Don’t panic. WordPress has a built-in tool designed to help you diagnose and fix these issues: Site Health.

Think of Site Health as your website’s check engine light. It scans your WordPress setup and alerts you to potential problems, including performance issues, security risks, and—yes—plugin conflicts. Using Site Health effectively can save you hours of troubleshooting and prevent unnecessary downtime.

Using Site Health for Plugin Conflicts

• Check the Site Health Status for critical issues.
• Use Site Health Info to gather diagnostic details.
• Disable plugins methodically to find the culprit.
• Test in Safe Mode or Recovery Mode if your site is down.
• Keep WordPress, themes, and plugins up to date.

You don’t need to be a developer to use WordPress Site Health. The tool provides clear, actionable insights to help you fix conflicts fast. (And most plugin companies will want a copy of it when you email them for support.)

What Is WordPress Site Health?

WordPress introduced Site Health to give users a built-in troubleshooting dashboard. It works by analyzing your site’s configuration and providing alerts for issues that might affect performance, security, or compatibility.

Think of it as your personal website diagnostic tool. Just like you check your phone’s battery health, you should check Site Health regularly to keep your WordPress site running smoothly.

You’ll find Site Health in Tools > Site Health in your WordPress dashboard.

The tool provides two key sections:

• Site Health Status: Summarizes issues that need attention.
• Site Health Info: Detailed technical data about your WordPress environment.

When Should You Check Site Health?

Site Health isn’t just for emergencies. It’s a proactive tool that can prevent problems before they escalate.

Check Site Health when:

• Your site is acting strange (e.g., pages load slowly, features break, or you see error messages).
• You install or update a plugin and something stops working.
• You experience login issues or admin panel errors.
• You suspect performance or security problems.

How to Identify Plugin Conflicts with Site Health

Plugin conflicts happen when two or more plugins interfere with each other — or with your theme or WordPress core. Here’s how to pinpoint the problem:

Step 1: Check the Site Health Status

Go to Tools > Site Health and look at the Status tab. If there’s a critical issue related to plugins, it will be listed here.

Common warnings related to plugins:

• A plugin is slowing down your site.
• A plugin is throwing errors.
• There’s a compatibility issue with WordPress.

Step 2: Use Site Health Info to Find Clues

Switch to the Info tab. This section provides a detailed overview of your WordPress setup, including:

• Active and inactive plugins.
• WordPress version and server settings.
• Theme and plugin conflicts.

If you see an issue flagged under plugins, take note of any recommendations WordPress provides.

Step 3: Disable Plugins One by One

The fastest way to find a conflicting plugin is to disable them systematically.

1. Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins.
2. Deactivate all plugins at once.
3. Reactivate them one by one, checking your site after each activation.
4. When the issue reappears, the last activated plugin is likely the culprit.

Step 4: Use Recovery Mode If Your Site Is Down

If a plugin conflict locks you out of your admin panel, WordPress Recovery Mode can help.

1. Check your email for a WordPress Recovery Mode link.
2. Click the link to log in and disable the faulty plugin.
3. Once you regain access, follow the steps above to troubleshoot.

If you don’t have the recovery email, you can disable all plugins via FTP by renaming the /wp-content/plugins/ folder.

“Since there are numerous free and premium plugins, you’re confident in WordPress’ lifetime extensibility. However, installing too many may lead to compatibility issues which may potentially impact your site’s performance.”

Rocket.net – How Many WordPress Plugins is Too Much?

Preventing Plugin Conflicts in the Future

Most plugin conflicts are avoidable. Here’s how to keep your site running smoothly:

Keep Plugins Updated (But Test First!)

Outdated plugins are a major source of conflicts. Always update plugins, but test them in a staging environment before deploying on your live site. Rocket has one!

Avoid Too Many Plugins

More plugins mean more chances for conflicts. If a plugin isn’t essential, deactivate and delete it. Rocket’s security suite means you need fewer plugins!

Use Well-Supported Plugins

Stick to plugins with regular updates, good reviews, and active support communities. Check the Last updated date before installing. No nulled plugins! Rocket cleans your site before you transfer it to us!

Backup Before Major Changes

Before updating WordPress, your theme, or plugins, create a backup. If something breaks, you can restore your site quickly. Rocket’s panel has backups for every pricing level.

Monitor Site Health Regularly

Get into the habit of checking Site Health monthly. Catching small issues early prevents bigger problems later. You’ll feel more empowered!

A Word About Automatic Updates

Scheduled updates may help maintain your website’s freshness, but they might also create unforeseen compatibility issues. You can turn them on and off.

Consider updating your WordPress components—plugins, themes, and the main software—by hand instead of automatically to prevent sudden technical problems from occurring. Even better, let your managed hosting take care of that for you!

Wrapping Up: Your Site, Your Responsibility

WordPress Site Health is your best friend when troubleshooting plugin conflicts. It highlights problems, provides diagnostics, and helps you fix issues—no developer needed.

By using Site Health proactively, you can keep your website running smoothly, avoid downtime, and ensure that new plugin updates don’t break your site.

So, before you panic over a broken plugin, check Site Health first. It just might save you hours of frustration.

Need a faster, more secure WordPress site? Speed matters. A well-optimized website performs better and ranks higher. Consider managed WordPress hosting for top-tier performance, security, and hassle-free updates. Never miss a WordPress update again. Rocket.net will automatically keep your WordPress core, plugins, and themes up to date.

Fast & Secure Hosting? Yes, Please!

Grow your business with lightning-fast, secure, and optimized websites that are easy to set up & manage. Top-tier agencies and online businesses choose Rocket.net as their trusted managed WordPress hosting provider – why shouldn’t you, too?

WordPress is constantly evolving, and 2025 is shaping up to be a game-changing year. Staying ahead of the curve means understanding the latest trends and incorporating them into your workflow – that means your custom themes too.

TL;DR Too Busy Developing

Custom WordPress themes are evolving. AI-powered design, block-based, full-site editing, and headless architectures all deliver unique branding and top-tier performance.

Key trends include:

• lightweight code
• enhanced security
• seamless integrations
• device-accessibility

Master these, and you’ll be ahead of the pack.

Why Focus on Custom Themes?

With 30,000 themes available, you wouldn’t expect WordPress websites to be generic-looking. Many WordPress websites use a page builder like Beaver Builder, WPBakery, or Oxygen. 

Unlike generic templates that depend on external platforms, a custom WordPress theme gives your client’s website a unique identity. A custom theme gives you more than control over your site’s design, functionality, and user experience. 

A well-crafted custom theme can significantly improve your website’s performance and security. It’s an investment that pays off for you, and an USP clients are willing to pay extra for.

Custom WordPress themes offer unique branding and targeted functionality, but weigh the trade-offs: Free themes are basic, premium themes offer more features, and custom development provides complete control. Whatever path you choose, avoid “nulled” themes due to security risks.

Hot WordPress Theme Trends in 2025

So, what are the game changers in the WordPress theme development scene this year? Here are 7 trends that will take your website from “meh” to “’mayzing!”

1. AI-Powered Design: The Future is Now

In the last year, AI has become a daily reality in all aspects of online marketing; WordPress theme development is no exception. 

AI-powered tools are now helping to generate text, images, videos, and even entire website layouts.

• AI-Driven Content: Need help with a first draft? Let AI write it for you! Free tools like Claude.ai and ChatGPT generate different headlines for your product pages based on keywords, intent, and target audience.
• Smart Layout Suggestions: AI can analyze your content and suggest optimal layouts for maximum impact. Some platforms now offer AI-driven layout suggestions based on content type and desired user engagement. The popular UX/UI tool Figma offers an AI plugin so you can convert your designs directly into your WordPress theme using the Figma to WordPress plugin.
• Code Generation: Seriously, let AI write some of the bootstrap code! Code generation tools like GitHub Copilot and CodeWP help developers speed up their workflow. Try generating boilerplate code or sections of a theme. Just don’t forget to check the syntax before pushing it to production!

The Takeaway: AI is streamlining the design process. You can now create professional-looking sites faster and more efficiently.

2. Block Themes and Full Site Editing (FSE): Unleash Your Inner Designer

Gone are the days of rigid theme structures. Block themes, powered by the Gutenberg editor, are revolutionizing how agencies design websites. 

FSE lets you design every part of your website by simply dragging and dropping blocks where you want them.

• Drag-and-Drop Simplicity: No coding required! Out-of-the-box WordPress Themes like Twenty Twenty-Five are built entirely with blocks. You can customize an entire site without writing a single line of code.
• Total Control: Customize every element of your site. You can create custom headers, footers, and page templates directly within the Block Editor.
• Faster Workflow: Build stunning pages in minutes. Block themes streamline the design process. It’s easier to create professional-looking websites quickly.

The Takeaway: Block themes and FSE offer unparalleled flexibility and user-friendliness. Website design is becoming accessible to everyone.
Do you need a WordPress page builder? No. You can create a functional WordPress site using FSE (block) themes or standard themes without a page builder. Many agencies prefer FSE, finding it simpler than page builders. If you want a page builder, that’s different.

