could it harm the software’s long-term future? And what can be done to create a more user-friendly vocabulary? Let’s take a deeper look at the words that define WordPress.

Who Are We Speaking To?

WordPress is an incredibly flexible platform. We can use it in a variety of ways. Thus, it appeals to both technical and non-technical users.

This appeal is both a blessing and a curse. On the bright side, WordPress continues to thrive in part because it offers so many possibilities.

But the words we use to describe WordPress don’t apply universally. A conversation among developers is bound to be more technical. Some terms are likely to confuse everyday users.

Yet it seems like developer speak is the dominant language in WordPress. We use exclusionary terms that are difficult for others to understand. You see it in the core software and third-party themes and plugins.

Perhaps this stems from where WordPress and its ecosystem come from. Many developers are responsible for both building and promoting products. Most aren’t marketers by trade.

Product descriptions and documentation tend to be written by developers. As such, developer speak is likely to be used. The content isn’t as user-friendly as it could be.

An Ever-Changing WordPress Core

The past decade has brought significant change to WordPress. The advent of the Block and Site editors has impacted content creation and website design.

Each of these items has undergone a descriptive overhaul. The Block Editor was initially referred to as “Gutenberg,” for example. The name was derived from the Gutenberg project, which oversees this and other features.

As for the Site Editor, it’s also a part of the Gutenberg project. But the feature was initially called “Full Site Editing.”

The names were eventually changed. They now more accurately reflect what each feature does. These are positive and well-intentioned moves. But the cat was already out of the bag, so to speak.

We now see these terms used interchangeably. This may not impact veteran WordPress developers very much. But what about new users? Do they understand that the Site Editor is the same as Full Site Editing? And what to make of the differences between block themes and classic themes?

We’ve created an unnecessarily confusing situation. And there is plenty of blame to go around. For instance, writers like myself have added fuel to the fire.

How Do We Fix the WordPress Word Scramble?

Here comes the difficult part. How do we use terminology that everyone can understand?

I think it starts with the WordPress project. Feature names should be reflective of what they do. But they should be named and described in the simplest of terms.

Perhaps this sounds like no big deal. But WordPress contributors have a lot on their plates. There’s only so much time to argue about names.

We did see a lot of thought put into this recently, however. The Command Pallete feature that shipped with WordPress 6.3 underwent a name change. Project contributors debated the merits of the original name (Command Center). They realized that it might be taken out of context and addressed the issue.

The creation of user-friendly terms will trickle down to the community. Writers will use it in their tutorials. And product makers will use it in their marketing efforts.

The community also has a responsibility. We must speak to WordPress users in plain language. We must limit the use of developer terms.

A little guidance would also help. WordPress has a developer-focused glossary of terms and a user-focused Semantics page. We should study them.

But perhaps we can educate product makers on methods for creating user-friendly marketing and documentation materials. That’s not necessarily a responsibility of the WordPress project.

Still, it could help to make the platform easier to understand. And it’s a part of keeping WordPress on top for the long term.

A User-Friendly Experience Starts with Words

The words we use matter. They can be the difference between friendly advice and an insult. People use them to form opinions.

What people read about WordPress will impact their decision to use it. If the software sounds confusing, they may head elsewhere. They may never fire up a demo to see for themselves.

It behooves all of us to think about how we talk about WordPress. Are we keeping new users in mind? Or are we losing them with technical jargon?

The impact may not be immediate. But by simplifying our language, we can attract more users than we lose. That’s highly important for the future of the project and its ecosystem.

The post Understanding Essential WordPress Terms & Concepts appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

WordPress is home to a massive plugin ecosystem and nearly-endless potential for customizing a website. And things generally run smoothly. Even so, it shouldn’t be a surprise when an occasional problem rears its head.

When issues do occur, that usually means contacting technical support. This can be a hit-or-miss process, as each plugin author handles support differently. It depends on factors such as staffing, plugin cost (free or commercial), and current workload. And there are no guarantees that your problem will be resolved.

But there is a secret weapon in getting top-notch WordPress plugin support: you. How you communicate and what information you share are critical. That will provide support representatives with the clues they need to help get your website back on track.