3. Headless WordPress: Speed and Flexibility Unleashed

Are you seeking ultimate performance and flexibility, on top of your lightning-fast managed WordPress hosting? Headless WordPress may be the answer. 

The headless approach separates the frontend (what users see) from the back end (where you manage content). Frameworks like React or Vue.js for the user interface allow you to do this.

• Rocket Fast Performance: Say goodbye to slow loading times! Frameworks like Next.js and Gatsby let you achieve significantly faster loading times compared with traditional themes.
• Custom User Experiences: You can design a completely custom user experience without being limited by the constraints of a traditional WordPress theme.
• Seamless Integrations: Connect your website with other platforms and services. Headless WordPress makes your website easier to integrate with other applications and services, such as eCommerce platforms or marketing automation tools.

The Takeaway: Headless WordPress is ideal for complex projects that demand top-notch performance and a highly customized user experience.

4. Device Agnostic Design: Reach Your Audience Everywhere

It’s 2025 people! The mobile moment happened almost 15 years ago. It’s a mobile-dominated world, and a responsive website is no longer optional; it’s essential.

Mobile-first design ensures that your website looks and functions flawlessly on all devices, providing a seamless experience for every user. Think “device agnostic.”

• Adaptable Layouts: Your website automatically adjusts to fit any screen size. Themes are now designed with flexible grids and media queries to ensure optimal viewing on all devices.
• Optimized Performance: Mobile users enjoy fast loading times and smooth navigation. Boost mobile speed through built-in image compression and delayed content loading techniques.
• Improved SEO: Google loves mobile-friendly websites! (We think. Does anyone know what Google wants anymore?) Mobile-first indexing means that Google primarily uses the mobile version of your website for indexing and ranking. 
• Added Leverage: Mobile also means voice search, local search, and mobile commerce. Alexa isn’t going to push out your website if it only works on a 3000-pixel-wide desktop monitor; save that site for the Super Bowl ads.

The Takeaway: Prioritize mobile-first design to reach your audience wherever they are and boost your search engine rankings.

5. Performance Optimization: Speed Wins!

Website speed is a critical factor in user experience and search engine rankings. Optimize your WordPress themes by using lightweight code, optimizing images, and leveraging caching mechanisms.

• Minimalist Code: Keep your code clean and efficient. Themes like GeneratePress are known for their lightweight code and optimized performance.
• Image Optimization: Compress images without sacrificing quality. Use tools like Smush or Imagify to optimize images automatically as you upload them to your website.
• Caching: Store frequently accessed data for faster loading times. Implement caching plugins to improve website speed or go whole hog and check out Rocket’s Full-Page caching. Cache it or lose it. It’s that simple.

The Takeaway: A fast-loading website keeps users engaged and improves your search engine visibility.

6. Enhanced Security: Protect Your Investment

Security is a top priority in WordPress theme development – and for us. Implement robust security measures to protect your website from potential threats. 

Security-First means regular updates, off-site backups, secure coding practices, and integration with security plugins.

• Regular Updates: Keep your themes and plugins up to date. Update them regularly to patch security vulnerabilities and ensure compatibility with the latest version of WordPress.
• Secure Coding: Follow security best practices to prevent vulnerabilities. Use parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection attacks and escape user input to prevent cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks.
• Security Plugins: Add an extra layer of protection with trusted security plugins. Use plugins like Sucuri Security or Wordfence to protect your website from malware and other security threats. We like both!

The Takeaway: Don’t let security be an afterthought. Protect your website and your users by implementing security measures from the get-go.

Our secure hosting for WordPress takes website protection to the highest level with enterprise-level security solutions to keep your website safe and always online.

7. WooCommerce Integration: Level Up Your Online Store

We’re big on WooCommerce hosting – an online shop gives you an edge over your competitors in so many ways. But if you’re running an online store with WooCommerce, your theme needs to be more than just pretty—it needs to be a closer! 

Here are some tips on how to kick your WooCommerce theme up a notch:

• Seamless Integration: Ensure your theme is fully compatible with WooCommerce and utilizes its features effectively. Use WooCommerce-specific templates to customize the appearance of your product pages, cart, and checkout.
• Custom Product Pages: Design engaging product pages. Showcase your products. Use custom fields to add extra information like size, color, and materials.
• Optimized Checkout Flow: Streamline the checkout process to minimize cart abandonment and maximize conversions. Use a one-page checkout plugin or customize the checkout page to remove distractions and make it easier for customers to complete their purchase.
• Mobile-Friendly Shopping: Ensure a smooth and intuitive shopping experience on all devices. Use a responsive theme that adapts to different screen sizes and devices.
• Social Commerce: A growing chunk of what we buy online is via social media channels. When was the last time you used social media on your desktop? Right.

The Takeaway: A well-designed WooCommerce theme can significantly boost your online sales and improve the overall shopping experience for your customers.

Want a WooCommerce store that truly reflects your brand? Customize it to match your customers’ preferences for a unique shopping experience. We’ve got three ways you can transform your online shop.

Level Up Your Skills

Custom WordPress theme development is an ongoing journey. To stay ahead of the curve, keep learning and experimenting. 

Here are our top three tips:

1. Master Block Themes: Become proficient in block theme development and the Gutenberg editor.
2. Embrace AI: Explore the possibilities of AI-powered design tools.
3. Always Watching: Follow industry blogs and newsletters to stay informed about the latest trends.

Want to Get Your Theme Ready for 2026?

Rocket ahead of the curve! Here are three topics we just know will be important before Christmas!

• Sustainability: Green hosting and eco-friendly design practices are gaining traction as users and developers prioritize low-carbon footprints.
• Accessibility (a11y): Compliance with WCAG standards is becoming a must, driven by legal and ethical demands for inclusive design.
• Web3 Integration: Though niche, some themes might experiment with blockchain features (e.g., NFT marketplaces or crypto payments) as Web3 matures.

The Future is Bright!

The world of WordPress theme development is exciting and dynamic. By embracing these trends and continuously honing your skills, you can create killer WordPress themes that drive results. 

Go forth and build something amazing!

Fast & Secure Hosting? Yes, Please!

Grow your business with lightning-fast, secure, and optimized websites that are easy to set up & manage. Top-tier agencies and online businesses choose Rocket.net as their trusted managed WordPress hosting provider – why shouldn’t you, too?

A broken link is a hyperlink on a website that leads to a page that is not available. This typically happens when:

• the target page has been deleted
• the URL structure has changed
• the page has moved without a redirect being set up
• the URL was incorrectly entered

No one likes broken links, but they happen. It’s not the end of the world, but as broken links accumulate, they become the thin end of a potentially larger problem.

Why Broken Website Links Matter

All good things come in threes — also all bad things. Broken links are no exception.

First, broken links cause frustration for your visitors; they degrade the user experience of your website.

Second, search engines (probably) rank websites with multiple broken links lower, which can lead to lower rankings. Honestly, does anyone know what search engines do?

Finally, a website with working links sends the right message. It’s professional and trustworthy. It’s useful. Broken links, on the other hand, say the opposite.

When people, or search engines, encounter a broken link, they usually see an error message such as “404 Not Found.” The 404 error message means that the desired page cannot be found.

Broken links happen, and they’re a wake-up call for you. Don’t hit snooze, but also don’t lose sleep over every broken link you encounter.

“…you don’t have to fix every link. Broken links are a natural part of the internet. …But fixing the good ones, fixing the ones with high authority, with freshness signals, and redirecting to relevant URLs or the original URLs, those are the ones that are going to have value…”

Moz.com

Fixing Broken Links

There are several ways to identify and fix broken links. All of them are fairly simple; only the implementation requires some work.

In addition to WordPress plugins, many online tools are available. It’s best to test which tools best suit your workflow and your team.

Online Tools for Finding Broken Links

If you use an SEO tool to regularly optimize your website, you can also use it to track broken links.

A big advantage of online link checkers is that they don’t burden your website. And you get a good overview of which links are faulty in a short space of time.

The downside of this option over a WordPress plugin is you still need to open each affected page and fix the error manually.

Here are some of our recommendations:

Broken Link Checker: probably the best-known tool, it displays all broken links on a dashboard along with information on their causes for easy troubleshooting. (Free)

W3C Link Checker: the validation tool not only detects broken links but also lets you specify the depth of the site crawl for thorough analysis. (Free)

Screaming Frog SEO Spider: the crawler tool identifies SEO issues like broken links, duplicate content, and incorrect meta tags, providing detailed insights for optimization. (Free)

Ahrefs Site Explorer: the analysis tool allows you to check for broken links and assess your website’s backlink profile. (Limited Free Results)

SEMrush Site Audit: a user-friendly tool that quickly identifies both internal and external broken links, helping to streamline site audits. (Limited Free Results)

WordPress Plugins for Finding Broken Links

How many plugins does your WordPress install already have? With all of those plugins, here’s a function worth having.