And who better to share tips than those who work in technical support? I put out a call on Twitter for advice and there were some terrific responses. What follows are some things you can do to expedite the support process and increase the odds of a positive outcome.

Get To Know the Developer’s Support Policies

The best time to find out about a plugin’s support policy is before you need it. That’s because support should be part of your criteria for choosing which plugins to install.

If hosted at the official WordPress Plugins repository, it’s worth checking out the plugin’s respective support forum. This will give you an idea of what types of issues are occurring and how quickly the developer responds to new posts.

WordPress plugin developer C. Michael Nelson also recommends contacting support before you use a plugin, adding “That will show you how helpful they will be later, once you’re really invested in it. Avoid using plugins with bad tech support from the beginning.”

Besides timeliness, it’s also great to know what is and isn’t covered by technical support. For instance, some developers provide limited help with questions regarding writing custom code. And if a plugin has both free and commercial versions – the paying customers usually get priority service.

The more you know ahead of time, the better off you’ll be should something go wrong.

Be Detailed in Your Support Request

Perhaps the most common piece of advice I received was about providing a detailed description of the issue you’re experiencing. This makes sense as remotely (or anecdotally) troubleshooting a website works best when having as much information as possible.

It’s an important piece of the puzzle. So much so that GiveWP’s Director of Customer Service and Support Ben Meredith even did a WordCamp presentation on the subject.

Describing the issue starts with a few key items, according to developer Kerch McConlogue:

• What did you do?
• What did you expect would happen?
• What actually happened?
• Can you repeat it?

Beyond those basics, there is plenty of other helpful information to send along, including:

• Copies of any error messages you encountered;
• Screen captures or videos that demonstrate the issue;
• The web browser and version you’re using;
• Version numbers of WordPress and PHP;
• The theme and plugins you’re using;

Rick Alday, who provides support for GiveWP, also recommends doing some basic troubleshooting before contacting support. This may allow you to find the cause of an issue, if not resolve it outright.

Some plugins provide troubleshooting steps in their documentation. For example, Alan Fuller of Fullworks shared an outline of steps that could be useful for debugging virtually any plugin. The results can then be shared with support.

Speaking of documentation, WordPress contributor Courtney Robertson advised users to search within the plugin’s support area or using Google. “Add some keywords and skim for the issue BEFORE reaching out. Then state having searched for these things in the request.”, she noted.

The goal is to be as clear, detailed, and concise as possible. And not to worry if you don’t have in-depth technical knowledge. Just give it your best effort. As Puneet Sabherwal opined, “A sound support system doesn’t expect a user to be knowledgeable. That is a support provider’s qualification.”

Demonstrate Empathy and Patience

None of us enjoy dealing with website issues. At the very least it can be frustrating. The worse the problem is, the easier it is to become impatient.

But it’s also worth remembering that technical support is being provided by human beings. They have feelings, strengths, and weaknesses – just like everyone else. Several support experts brought up the importance of the human element.

And the process takes time. Product founder and podcast host Dave Rodenbaugh says those seeking support should, “Be patient! Support teams will respond within a day if they’re on the ball.”

Ian Misner recommends responding promptly, as “You’re almost certainly going to get quicker responses…Context stays fresh, which makes helping you easier.”

Tom Sepper is Chief Customer Officer at Kinsta web hosting. He says that “One of the things I stress for my teams is genuinely showing empathy for customers – fellow humans – and their specific situations. And that works both ways.

“As a user, have empathy for the human on the other end of the conversation. Support teams aren’t always the ones able to fix all problems, nor are they the cause of all problems. These individuals do what they do because they receive great satisfaction in helping others succeed…showing genuine empathy in how you interact with support teams goes a very long way.”

You Get What You Give

A lot of effort goes into building and supporting a WordPress plugin. It’s a big responsibility. And so much depends on starting the process on the right foot.

That’s why the first contact you make with technical support staff is important. As users, our job is to paint a picture of what’s happening. From there, it’s about accurate and efficient communication between both parties.