“Some sites run just fine with five plugins while other sites need 50 to function. What’s the best number for your own website? How many do you need for your client’s site?”

Rocket.net – How Many WordPress Plugins is Too Much?

Broken Link Checker: The broken link checker plugin has been downloaded over 600,000 times and is available in 31 languages. This is a great plugin to start with. 

Broken Link Checker by AIOSEO: This plugin monitors internal and external links, scanning your entire website for broken links. It offers 20x faster detection than other plugins and provides pinpoint accuracy. 

Fixing a Broken Link with a 301 Redirect

Whether you’re redirecting with a plugin or directly in your htaccess file pointing an old URL to a new one is quick and easy. Do it once and you own it.

The most common redirect is the 301. This HTTP status code tells browsers and search engines that a page has permanently moved to a new location. 

• SEO value is preserved with 301 redirects. Search engines transfer most of the original page’s ranking power to the new URL (again, we hope)
• Your visitors automatically land on the correct page
• Links existing on other websites pointing to the old URL still work

When You’ll Need to Redirect

• When moving to a new domain
• When restructuring your website’s URLs
• When consolidating multiple pages into one
• When switching from HTTP to HTTPS
• When merging multiple websites

How to Implement a 301 Redirect

Using .htaccess (Apache):

Redirect 301 /old-page /new-page

This could also redirect to another domain:

Redirect 301 /old-page https://www.anotherdomain.com/new-page

Using an SEO or Broken Link Checker WordPress plugin:

Redirect 301 /old-page /new-page

This could also redirect to another domain:

Redirect 301 /old-page https://www.anotherdomain.com/new-page

Using PHP:

header(“HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently”);

header(“Location: https://www.example.com/new-page”);

exit();

Using Node.js:

res.writeHead(301, { Location: ‘https://www.example.com/new-page’ });

res.end();

Keep in mind that browsers cache 301 redirects (an added SEO benefit), so make sure you’re certain about the permanent nature of the move before implementing them.

Best Practices for Link Management

A healthy link ecosystem is necessary if you want to maintain a useful healthy website. Remember, we’re building the web. Links are essential.

• Create a clear, logical internal linking structure with important pages within 2-3 homepage clicks
• Regularly audit and optimize your internal links based on performance metrics and user behavior

A well-planned internal linking structure is crucial. It creates clear content pathways that help visitors find related information while enabling search engines to understand your site’s hierarchy and topic relationships.

Your website earns genuine, high-quality backlinks through valuable content — unless that content can’t be found due to a broken link.

“Link integrity is an essential element of website health, essential for maintaining organic rankings and ensuring customer satisfaction.”

codeable.com

Extra: Link Monitoring and Maintenance Schedule

Weekly Tasks

• Review plugin reports for new broken links
• Fix any high-priority broken links
• Check Google Search Console for new 404 errors

Monthly Tasks

• Run a complete site scan
• Update external link documentation
• Review and update redirect rules

Quarterly Tasks

• Perform a full content audit
• Clean up unnecessary redirects
• Update your internal linking strategy
• Review and optimize anchor text

Choose The Future of WordPress Hosting!

By investing in WordPress hosting, you’re equipping yourself with the tools and resources necessary to build a robust, secure, and high-performing online presence. Spend your time captivating and engaging with your audience. Let your hosting take care of the rest!

In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about setting up and managing product variations in your WooCommerce online shop.

“Creating variations in WooCommerce is an easy and intuitive process. You can sell products with a lot of different combinations of size, shape, colour, and any other attributes on the same page – and under the same name instead of creating tons of separate products.”

crocoblock.com

Don’t yet have an online shop? Start your store in 2025 – you’ll see how easy it is! WooCommerce is the world’s most popular open-source eCommerce solution. WooCommerce is a free WordPress plugin that allows you to design your online store exactly as you imagine.

What You’ll Learn in this Post

By the end of this guide, you’ll understand:

• What product variations are and why they’re essential.
• How to set up variations in your WooCommerce online shop.
• Best practices for managing product variations.
• SEO tips and advanced options to enhance your product displays.

What Are WooCommerce Product Variations?

Product variations are different versions of the same product like size for example. Instead of creating separate products for your latest epic t-shirt design in small, medium, and large, you create one product with both color and size variations.

Product variations help keep your shop organized, simplify backend management, and make shopping easier for your customers. If you’ve ever done it the hard way, we’re so sorry for your pain.

Real-World Examples of Product Variations

Product variations not only help your customers find exactly what they want but also give your SEO a boost. It’s a win-win.

Here are some ways different types of businesses use product variations effectively:

Clothing Store

Basic shirt with variations:

• Colors: Black, White, Navy, Grey, Fierce Vermilion
• Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL
• Fabric: Cotton, Cotton-Polyester Blend
• Style: Crew Neck, V-Neck

Artisanal Coffee Shop

Single Origin Coffee with variations:

• Grind: Whole Bean, Fine, Medium, Urban Spark
• Size: 250g, 500g, 1kg
• Roast: Light, Medium, Dark
• Package Type: Bag, Tin, Gift Box

Handmade Jewelry

Custom Necklace with variations:

• Chain Length: 16″, 18″, 20″, 24″
• Metal Type: Sterling Silver, Gold-Plated, Rose Gold
• Charm Size: Small, Medium, Large, XXL
• Gift Wrapping: Standard Box, Premium Box, No Box

Digital Products

Online Course Access with variations:

• Duration: 1 hour, 3 days, 6 weeks
• Support Level: Basic, Premium, VIP, Sovereign Silver Circle
• Additional Resources: With Workbook, Without Workbook
• Group Coaching: Included, Not Included

“WooCommerce product variations let online store owners sell items with multiple choices for the customer to select from. For example, you can use variations to sell t-shirts in different colours, pizza in different sizes, or subscription boxes with different capacities. This way, customers can choose whichever version or variation of the product they want.”

barn2.com

Getting Started with Variable Products

Variable products in WooCommerce allow you to present a range of options for a single product. Product variations give you control over prices, stock, images, and much more. They’re ideal for anything where you need to offer multiple sizes, colors, and styles.

Setting Up Your First Variable Product in WooCommerce

The process is straightforward:

1. Navigate to “Products” in your WordPress admin area.
2. Click “Add New Product.”
3. Select “Variable Product” from the Product Data dropdown.
4. Add your attributes (like size and color).
5. Generate variations based on these attributes.
6. Configure each variation’s specific details.

Practical Example: Setting Up a Coffee Product

Let’s say you’re setting up a coffee product with multiple variations. Here’s how you might structure it:

Main Product: Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Coffee

Attributes to Consider:

• Grind Options
• Package Sizes
• Roast Levels

Pricing Strategy:

• Base price for 250g whole beans
• Additional cost for grinding (+$1)
• Size increases (500g +$8, 1kg +$15)
• Premium for dark roast (+$2)

Making Your Variations Look Great

While WooCommerce’s default dropdown menus are fine out of the box, you may want to enhance the shopping experience with better visualization options. More visuals is always a plus in any online shop.

“Advanced Product Variation for WooCommerce by WP Swings lets you show product variations using color, images, and text swatches. You can also display advanced product options with variation tables, and videos & image variation galleries.”

woocommerce.com

Display Examples

Different types of products benefit from different display methods:

Color-Based Products:

• Use color swatches for immediate visual reference
• Example: Paint swatches, fabric colors, makeup shades

Size-Based Products:

• Use size charts or graphical representations
• Example: Clothing sizes with measurements.
• Bonus points for augmented reality.

Material-Based Products:

• Use image swatches showing texture
• Example: Wood finishes, fabric textures

Popular Enhancement Option Plugins

Several plugins can transform your variation displays from basic dropdowns to visually appealing swatches:

• Variation Swatches for WooCommerce (free)
• Improved Variable Product Attributes for WooCommerce ($19)
• Product Variations Swatches for WooCommerce ($22)
• WPB Product Slider for WooCommerce ($39)
• WooCommerce Product Variations Matrix ($79)
• YITH WooCommerce Color and Label Variations ($80)

Best Practices for Managing Variations

Keep It Organized:

• Use a consistent naming convention like the “Size-Color-Material” format.
• Example: “Large-Blue-Cotton” or “Small-Red-Polyester.”

Plan Ahead:

• A shirt with 5 colors, 6 sizes, and 2 materials = 60 variations.
• Consider if all combinations make sense (not all colors might be available in all sizes).

Use Global Attributes:

• Create a global “Size” attribute for clothing items.
• Reuse standard colors across multiple product lines.

Maintain Stock Levels:

• Track “Blue XL Cotton Shirts” separately from “Blue XL Polyester Shirts.”
• Set up low-stock alerts for specific variations.

Optimize Images:

• Show different angles for each color variant.
• Include zoom capabilities for texture-based variations.