And while the outcome won’t always be perfect, following the advice above should increase your chances of a resolution.

Finally, many thanks to the experts who participated in this guide! By sharing their knowledge and experiences, they have benefited the entire WordPress community.

The post How to Get the Best Technical Support for WordPress Plugins appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

The tool has empowered content creators and designers. You no longer need additional plugins to build a functional page layout. WordPress core includes just about all the basics. Need something more? There are plenty of ways to extend the editor, too.

None of this makes the Block Editor foolproof, however. It’s still easy to paint yourself into a virtual corner. A simple mistake can mean more difficult maintenance – particularly when clients are involved.

I’ve built quite a few sites with blocks. And not every decision was a good one. Yes, I’ve created a few messes. Cleaning them up can be time-consuming.

Today, I’m going to share a few things I’ve learned. May these lessons help you avoid a similar fate!

Do: Think about Future Maintenance Needs

Page layouts don’t last forever. They must adjust as our content needs evolve. The Block Editor can act as a trap in these situations.

Consider a company’s staff listing, for example. Let’s say our client wants to display each person’s name, title, and photo.

It sounds simple. We can use the Columns block to create a beautiful and responsive layout. The page looks perfect. But what happens when we need to make changes?

Staff members come and go. Yes, we could replace the departed staffers with the new ones. Then again, our client wants them to display in alphabetical order. The required changes don’t follow suit. What do we do now?

The options are less than ideal. We could edit the block’s code to rearrange each column. Or we could reconstruct the layout from scratch. Both possibilities are rife with peril. OK, perhaps I’m being a bit dramatic. But it’s not fun.

A custom block may be a better solution. Using Advanced Custom Fields PRO, you could create an interface that allows for easier maintenance. Adding, deleting, and rearranging the list would be built into the block. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel when making changes.

The lesson is to think about the future maintenance needs of your layout. Then, implement a strategy that will allow for changes. You’ll be glad when the time comes.

Don’t: Allow Users to Switch between the Block and Classic Editors

The WordPress Classic Editor is still alive and well. Millions of websites are using it. That’s OK. There’s nothing wrong with using a tool you’re comfortable with.

However, mixing the Block and Classic editors can be messy. The Classic Editor plugin has a setting that allows users to switch between editors. You might want to leave this feature turned off.

Let’s say you’ve built a complex layout using the Block Editor. But your client doesn’t like blocks. Or they aren’t familiar with them. They decided to edit this page using the Classic Editor. Hilarity (or tragedy) ensues.

Then, you edit the page and switch back to the Block Editor. You see numerous errors stating that blocks contain invalid content. The “Attempt Block Recovery” feature doesn’t work. It looks like you have a mess on your hands.

Too much can go wrong in this scenario. Thus, don’t allow users to switch between editors. It’s an accident waiting to happen.

Do: Choose Third-Party Block Plugins Carefully

There are a multitude of plugins for extending the Block Editor. Many of them offer a suite of custom blocks.

That’s a good thing. The core blocks included with WordPress aren’t always flexible. Thus, installing a custom block may be of help. But it’s worth scrutinizing them first.

Custom blocks are plugins, after all. They can vary in terms of features and quality. The same rules apply when choosing the right one.

Only install what you need. Study each plugin’s reviews and changelog. And remove any block plugins you aren’t using.

What’s the danger? The wrong plugin could cause bugs or performance issues. Plus, security is always a concern.

Third-party blocks require a commitment. Be sure that you’re ready to take that step.

Don’t: Edit Blocks as HTML

The Classic Editor made it easy to switch between visual and code editing. You might use this feature to add HTML or a CSS class. There were some hiccups, but it worked well enough.

The Block Editor has a similar feature. Blocks have an “Edit as HTML” interface. You can access it via each block’s options menu.

I never understood the purpose of this feature. That’s likely because I always end up breaking something. Adding a CSS class, for instance, triggers an error when switching to the Visual editor.

A "This block contains unexpected or invalid content" error is displayed. From there, I have to go back in and remove the class. The same issue happens when adding other types of content as well.