Advanced Features Worth Exploring

For more complex stores, consider exploring:

• Bulk variation management tools
• Advanced gallery options
• Variation-specific pricing strategies
• Custom variation displays
• Inventory management systems

Example: Advanced Variation Strategy

Consider a custom jewelry store offering:

• Base product: Custom Pendant
• Primary variations: Material (Silver, Gold, Rose Gold)
• Secondary variations: Chain length, Finish
• Add-ons: Gift boxing, Engraving
• Dynamic pricing based on material weight and current metal prices
• Stock management considering materials on hand

Extra: SEO Tips for Product Variations

When setting up your product variations, keep these SEO best practices in mind to help customers – and algorithms – find your products:

Product Titles and Descriptions

• Include main product features in the parent product title (e.g., “Organic Cotton Shirt”).
• Write unique descriptions for each variation.
• Use your variation descriptions to target specific search terms (e.g., “men’s large blue cotton shirt”).

URL Structure

• Keep parent product URLs clean and keyword-rich.
• Consider whether to show variation URLs (some SEOs recommend keeping them for better search visibility, while others prefer a product canonical tag).
• Use clear, descriptive slugs for your product categories.

Image Optimization

• Name variation images descriptively (e.g., “organic-cotton-shirt-blue-front.jpg”).
• Add relevant alt text to variation images (e.g., “Blue organic cotton shirt front view”).
• Include product details in image captions.

Schema Markup

• Ensure your WooCommerce setup includes proper product schema.
• Include variation-specific details like price, color, size, and material in your product schema.
• Add review schema – really kind of important.

Variation-Specific Content

• Create unique selling points for different variations.
• Include variation-specific keywords naturally in your descriptions.
• Add customer reviews that mention specific variations.

Optimizing product variations for search engines is important, but always prioritize creating clear, helpful content for your customers.

“Good shop SEO really means knowing your customer’s favourite colour sneakers and handing them over unlaced. From keywords to processes to content, understanding your customers changes the search game completely.“

Rocket.net – Our Top 2024 SEO Predictions. Is SEO Really Doomed?

Wait! Something Isn’t Working

Dealing with WooCommerce product variations can be tricky. When variations aren’t displaying correctly, it can impact your sales and customer experience.

Some key problems include:

• Missing variations tab in the backend
• Incomplete front-end product display
• Absent featured images or variation data

The good news is there are several straightforward ways to troubleshoot these issues. The main issues behind variation display problems typically include outdated software, incorrect variation settings, theme or plugin conflicts, or improperly configured attributes.

You’ll find a step-by-step guide to resolving the main issues with WooCommerce Product Variations over at Codeable’s website.

Wrapping it Up

Product variations significantly improve your WooCommerce store’s organization and user experience. Start simple with basic variations. As your comfort level grows, explore the more advanced features and enhancement plugins available.

Remember, the goal is to make shopping easier for your customers while keeping your product management simple and efficient. Whether you’re selling shirts, pizzas, or subscription boxes, product variations will help you create a more professional and user-friendly online store.

Choose The Future of WordPress Hosting!

By investing in WordPress hosting, you’re equipping yourself with the tools and resources necessary to build a robust, secure, and high-performing online presence. Spend your time captivating and engaging with your audience. Let your hosting take care of the rest!

This is a question that many of our customers ask our opinion about, the best response is usually trying to understand their motivation and what they want to achieve doing so. In most cases, there is confusion and concern about website performance and how it’s impacting their Core Web Vitals, but we’ll get into that specifically a little later.

The better question to ask is why do you want to use a Page Builder? What are the advantages? How will you use a Page Builder (one site, or every site)? When does it make sense to use a Page Builder (cost, time)? Who will use the Page Builder (just you or also the client)? Then ask yourself the same questions about blocks and Full Site Editing (FSE).

Why Page Builder Plugins for WordPress are Popular

Page Builder Plugins are popular because they allow a user to easily design their own website, without hiring a front-end developer. Before Page Builder Plugins like Visual Composer, Beaver Builder, and Elementor, the best practice for theme customization was to create a child theme. You need a front-end developer with decent CSS chops to build a good child theme.

And here, it’s good to refresh our memories of one principle: themes are for design, plugins are for functionality. So, do you need a plugin? Do you need a theme? Yes, you’ll likely use both. 

So, if you’re a small business owner, and you’d like to customize your website appearance more than what is available with a theme, then a Page Builder is a good option. Well, until a non-designer just starts using elements that make the customer experience poor. But, frankly, that’s another blog post. 

Agencies who want to speed up development and deployment times often use Page Builders. It makes production much easier which makes deployment and invoicing faster. Like a restaurant turning tables, Page Builder plugins for WordPress allow agencies to scale website development.

Page Builder Plugins for WordPress are popular because they save valuable billable time for agencies like yours. If time is a consideration, then you should continue to use a Page Builder in the age of WordPress Blocks, Full Site Editing (FSE), and Gutenberg.

Do I need a WordPress Page Builder?

Do you need a WordPress Page Builder to create and launch a functional, easy-to-use, and beautiful website in WordPress? No. Whether you choose to use a FSE (block) theme or a standard theme like Neve or Twenty Nineteen, you can create a functional site without the need for customization. No one needs a Page Builder. If you want one, that’s different.

Many agencies and freelancers are doubling down on FSE. Why? They find it less complicated than navigating endless screens and UI conflicts with Page Builders. Simple is good in most cases.

Do Page Builders Slow Down WordPress? What about Core Web Vitals?

Anything you add to your site could potentially slow down your WordPress site, that’s why Rocket offers robust hosting that can help minimize those impacts. Slow means calls to the server. Slow means loading images. Slow means relying on the browser to process Javascript. If the Page Builder you choose creates excessive stylesheets or Javascript calls, then your WordPress website could be slow.

“Fast doesn’t just mean building a website in three hours. Did you check the load time of your website? Those drag and drop builder blocks might come at a price.”

Warren Laine-Naida

There is usually no doubt that page builders do in most cases add additional bloat, but we can’t place all the blame here on one single culprit.

The hardest thing to optimize for Core Web Vitals is usually on mobile, a poorly-coded theme can have much more impact than the page builder itself. Vitals are about passing the 75th percentile for LCP, FID and CLS on both desktop and mobile devices on real user engagement that you can find in your Google Search Console account.

Your choice of plugins and even down to use of fonts can also drag down performance whether you are using a Page Builder or blocks for that matter. Design decisions are just as important as the tools you use to build your website. It’s easy to fall in the trap of adding too many bells and whistles like sliders and other elements that will and do slow things down that can drag down your PSI scores.

So using a Page Builder is fine if you provide visitors a great user experience, it’s important to keep track of your key website performance metrics and making necessary adjustments along the way. Understanding why your website has a high LCP, or what elements are creating CLS can all be fixed and ultimately get you passing Core Web Vitals.

While switching to Rocket.net definitely helps with the speed of your website, speed and experience are two very different things. Take stock of the plugins you really need, research and test potentially faster themes that perform well on both desktop and mobile – Figure out exactly what issues are impacting your Core Web Vitals and address the things that are holding you back.

Let’s Talk About the Elephant (Gutenberg) in the Room

Gutenberg has always been intended to become a Full Site Editor (FSE). When it was announced at WordCamp Europe in Paris in 2017, that was the goal and the rollout at the time was alarmingly soon. 

Several advocates in the industry spoke up about issues with Gutenberg and its initial rollout and effects including Morten Rand-Hendricksen (who left contributing to WordPress because of it and lack of governance), Rian Rietveld (Make WordPress Accessibility Lead who resigned), and Bridget Willard (GitHub issue) who was the Make WordPress Marketing Team lead at the time.

The uncertainty around Gutenberg (the new WordPress Editor) made Page Builders more relevant than ever. Fast forward to 2022, are there advantages to using blocks? Sure. There are also disadvantages including speed of iteration, steep learning curve, accessibility issues, etc. We give you this for context. It’s your agency, client base, and website. Choose wisely.

Advantages of Using Blocks Over Page Builders

There’s always an advantage to using native software over add-on UIs. For example, with Twitter, there are often updates that roll out for the app that aren’t available in Hootsuite, TweetDeck, or Sprout Social. Native platforms, including WordPress, give us stability and reliability.

There are more people working on WordPress Core than each individual Page Builder company has. That is a huge advantage of using native WordPress blocks.

“Gutenberg makes it easy to organize blocks into one media-rich post or page. You can also use pre-made block patterns to access reusable elements.”

Will Morris

If you use native blocks in WordPress, you won’t have to add additional plugins; that’s a big advantage with respect to looking for blocks, trying them, and seeing if they work or not. However, not all blocks are native. Formerly known as plugins, there are also plenty of blocks available on the WordPress Plugin Directory (formerly known as the Repo).

Advantages of using Blocks and FSE over a Page Builder

• You don’t need an additional plugin to design your website.
• You don’t have to worry about that plugin being updated (or vulnerable).
• There are a growing variety of Block authors to choose from.
• Patterns are getting better. 
• Many people believe that the future of WordPress is blocks and not a Page Builder.

“Gutenberg is very similar to the Medium editor, so if you are acquainted with that, you will likely appreciate the Gutenberg editor.”

Formation Media

Future of WordPress Publishing

This is why WordPress Page Builders like Beaver Builder, WPBakery, Visual Composer, Divi, and Elementor will play a role in he future of WordPress publishing alongside Full Site Editing and block-based tools.

Whether you’re an optimist or a realist, the future of WordPress publishing is what we make it. This is why open source is so valuable. WordPress, with its collaborative and open nature as well as market share, is the future of publishing 

Just the other day, we heard of a case where a website built with Apple (remember those?) is no longer being supported by its host. It’s easy to get locked down in a closed platform, without an easy way to migrate elsewhere. This is why we’ve built a different kind of hosting business for WordPress. We believe in the future. We believe in publishing.

Sometimes we need those little moments that break our train of thought in order to look up and see where we are. Enter the Error Code. Most people hate them, fair enough, but there may be a hidden silver lining — like how they protect our websites.

Studies show that around 30,000 websites are hacked each day.

BTW – Were you looking for information about the “Error Establishing a Database Connection”? That information is right here: 5 Ways How To Fix Error Establishing A Database Connection In WordPress

So what is a 401 error code?

The 401 error code is one of many HTTP status codes. A 401 error means you can try accessing the resource again using the correct credentials. It’s not the end of the world.

A 401 is often a temporary problem, unlike an HTTP 403 error in which you’re expressly forbidden to access the page you’re hoping to reach.

For example, if directory protection is set up for a website or for a subdirectory of a website, the browser is told via the WWW-Authenticate header line when the URL is called up whether and how you can identify yourself. 

Most of the time the website asks for a login name and a password, which you can enter in a window of the browser. If you have valid credentials, the website will display after that. Otherwise, access is denied and the server returns an Error 401.

What is the Difference Between 401 and 403 Errors?

The 401 error is very similar to the 403 error. The difference is that with a 401, authentication is usually possible.

Authorization Required: A 401 error means that you are not authorized to access the page because you didn’t provide the right credentials, or there was another problem when authenticating your access.

Access Forbidden: A 403 error means that you are denied access to the page or resource.

What is the Cause of a 401 Error Message?

Possible reasons for the occurrence of a 401 error are varied:

• Invalid link/incorrect URL
• Incorrect login data
• DNS error
• Access to a password-protected website without valid identification
• Directory protection
• Locked web hosting

7 Ways You Can Fix 401 Error Codes in Your WordPress Website

Often 401 error codes can be fixed by simply hitting the refresh button. If refreshing your page doesn’t work, try the following:

401 Error Fix #1. Check the URL for errors.

You may be experiencing a 401 error code because you entered the URL incorrectly or the login URL has been changed. Perhaps you clicked on an outdated link saved in your web browser. 

In cases where a page no longer exists, the server may display a 401 error code instead of a 404 code. Check the URL for spelling errors. You can also use a search engine to find the correct URL of the web page you want to access.

Hot Tip: Dead links can seriously impact the user experience and SEO of your site. However, finding and checking links can be a tedious chore. The Broken Link Checker plugin automatically scans your site and points you straight to any dead links. It even generates reports and you can set scheduled scans for regular checking.

401 Error Fix #2. Clear the browser cache and cookies

Using your browser’s cache, you can improve the overall browsing experience by reducing website loading time. For this purpose, browsers store local copies of the content you visit most often. Your browser’s cache can sometimes overlap with the live version of your application, resulting in a 404 error code.

Simply clear the browser’s cache to fix this error.

Similar to cache, there are HTTP cookies, which are basically tiny pieces of stored data. Invalid and/or corrupted cookies can cause an authentication error. Delete the cookies and try to open the page again.

401 Error Fix #3. Switch your WordPress theme

It may be that your theme has thrown the 401 error. Switch to a standard WordPress theme and look at the website to see if the error still appears.

401 Error Fix #4. Disable your WordPress plugins

Since WordPress plugins can change the way your website works, they are a typical cause of 401 error code on WordPress.

In the case of WordPress security plugins, sometimes the plugin intends to do this. For example, some plugins will lock your login page if the plugin suspects that you are being attacked. This can trigger the 401 error code when you try to open your login page. Or the firewall in a plugin could be causing the problem.

In this case, you can contact the plugin’s support to understand the issue once you have identified the problem by disabling the plugin.

In other cases, it may be an unintentional compatibility issue.

To find out which plugin is causing the 401 error code, disable all plugins on your site and reactivate them one by one. If the error occurs only after installing a new plugin, disable the plugin first.

“The average website is attacked 44 times every day. How does that make you feel? A bit uneasy, right? Using a WordPress security plugin to protect your website can help put your mind at ease and keep things safe.”

(Rocket)

401 Error Fix #5. Remove password protection at the server level.

If you use htaccess/htpasswd to protect parts of your WordPress site with an additional username/password, disable this additional password protection.

Many web hosts also provide you with a tool that allows you to control such passwords from cPanel. Look for a tool with the name:

• Protect directories with password
• Directory Privacy

401 Error Fix #6. Clear your DNS

In rare cases, DNS errors can cause the server to display a 401 error code in your browser. To fix this, you will need to clear your DNS. Although this is a fairly uncommon cause, it is quite easy to fix.

For Windows users:

• Log into your computer as an administrator
• Open a search window
• Type CMD.exe in the search box to open the command prompt
• Type this little code into the CMD interface: “ipconfig/flushdns”

For macOS users:

• Open the Command Terminal
• Type this code into the terminal interface: “sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder”

401 Error Fix #7. Sit back and eat a donut!

Some WordPress hosting companies temporarily block your IP address if they think you’re doing something malicious like intentionally entering wrong passwords. In this case, you can wait until the problem is fixed, as sometimes your site is blocked only for a short period of time.

In addition, many WordPress websites require regular downtime for maintenance. If someone else’s site is experiencing a 401 error, they may be performing maintenance or construction work on the backend that is causing temporary login issues. Give the administrators some time and log in a few minutes later.

Hot- Tip: Rocket’s hosting packages are protected by CFE WAF regulations. Thanks to our enterprise-level WordPress security configurations, your websites are always online and always safe from cyber attacks.. We automatically qualify traffic coming onto your websites and block bad traffic. If we see something malicious going on, we will also block bad traffic. Our security is always on!

401 Error Codes are Not the End of the World

Take time to sit back and smell the coffee. Often solutions occur without us interfering. Stuff happens. The web is a busy place. 401 errors keep us aware of what’s happening on our websites, but they also give us a few minutes to look up from our screen for that donut truck.

HTTP status codes: what other status codes do I need to know?

When your browser requests data, a hypertext transfer protocol is started – Hypertext Transfer Protocol, or HTTP for short. The HTTP status code is the server’s response to the client — for example, the browser. It tells whether the request was successful or whether an error occurred.

The respective HTTP code always consists of a three-digit number and a short explanation of the response. HTTP codes are broken out into five types:

1xx – Informative Responses

HTTP status codes from 100 to 199 provide information about the status of the processing that triggered the request.

2xx – Successful Responses

If processing is completed correctly, the client informs about it by means of codes from 200 to 299.

3xx – Redirections

Redirection codes appear when the requested content is not accessible through the usual address but has been moved to another one. This is indicated by codes from 300 to 399.

4xx – Client Error

Status codes from 400 to 499 occur when there are incorrect requests to the client.

5xx – Server Error

If the server does not respond or other errors can be traced back to it, codes from 500 to 599 are used.

HTTP status codes are a really important part of successful search engine optimization too. In addition to HTTP error codes, however, there are also very useful HTTP codes. These include, for example, the 301 redirect, which is important for SEO as well as link strength and avoids duplicate content. Setting a 301 redirect is a good way to resolve that 404 page not found problem.

Hot Tip: If you don’t want to touch your .htaccess file in order to add 301 redirects, you can use a plugin. Redirection allows you to easily detect, manage, and solve these issues. It will pick up where you have 404 errors and allow you to create 301 redirects. This will ensure that you still get the full ranking juice from the redirected page.

HTTP 400 status codes: what is an error code again?

The Client Error Response status codes are used in situations in which the error seems to have been caused by the client. Because isn’t that sometimes the case? The server should include an entity containing an explanation of the error situation, and whether it’s temporary or permanent.

The best-known HTTP status code is the error message “404 – not found” or “404 – page not available,” which is displayed when the requested page is not available.

A 404 page not found is a great opportunity to offer a helping hand to your visitor. Don’t give them a generic page. They’re not happy landing here, so give them something to smile about: a contact form, a percent discount, a joke, a list of most recently visited pages, or perhaps even a how-to video – or even a discount code.

See the funniest 404 page right here: https://visitsteve.com/404.html. Your 404 page is an opportunity! Don’t blow it.

WordPress offers Broken Link Checker plugins, so you don’t need to check on a regular basis. You can also check for broken links here: https://ahrefs.com/broken-link-checker

“It’s natural to have a few 404 errors here and there, and Google knows this. It’s always a good idea to create a custom 404 page with links to other resources on your site so that your visitors don’t get cranky and leave.”