Therefore, it may be wise to consider editing block HTML as off-limits. There’s more risk than reward.

Plus, you can use the Custom HTML block for similar tasks. Add HTML, CSS, or even JavaScript into the field. You won’t break it!

By the way, you can add CSS classes to blocks via the Advanced tab in the settings panel.

Do: Use the Block Editor’s List View Feature

WordPress allows us to nest blocks inside each other. And blocks are portable. You can drag them anywhere on the screen. That can result in some undesired effects.

For instance, moving blocks to a new spot can be difficult. It’s easy to make a mistake. The wrong move could undo a lot of hard work.

The List View feature can save you a lot of headaches. It provides a visual outline of each block on your page. It even works with nested blocks.

Even better, you can easily reposition blocks directly within List View. Click on a block and drag it to the desired position. Need to move multiple blocks? That’s also possible.

The user experience is infinitely better than wrestling with the editor. You’ll have a better sense of where you are on the page. And it will likely make for easier edits.

Do: Keep Experimenting with the Block Editor

The Block Editor isn’t perfect. Like all editors, it has some quirks and annoyances. But it’s still worth testing the limits.

That’s often the best way to learn. So, create a local website and experiment. See what works and what doesn’t. But don’t limit yourself to a single test.

The user experience is evolving. Thus, a technique that didn’t work last time may now be possible. You might even install the Gutenberg plugin to get a taste of what’s coming in future releases.

Doing so will serve you well. You’ll be able to build layouts that stand the test of time. And you might be surprised at what you can accomplish using blocks.

The post A Guide to Effective Use of the WordPress Block Editor appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

If your website has a lot of content, you’ll first want to give some thought to how it’s organized. Without proper care, pages and posts can become a jumbled mess in the dashboard. Not only does it make a particular item harder to find later on, but it’s also a pain to rearrange after the fact.

That’s why it pays to have a plan. By mapping out your needs at the start of a project, you’ll be able to store content logically. It looks professional, helps with SEO, and will likely reduce your stress levels. What’s not to like?

Today, we’ll share some tips to help you effectively organize content within WordPress. Let’s get started!

What’s a Page? What’s a Post?

A default WordPress installation supports both Pages and Posts. Each has specific use cases, and they aren’t easily interchangeable. This can trip up even experienced users. As such, it’s worth pointing out some key differences.

Pages are geared toward standalone content. For example, your website may have an About Us page that contains a biography or a Contact page that includes a form.

These items could have parent/child relationships with other pages. Thinking of our example, the Contact page might have child pages for each location of a business.

Posts are generally best for creating a collection of similar content. If your website has a blog or needs to publish news items, posts are a perfect fit.

They can also be sorted into categories and tags, which helps to organize content by a specific subject. A post can belong to multiples of each, making it easier to narrow down large volumes.

Use Custom Post Types for Niche Content

While Pages and Posts are powerful, they’re rather generic in terms of labeling. Consider having all of your eCommerce products live alongside press releases in the Posts area. While it’s technically possible, it could make managing content confusing – particularly if you’re handing the site off to a client.

That’s where custom post types and taxonomies come in handy. Functionally, they’re no different than Pages and Posts. But they allow for housing and organizing a site’s niche content in a highly-tailored way.

WooCommerce is a prime example of these features in action. Install the eCommerce plugin and you’ll see a post type for Products appear in the WordPress admin menu. In addition, they can be further organized through custom taxonomies (product categories and tags).

Using custom post types and taxonomies creates a more intuitive management experience. When every type of content has a unique name and place, it’s easier to find, edit, and add to. It’s a level of flexibility you can’t get by lumping everything into the standard content types.

Plus, optimizing for search engines becomes simpler. You can target certain content and implement structured data that accurately represent products, events, or anything else you need.

The benefits of “going custom” may lead you to eschew traditional Posts altogether.

Take Advantage of Parent/Child Relationships

As we mentioned, WordPress pages are capable of parent/child relationships. Custom post types can also do so – if configured to use them.

This creates a hierarchy that makes related content easier to locate and manage within WordPress. Likewise, it establishes consistency in your site’s URL structure – another feature to boost your SEO.