(Rocket)

Don’t let error codes scrub the launch of your next sale. Let Rocket show you what the fastest WordPress hosting REALLY means!

Our team of experts is standing by. Most website owners have switched hosting providers multiple times over the history of their site. We’re confident that you won’t look back once you make the switch to Rocket.net. 

The best customer support 24/7, super fast speed, ease of use, and access to top tools and industry-leading resources should always come standard. We’re revolutionizing the way your WordPress site gets served up to the world, and we look forward to partnering with you in growing your business.

Web analytics is the tree in the forest problem all over again: if we don’t track visits and events on our websites, did they even really happen?

Think about that for a while.

We have analytics running in the background of our websites, online shops, and social media channels for two main reasons. Perhaps three.

1. Get to know our visitors better so we can respond more precisely to their needs.
2. Find out which tactics are bringing us success, and where we have the potential to go further.
3. We have proof of concept – or proof of work — in the form of data, to present to our clients.

Yes, there were three reasons.
By the way, if you’re managing high-traffic websites, are they currently running on Enterprise WordPress Hosting? If we’re already talking about analytics, then now may be a good time to think about just that.

“If you want to increase your conversion rate, and boost your revenue, there are a lot of things you need to figure out. Understanding who your visitors are, will help you craft your message to be more relevant to them. Understanding how they interact with your site can help you improve upon your UX and UI. How do you do this? Using web analytics tools – in a nutshell”

SEOptimer

What is GA4 Exactly?

Google Analytics has been with us for some time. For many of us, they may be the only system we know. GA started with Urchin.js in 2005, followed by Classic Google Analytics in 2007, and finally Universal Analytics in 2012. Now we have GA4, the fourth iteration.

We remember building websites before there were any analytics tools other than the classic hit counters. Those were cool. We spent time styling them for client’s websites back in 1999.

Google Analytics 4 is now the new Google Analytics standard. Universal Analytics will be discontinued as of July 1, 2023. So what actually changes for you and your client’s websites?

When you create a new property in Google Analytics, “Google Analytics 4” is preselected by default.  You can still choose the UA alternative, but at the end of 2023, you will no longer have access to the universal properties. This means you will lose access to your historical data.

With the switch to GA4, you will lose your old, previously-collected data in Universal Analytics and completely restart your data collection in Google Analytics 4. So the sooner data flows into your GA4 property, the faster it will make sense to work with your data from July 1, 2023.

Specifically, if you manage to migrate to GA4 today, you can run (almost) a year-over-year comparison on July 1, 2023. If you manage to migrate by January 1, 2023, you can still perform a half-year comparison.

“Universal Analytics was built for a generation of online measurement that was anchored in the desktop web, independent sessions and more easily observable data from cookies. This measurement methodology is quickly becoming obsolete. Meanwhile, Google Analytics 4 operates across platforms, does not rely exclusively on cookies and uses an event-based data model to deliver user-centric measurement.”

Google

Is GA4 Better than Universal Analytics?

That depends on who you ask. GA4 is certainly different from Universal Analytics. That difference begins with the UI (below). Compare UA in the left column, with GA4 in the right column.

We have been using Universal Analytics for so many years, and the first thing you notice is how many of the functions you know and love are no longer immediately visible. Some have been turned on their heads, and some have merged into others. 

Three of the biggest changes we found are:

• The measurement model in GA4
• The importance of “Engagement Rate”
• The definition of a “User”

The most important difference between UA and GA4 is the measurement model.

Universal Analytics used a measurement model based on sessions and pageviews. Google Analytics 4, however, uses a measurement model based on events and parameters.

A (UA) session can contain multiple pageviews, events and eCommerce transactions. But any interaction can be captured as “an event.” So, Universal Analytics hit types translate to “events” in GA4. That might make reporting easier or harder depending on what your clients are used to.
This article explains the differences between the UA and GA4 data models.

Instead of “Bounce Rate,” GA4 will focus on “Engagement Rate.”

Engagement rate means the number of engaged sessions divided by the total number of sessions over a specific period of time. An “engaged session” is a session that lasts longer than 10 seconds, had a conversion event, or had at least 2 pageviews or screenviews.

In GA4, the Engagement Rate is actually the inverse of the Bounce Rate. Heads up: the numbers will likely be the opposite of what your client is used to seeing. As an example, if your average website bounce rate is around 37%,  you can expect to see a 63% engagement rate in G4.

This article compares metrics between GA4 and Universal Analytics.

What exactly is a “User” in Google Analytics?

In UA, we know of two User metrics: Total Users and New Users. In GA4, there are three User metrics. Total Users and New Users are now joined by Active Users. Depending on how frequently users return to your website, your Total Users metric in UA, for example, and the Active Users metric in GA4 might be similar. 

In Universal Analytics, the number of users corresponds to the number of individual client IDs. Thus, the client ID technically stands for a unique browser/device combination. In GA4, there is also a client ID. 

In GA4, a user as they appear in the reports is an “active user.” An “active user” is defined as follows:

Definition (active) user: all users (client IDs) where the “engagement_time_msec parameter > 0.”

This article explains the difference between how UA and GA4 metrics are reported.

“Analytics and reporting are one of the many agency pain points we all encounter. On the one hand, understanding analytics in regards to performance for us as managers of our client’s website. On the other hand, the reporting of analytics for our clients in a clear, and productive way. Any changes in our preferred tools is another pain point we have to work around.”

Rocket.net

What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of GA4?

Like every new thing, there is going to be a learning curve, and a period of adjustment. Remember making the switch from Classic Editor to Gutenburg? A new car feels weird at first, as does a new phone. After a while, GA4 will probably become your new best friend.

A lot of people aren’t excited about the change to GA4. 33% of those polled by SEO guru Aleyda Solis said they would move to another analytics tool.

What are the Advantages of GA4?

• IP addresses are automatically anonymized. This makes your analytics conform with EU data protection and privacy regulations.
• A user ID is used, which makes tracking across multiple platforms possible (e.g. on your website & app).
• GA4 uses Machine Learning, which allows the program to develop more sophisticated predictions than its predecessor.
• Anomalies in user behavior are better registered and displayed by GA4.

With GA4, Google offers the possibility of linking with BigQuery. This means that the analyses of individual events can be evaluated in even greater detail — and in real time.

What are the Disadvantages of GA4?

• You will need to migrate your UA to G4 – this may not be for everybody. Find out more about migrating.
• The UI isn’t intuitive. This means a steep learning curve for your clients, and perhaps for your team.
• Custom Dimensions and Custom Channel Groupings are limited (at the moment).

What are the Best GA4 Alternatives?

A tool is only as good as the job it’s meant to do. Google Analytics focus is on measuring the traffic on your website. If you are looking for an alternative, then you should ask yourself – what is it you really want to measure? 

• Lead and Customer Analytics: Hotjar or Hubspot may be an alternative.
• SEO and Optimisation Analytics: SEMrush might be better suited to your needs.
• Traffic and Performance Analytics: We’re talking Google & Co.

It’s difficult to find a perfect alternative to Google Analytics. GA is free, we’ve been using it for years, and it easily connects with so much of the web we already know and love. Monster Insights – one of the best-known WordPress plugins – is actually a Google Analytics tool.

Matomo (formerly Piwik)

Matomo is a paid tool. There is a free, two-week plan so you can take it out for a spin. Matomo is a Google Analytics alternative. Analytics your data is “protected” by allowing you to host the data on your own server. 

Matomo offers heatmaps, session recordings, A/B testing, and much more. The monthly cost depends on whether you are hosting it yourself, or using the cloud solution.
Matomo WordPress Plugin

Clicky

Clicky’s is a GDPR-compliant website analytics service. Clicky is free for up to 3,000 page views for a single website. There is also a range of paid plans available if you want to monitor multiple websites, or if your site attracts a larger number of page views.

Clicky WordPress Plugin

Open Web Analytics

Open Web Analytics is a free, open-source web analytics framework. OWA is licensed under the GPLv2 and lets you add web analytics to your websites using Javascript and PHP-based APIs. OWA also comes with support for tracking websites made with WordPress via a plugin.

Open Web Analytics WordPress Plugin

“Google Analytics is the biggest player on the block, but it may not be the best for every situation. With data sampling, incomplete data (due to privacy issues), and an interface that comes with a steep learning curve, you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed.”

Hubspot

How to Set up GA4 in WordPress

You can add your GA code either manually in your theme header, via a plugin, or by using Google Tag Manager.

Manually including the GA code

First, get the latest version of the Analytics tracking code from your Google Analytics account. You can find this code at: Administration > PROPERTY > Data Streams > Web > General Website Tag (gtag.js).

Your tag looks like this, and is placed in the header.php of your WordPress theme:

<!– Google tag (gtag.js) –>

<script async src=”https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-##########”></script>

<script>

  window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];

  function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}

  gtag(‘js’, new Date());

  gtag(‘config’, ‘G-##########’);

</script>

Using a WordPress plugin to include Google Analytics

How Many WordPress Plugins Are Too Many? Can we do this without another plugin? The real issue with plugin bloat is twofold: security and management.  

That said, MonsterInsights and Google Site Kit are both well-known options when using a WordPress plugin. There is added weight and management of your site when using a plugin, but you don’t need to access your theme. 

Simply open the plugin and enter the property number of your Google Analytics. In our example that would be “G-##########”

Using Google Tag Manager

If you are including different tags, then having a collection of tags in the header of your website, or using multiple plugins, isn’t the best way to go. A better option is to use Google Tag Manager. There you can create a container with various tags and triggers for your social media, eCommerce, Google Analytics, and Google Ads. 

Google Tag Manager supports Google Analytics 4 properties with two tags that work together:

• Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration
• Google Analytics: GA4 Event

GTM creates a snippet for you to include in your website. One code snippet goes in the head of your theme:

<!– Google Tag Manager –>

<script>(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({‘gtm.start’:

new Date().getTime(),event:’gtm.js’});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],

j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!=’dataLayer’?’&l=’+l:”;j.async=true;j.src=

‘https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id=’+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);

})(window,document,’script’,’dataLayer’,’GTM-#########’);</script>

<!– End Google Tag Manager –>

The other code snippet goes into the body of your theme:

<!– Google Tag Manager (noscript) –>

<noscript><iframe src=”https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-#########”

height=”0″ width=”0″ style=”display:none;visibility:hidden”></iframe></noscript>

<!– End Google Tag Manager (noscript) –>

“Setting up a Google Analytics 4 property after the sunset date of July 1, 2023, will mean starting from scratch. However, you can start sending data into GA4 today while still using Universal Analytics. This way, you’ll have historical data in Google Analytics 4 for comparison and analysis when Universal Analytics closes.”

WPBeginner

Google Analytics 4 is Here: What Should You Do Today?

Get familiar with the GA4 user interface. Today. Not June 30, 2023. Get someone on your team to take a few days for a GA4 course. Google’s Skillshop offers a free GA4 course with certification.

Reports in Google’s Data Studio or other tools that access Analytics data are great – but it will take time to find your way around the new tool. 

You’ll also want to get your clients onboard. Set up a parallel account in GA4 and start comparing reports with them.

The switch is a profound change, but it offers many new possibilities!

Websites are More than a Numbers Game. Let Rocket Show You What The Fastest WordPress Hosting REALLY Means!

Unhappy with the speed of your WordPress website? Let’s talk about how we can migrate your site to Rocket.net, the fastest WordPress hosting available anywhere.

“Error Establishing a Database Connection” is one of the most common errors when running WordPress. Most often we see it shortly after installation and sometimes during the operation of a website. As we all know, WordPress — like any CMS — requires a connection to a database to operate. No database means no settings, no posts, no long-tail keyword optimized headlines. The list is a long one.

Why Can’t I Log in to WordPress When I Get the Error Establishing a Database Connection?

Unlike some errors you may encounter — like the WordPress White Screen of Death (WSOD)  — this error speaks for itself. It means there is no database connection. The entire website is unable to load, including your dashboard. So in order to fix the error, you’ll need to get back in behind the scenes. 

This situation is probably not the end of the world. If your customer depends on the website for sales, it’s almost the end of the world. You can see the end of the world from your desk, but you’re not quite there yet.

If your client’s website uses caching, then visitors may still see stored copies of pages they have previously visited. That means, that if you catch the error early on and resolve the problem before the cache refreshes, you can avoid many painful interruptions to your client’s website and their business. And yours.

“Smart Caching is the ability for us to treat every asset in our cache in a specific way. We’ve always had different cache-control headers for each asset, but now we’ve gone a step further to better identify when and what needs to be purged.”

Rocket.net

Thankfully, as far as website errors go, a database connection error is normally pretty easy to resolve. The most common cause is incorrect login credentials for the database. That’s easy enough to correct. It’s just like backing into the planter box in the supermarket parking lot. No one is hurt, nothing is broken, and maybe no one noticed.

“When you see the error establishing a database connection on your computer screen, our first piece of advice is ‘Don’t Panic.’”

Douglas Adams

What Causes Error Establishing a Database Connection in WordPress?

For your WordPress blog to run smoothly it needs a database. If the connection to this database can’t be established, the ‘Error Establishing a Database Connection’ notice will be displayed in the browser instead of your website. Since there can be several causes for this problem, you need to narrow down the reasons.

Reasons you’re seeing the error notice:

• Incorrect information in wp-config.php
• Database does not exist
• Corrupted database
• Database server is not accessible
• Corrupted WordPress files

How to Fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection

Reason 1: The Wrong Database Access Data is Stored in the WordPress Configuration

Most often, this error occurs when the wrong database connection credentials are stored in the WordPress configuration and, therefore, WordPress cannot connect to the database. This can happen if you change the password for the database while the system is running without also making the change in the WordPress Config file.

It can also happen — and this is not an error — when you move a website from a local to a live server. Your local database information will be different from the live server database. 

To fix this error, open the wp-config.php in your editor of choice. You can do this e.g. directly via SSH or download the file via FTP to your PC and edit the file locally. You probably have a favorite workflow.

The following entries in the file are responsible for the database connection in WordPress:

define(‘DB_NAME’, ‘##database-name##’);

define(‘DB_USER’, ‘##database-username##’);

define(‘DB_PASSWORD’, ‘##database-password##’);

define(‘DB_HOST’, ‘localhost’); /*this is the web address of your database server*/

Adjust these entries in your wp-config.php accordingly. The database user and database name is given to you by your system. You have assigned the password yourself when creating the database. But you can reset the password at any time if you have forgotten it.

Afterwards, WordPress should be able to connect to the database without any problems.

Reason 2: The Database Does Not Exist or Has No Content

The error message is also displayed if the database does not exist or does not contain the required tables. This can happen, for example, if you move the WordPress installation from another provider to another, or from a local to a live host, but have not yet imported the old database properly.

Check via the tool phpMyAdmin to see if the database exists and also has the correct content.

Fun Fact: It is not unknown to have created a database for a project, and to have forgotten to have imported the exported data before connecting. Stuff happens! We’re not naming names, but it was in fact (Tom) who did this.

Reason 3: The Database is Damaged and Needs to be Repaired

If the database or individual tables are damaged, this error message can also occur. This can happen in rare cases, for example, if the connection is broken while a database entry is being written.

You can easily fix this by repairing the database. 

To repair the database, simply use your phpMyAdmin tool. There you can select the tables of the database and afterwards select the option “Repair table” (see image below)

You do not need a plugin to repair your database. WordPress has a built-in feature to automatically repair and optimize the database. To enable this feature, the following entry must be stored in wp-config.php:

define(‘WP_ALLOW_REPAIR’, true); (see image below)

After this entry is stored, the following URL must be visited to optimize and repair the WordPress database

https://yourwebsite.com/wp-admin/maint/repair.php

Reason 4: Corrupted WordPress Files

Another possible reason for this error is that there are corrupted files in your WordPress installation directory. It is possible that hackers accessed your WordPress website and modified the files in your WordPress directory by adding new files, deleting existing ones, or editing your original files. Protecting your database is why you renamed your table prefixes.

The error could also be due to a problem with a plugin whose files are corrupted. It could be due to an edit you or your team, or someone else made. Check your list of recently edited files, and replace those, or the plugins, with the backed up versions. Always have a backed up version of everything.

Reason 5: The Database Server is Not Reachable

If you have checked and fixed the previous four items and the database connection error persists, then the error may also be due to the database server having a momentary glitch. Stuff happens. “Don’t panic”.

• Wait a few minutes. 
• Contact your Managed WordPress Hosting Support.

A shared web server may be slow or inaccessible. A managed hosting provider should guarantee you uptime, so this shouldn’t be the cause of your problem. However, it is worth contacting them to see if there are any problems with your server.

Let Rocket Show You What Connected WordPress Hosting REALLY Means!

Our support team is here for you every step of the way.

Do you want to stop having issues with database connections? We can help. Let’s talk about how we can migrate your site to Rocket.net, the fastest WordPress hosting available anywhere. Launch your Mission today!

Why Use WooCommerce for Your Client’s Online Shops?

WooCommerce is the world’s most popular open-source eCommerce solution. It allows you to design your online store exactly as you imagine it. Create recognition value: use the extensions that suit your store — from payment methods to shipping options to coupon displays, you decide.

• WooCommerce is as easy to use as the WordPress CMS itself.
• There are many compatible themes which you can use out of the box or customize.
• The plugin offers a wide range of basic functions like payment and fulfillment.
• Additionally many extensions to design your individual store and services.

Is WooCommerce free? Yes, Setup Your Online Store for Free!

Aside from all the great things you can do with WooCommerce, one of the main reasons this plugin is so popular with online sellers is that it’s free. WordPress, the CMS running your shop, is also free. The only costs you have are your managed hosting costs.

“If you want maximum control, flexibility, and features, then WooCommerce is the best solution for you.”