For sites with dozens (or hundreds) of pages, parent/child relationships are a lifesaver. This method organizes the Pages listing screen according to those relationships. Without them, you might be scrolling through several screens trying to find a proverbial needle in a haystack.

When should you use these relationships? A good rule of thumb is to group pages that have something in common.

One method involves mimicking your site’s menu structure. If you have multilevel menus, for instance, you can arrange parent/child relationships that reflect this setup.

In practice, it means that the About Us page could serve as the parent for each subpage in that navigation tab. With that, both the listing and URLs follow a pattern. For example:

• About Us (parent – /about-us/)
• -Mission Statement (child – /about-us/mission-statement/)
• -Leadership (child – /about-us/leadership/)
• -Staff (child – /about-us/staff/)

By organizing your content identically on both the front and back ends, you’re simplifying the experience and making future edits a breeze.

Keep Your WordPress Content Neat and Tidy

While it’s easy enough to create content with WordPress, keeping things organized isn’t so obvious. And a bit of carelessness here can lead to a lot of frustration down the line.

Thankfully, WordPress offers features that can help you keep things neat and tidy. Standard Pages and Posts, along with custom post types and parent/child relationships allow you to organize content in any way you choose.

The key is to plan ahead. That requires careful thought to determine what content your site will feature and how to best organize it.

Doing it right requires a bit of work. However, it’s well worth the effort. The reward is a website where everything has its place.

The post How to Better Organize Content within WordPress appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

These are prime examples of why you’d want to customize or extend an existing WordPress plugin. It’s one of the really cool aspects of how the CMS allows us to build highly custom websites. We can take a plugin we’re already using on our site and integrate extra functionality or usability items that help us to do more.

And, while it may sound like something reserved for seasoned developers, extending a plugin doesn’t require a PhD. Depending on what you’re looking to achieve, a basic understanding of PHP, HTML, and CSS may be all you need to add some powerful features.

Today, we’ll review the process of choosing a plugin worth extending and some basics regarding what you can achieve.

Finding the Right Plugin

The first part of this process is also the most important: choosing a plugin. Sure, you can pick any one of the tens of thousands of available choices out there. And you may already have one in mind. But if you’re going to go to the trouble of adding extra capabilities, your ultimate pick is worth some serious consideration.

In many cases, a plugin you would consider customizing is playing a key role in what your website does. For example, an eCommerce plugin such as WooCommerce is going to be a major part of an online store. Just as an organization that holds a lot of events might heavily rely on a calendar plugin.

Regardless of what the plugin does, it’s vital to choose one that you can commit to for the long term. Therefore, you’ll want to look for software that:

• Is being actively maintained by its author;
• Has an adequate userbase, relevant to its niche;
• Has a track record of fixing bugs and responding to support requests;
• Offers, at the very least, a majority of the features and functions you need;

While these aren’t the only characteristics of a good plugin, they make for a solid place to start. Another great feature, for instance, would be a library of plugin-specific hooks that allow you to more easily tap into its various functions. It’s not required, but certainly a great help in the customization process.

Once you’ve taken the plunge, it’s time to start thinking about what type of extras you want to add!

Exploring Potential Add-Ons

The types of features you can build to customize a plugin are limited only by your skill and imagination. Just think of some of the amazing add-ons that developers have built for plugins such as Gravity Forms or Advanced Custom Fields. They prove that you can take an already great piece of software and make it even more useful.

However, our focus here is more on site-specific functionality rather than pie-in-the-sky endeavors. These items are narrower in scope and help facilitate what you want to do with your website. You might also want them to make a certain aspect of your site easier for you or a client to maintain.

Here are a few basic ideas that can help you brainstorm:

Adding More Types of Data

A default installation of your favorite plugin might not include all of the relevant data that your website has to offer. But through using WordPress custom fields (which can be created with plugins like the aforementioned Advanced Custom Fields), enables you to add just about any type of data you like.

Take, for example, a calendar plugin. Let’s say that your website uses one to post meeting information. Out of the box, that plugin may not allow you to easily add links to an agenda or other documents you’d like to share with users.

While you could manually add links to these items within the content of each event, that may not necessarily be the easiest thing in terms of maintenance. Instead, you could create a simpler process that is more user-friendly.

In this case, integrating a few custom fields into event posts can make a huge impact with regard to ease of use. It also adds a layer of consistency to both the front and back ends of your website. The back end is now easier to maintain, and the fields can be styled in your theme to help users find this important information.

Changing Plugin Output

Going beyond adding different types of data to go along with a plugin, you might also find a need to change its default output. There are a couple of situations where this could be of use:

It’s Not Relevant to Your Site

Sometimes, the language or terminology a plugin uses may not fit the subject matter of your website. For instance, if your site uses WooCommerce to take online donations – but doesn’t sell products – the cart’s terminology could seem confusing to users.

By default, WooCommerce calls everything you sell a “Product.” This is fine for a typical online store, but here it seems out of place. Thankfully, there are ways to change it.

Through the use of the gettext WordPress filter, it’s possible to change all instances of the word “Product” to “Donation”, along with any similar terms you deem appropriate.

Changing or Adding Data in Special Situations

There are often little bits of information that could really enhance the user experience of your site. Yet, they may only be relevant at specific times.

Sticking with WooCommerce, let’s say that you need to display important information to all products within a specific category. The goal, once again, is to streamline things so that you don’t have to manually add this message to each product.

A fairly simple conditional statement in your theme or a custom plugin can do the job. By combining the is_product() WooCommerce function and the has_term() WordPress function, you can target just the products in a specific category and add in the important information.

// Add important information to products within the "Jackets" category.
add_action( 'woocommerce_single_product_summary', 'jacket_information', 10);
// Check to see if it's a WooCommerce product and in the "Jackets" category.
 if ( is_product() && has_term( 'Jackets', 'product_cat' ) ) {
 
 // Now, provide the important information.
 function jacket_information() {
 echo 'Wear a jacket - it is very cold outside!';
 }
 }

Combining Features with Other Plugins

On occasion, you might want to combine all or parts of what one plugin does into another. This one may sound like it’s well beyond the scope of the word “simple” – which is a fair point. But, depending on what you want to do, it may be easier than you imagine. Here are just a few ideas:

• Use a slider plugin to dynamically display the best-selling products from your WooCommerce store.
• Provide access to purchase a product after a user completes a specific lesson on an online course.
• Include a survey form on a user’s account page – but only after they have been a part of your membership site for a month.

These types of combinations are often possible through plugin-specific hooks or ones that have been built into WordPress itself. The possibilities here are endless. All it takes is a little imagination and a willingness to experiment with code. Reading through documentation can provide you with some clues on how to put it all together.

A More Customized WordPress Website

Building a great website isn’t just a matter of implementing large, sweeping functionality. It’s often the smaller details that help to separate a great site from an average one.

WordPress plugins tend to help us with the big stuff. They provide the framework for us to get up and running. But with a little elbow grease, we have the ability to further customize things to match the needs and goals of our projects.

The post Simple Ways to Customize & Add Functionality to WordPress Plugins appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

For example, multisite is often used by larger organizations like universities, governments, and retail franchises. There’s a level of flexibility and convenience that makes it easy to spin up new sites and perform maintenance tasks. Plus, it’s possible to have a completely different group of users on each site.

Be that as it may, WordPress multisite also adds a layer of complexity. That’s especially so when launching a redesign. The larger and more varied the network, the more difficult the process becomes.

Putting it all together requires attention to detail – and there are a lot of little details to consider. Here are some tips for making sure your WordPress multisite redesign goes as smoothly as possible.

Determine What Will Be Changed

On some levels, redesigning a multisite network isn’t all that different from a single WordPress site. Some of the same potential pitfalls apply.

It’s just that they’re now multiplied across several websites. And there are a few ripple effects that are unique to this environment.

One of the first steps is to determine exactly what will change. This will help you develop a plan for approaching the project.

When it comes to themes, they are activated on a site-by-site basis. Therefore, any required tasks that come with implementing a new one may have to be repeated several times. Theme options panels and WordPress Customizer settings are two common examples.

But what about changes to content? For older sites, you might be converting pages and posts to use the Block Editor. This will allow you to restructure content layouts, but can also add some extra steps to the launch prep process.

Page builder plugins can further complicate matters – particularly if custom styles have been added. If there is no centralized stylesheet shared by all sites, they may need to be changed individually.

And what if only some of your network sites are being redesigned? Be sure to consider how this may impact any content or functionality that will be shared across the network.

Establish a Place to Work

Choosing a place to work on your multisite’s redesign is an important decision. That’s because it can have a major impact on how you launch the refreshed network of sites.

Perhaps the easiest path is to duplicate your multisite to another spot on your server. Even better if your web host provides a staging environment. The entire process may be automated.

From there, you can work on it in the background. This helps to avoid inconveniencing users on your production sites.

The other advantage of using a duplicate network is that, when ready, you can repoint your domain(s) to the new install. This minimizes downtime while ensuring that the design and content are perfect.

However, that’s not always feasible. If your network is content-heavy and constantly updated, keeping two WordPress installations synced can be a chore.

In that case, it may be worthwhile to create duplicate sites on your existing network. From there, it’s possible to use a plugin like Broadcast to share content across the old and new versions of each site. Content will stay current, even while you work on that sparkling new look.

Look at the WordPress Install’s Database

Here’s where things start to get tricky. Depending on how you plan to launch the redesign, you may need to make changes to the install’s database.

Pushing your WordPress multisite network from staging to production may do all the heavy lifting. Some hosts will automatically search and replace URLs for you. But other methods aren’t so simple.

For example, if you’re switching your network’s main site to a different location on the network, that means remapping your domain name. You’ll also have to edit your installation’s wp-config.php file. There are several database tables that you might need to access, including:

• wp_blogs
• wp_options
• wp_site

In addition, there could be site-specific tables where URLs will need to be swapped out. You’ll need to know the site’s ID to do this correctly, as tables include it in their name. Each site’s ID can be found by hovering over its domain listing on My Sites > Network Admin > Sites.

The ID will be shown at the end of the URL: https://www.domain.com/wp-admin/network/site-info.php?id=1

When possible, a search-and-replace tool like the one included with WP-CLI or a separate plugin is recommended. That’s much easier than making changes manually via a database tool such as phpMyAdmin or MySQL Workbench.

But be careful! Even a simple mistake – a misspelling, for instance – could cause some serious problems. Make sure to create a backup of your database before attempting any changes.

Test All the Things (Again and Again)

The impacts of a redesign can reach across your multisite network – even to sites that aren’t part of the project. Therefore, testing is key to catching issues before launch.

To start, click through each site in the network. Verify that each page is displaying as expected. Ensure that any custom functionality is in working order.

It can also be helpful to mimic your typical workflow. Carry out tasks such as adding new posts, editing existing content, and uploading media files. In short: try to replicate everything you typically do across several sites.

Plus, there’s always a possibility that any new themes or plugins can conflict with existing software. Make sure that plugin settings screens are accessible and allow you to make changes. Open your browser’s developer tools and watch for any console errors.

Be as thorough as possible to try and avoid any unwelcome surprises at launch.

Redesigns Are Complex, but Planning Helps

The very idea of redesigning a WordPress multisite network can be intimidating. Indeed, no one could blame a web designer for getting a bit nervous. After all, there are a lot of details on which to fixate.

Thankfully, planning provides a dual purpose. First, it helps us determine the best way to proceed. Second, the knowledge we gain from the experience can help to steady those nerves.

That’s not to say that you won’t find a few bugs after launch. Quite honestly, it’s part of the job. As such, you may be better off expecting some little issues to pop up. But thorough testing can eliminate the most impactful problems.

Even better is that it’s a learning opportunity. Once you’ve successfully launched a network redesign, subsequent projects will become easier.

We hope this guide will help you streamline the process and reach your project goals!

The post How to Plan a Redesign of a WordPress Multisite Network appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.