(WPBeginner)

Why You Shouldn’t Use Shared Hosting for Your WooCommerce Shop

You need to pay even more attention to security and performance with an online shop than with a normal website. Any negative impact on the visitor flow or sales funnels can quickly lead to angry customers and lost sales. This is why you shouldn’t use shared hosting for your WooCommerce shop.

• With a Managed WooCommerce WordPress host at your side, you have peace of mind when it comes to performance, reliability, speed, and security. Protect your customers and their stores. The shopping experience in your online shops needs to be a delight for customers, not a headache.

• Shared hosting can quickly work against your WooCommerce shop, namely in the scalability and flexibility of your hosting. Online shops have specific needs, best suited to a managed WordPress host.

• Time is Money. You can sell more with a faster website. One of the most critical factors when it comes to success is speed. Speed wins. Faster websites can rank better in search engines. If they can be found, they can ultimately have higher conversion rates.

Your client’s WooCommerce shop is no different than Netflix when it comes to end-user expectations. No one wants to see “buffering” when trying to watch a show, and no one wants to wait 3-5 seconds for a web page to begin to load. Not online shoppers, not Google.

“Convert more of your visitors with Fast WooCommerce Hosting. Increase conversions, SEO Rankings, and provide your shoppers with the best possible shopping experience.”

Get started or speak with a Rocket.net Expert.

Can WooCommerce be Customized?

You can use WooCommerce to create, customize, and scale an online store to meet your client’s exact specifications. You can enhance your store through extensions or develop custom solutions. (WooCommerce)

• Leverage hooks and filters to modify or create functionality.
• Integrate virtually any service using a robust REST API and webhooks.
• Design and build custom content blocks with React.
• Inspect and modify any aspect of the core plugin code.
• Speed up development with a lightning-fast CLI.

“Flexibility is one of the greatest benefits to using WooCommerce to sell online. Plugins, extensions and themes can be used to fulfill requirements, then adjusted and coded to tailor the look and functionality of your site. However, there are some best practices to follow when making site tweaks, and it’s not always obvious how these changes must be made.”

(WooCommerce)

How to Customize Your WooCommerce Store Page

Customizing your WooCommerce product pages is important. Before you start, however, you need to ensure you have the fastest WordPress hosting to support your online store. (We know a guy.) Speed, as we all know, means conversions.

The WooCommerce store page allows your customers an overview of all the products you sell. Great for people who want to browse, and great for you if you want to highlight specific products on the main page. You can also use the customizer to show sale items, top-rated items, and much more.

Default WooCommerce, out of the box, is simple. Perhaps a little too simple. There are tons of improvements you can make with your own styling to interest shoppers and increase conversions.
Make sure you check WooCommerce before you begin work. They have a great source of customization best practices, as well as specific information about product page customization.

How To Customize Your WooCommerce Product Page with CSS

If you’re fine with coding, you can edit your WooCommerce product templates manually and save installing extra plugins — especially for those simple changes. Who needs the extra weight, right?

With a basic grasp of CSS, you can make changes right in the WordPress dashboard. Here are a couple of examples of how you can customize your product page using WooCommerce’s Storefront theme, which looks like this:

You can use the WordPress theme customizer for your CSS changes. That’s fine as long as you don’t have too many (they appear in the header of your website). If you have a lot of changes, then you should add those to the stylesheet of your child theme.

Here are two classes you will find on the WooCommerce product page:

• Product titles: .woocommerce div.product .product_title
• Add to cart button: .woocommerce div.product .button

You can change the color and weight of the product title like so:

 .woocommerce div.product .product_title {

             color: #006E90;

             font-weight: 900;

 } 

Maybe you wanted to change the color and shape of your Add to Cart button:

 .woocommerce div.product .button {

             background-color: #006E90;

             border-radius: 50%;

 } 

How to Customize Individual WooCommerce Products Using Page and Product IDs

Page and product IDs allow you to quickly and easily make adjustments to selected product pages without changing the style elements of other products. This makes WooCommerce styling really simple.

CSS Customizations of Specific Products

.single .post-7397 {

Increase the font size, colour, font family …. your CSS goes here

}

It happens. You have a special product you would like to treat differently than all the rest. How to implement style changes for just that product? Here are a couple of ideas. You’re sure to have a lot more yourself.

Styling the Sale! Notification on a Product Page

Let’s say we want to double the size of the Sale! Tag to attract attention, but only on the product with ID 7397. The Sale! Tag remains the same size on all other products.

#product-7397 span.onsale {

font-size: 2em;

}

Increasing the Size and Color of the Price of a Selected Product

The product price needs to be larger on this product, again, to attract attention. Just add the CSS variable you want to change after the post ID. Only the product “7397” will have  the larger price font size:

#product-7397 .woocommerce-Price-amount {

font-size: 2em;

color:#d63638;

}

How Do I Change or Override the Entire WooCommerce CSS?

With CSS you can influence the appearance of your entire website, your WooCommerce store, or specific elements. You can style fonts, colors, spacing, and elements to name but a few. The adjustments via CSS are especially useful if your theme doesn’t offer the necessary adjustments in the settings.

With a visual CSS style editor, you can change the design of the website directly in an editor and in real time then adapt it to your own needs. Without programming knowledge and without risk, you can try out and perform visual adjustments. With simple controls, you can then automatically create the corresponding CSS code and save it directly in the editor for quick WooCommerce styling.

If you plan to make major changes, you may prefer your theme not reference the WooCommerce stylesheet at all. You can tell WooCommerce to not use the default woocommerce.css. WooCommerce enqueues three stylesheets by default. You can disable them all, or disable specific stylesheets.

“The Yellow Pencil plugin allows you to customize any page and theme without coding. Click on an element and start visual editing. Adjust colors, fonts, sizes, positions and a lot more. Take full control over your website’s design with more than 60 style properties.”

(WordPress)

Rocket.net are WooCommerce Experts – We’d Love to Show You What The Fastest WordPress Hosting Actually Means for Your Online Shops!

Customer delight means excitement from the time your visitors land on your shop page. You can’t deliver the air-conditioned mall experience, but your styling skills can turn an online shop’s tired Dollar Store look and feel into an Apple Store wow! Let us show you how all your CSS craftsmanship needn’t be lost to slow page load.

Let’s talk about how we can migrate your portfolio of client sites to Rocket.net, the fastest WordPress hosting in the world.

One of the best jobs for a computer is scheduling and executing tasks. Even better, is when a computer will do tasks while we’re sleeping, or working on something else. Likely, it’s both. As good as WP-Cron is, it has downsides. There are use-cases that encourage you to disable WP-Cron in WordPress – especially if page load times matter (they do). But first, what is WP-Cron?

What is WP-Cron?

Cron is short for chronological. Think of getting things done on time. If you’re familiar with Unix-like systems, you’ll know their cron utility. Any software that talks to a server is likely to have some kind of utility to schedule tasks. WordPress also has a cron utility called WP-Cron only it uses intervals instead of pure time. 

“WP-Cron is how WordPress handles scheduling time-based tasks in WordPress. Several WordPress core features, such as checking for updates and publishing scheduled post, utilize WP-Cron.”

WordPress Codex

What Does WP-Cron Do?

WP-Cron uses hooks to call a function. (How’s that for an unclear answer?) WordPress Core uses WP-cron to check for updates, for example. WordPress plugins may use WP-Cron to send donor receipts, start a scheduled backup, or any number of tasks related to the functionality of that particular plugin. 

“WordPress default cron is not reliable and it depends on your site traffic. It’s always better to use server side CRON handler.” Fluent CRM

How Often Does WP-Cron Run?

WP-Cron runs at the scheduled time when a page loads. So, if a page doesn’t load at the time of the scheduled cron job, then there could be errors. So the answer to the question is “it depends.” More succinctly, WP-Cron jobs run at page loads. The WordPress Codex says that WP-Cron will run “eventually.” (Not very reassuring).

“With WP-Cron, all scheduled tasks are put into a queue and will run at the next opportunity (meaning the next page load). So while you can’t be 100% sure when your task will run, you can be 100% sure that it will run eventually.” WordPress Codex

How often does WP-Cron run? As often as a page loads. 

Is WP-Cron Enabled by Default?

Yes, WP-Cron is enabled by default. It is part of WordPress Core. For example, this is how WordPress checks for updates and publishes blog posts that are scheduled. 

“By default the WP Cron is enabled because there are WordPress features that rely on to execute scheduled jobs.”

SmackCoders.com

How Do I Disable WP-Cron?

Before we talk about how you disable WP-Cron we should talk bout why you should disable WP-Cron. If your site is on shared hosting, for example, you would’t want to take up all of the server resources (processing power, etc.) on countless cron jobs run by various plugins. This is another reason why plugin bloat can be a problem. Not only would you be a poor internet citizen on a shared server, but your site would run really slow. WP-Cron runs on page load. And that Time to First Byte is a huge indicator of Core Web Vitals. 

You disable WP-Cron in by adding the follow code to the top of your wp-config.php file: 

define('DISABLE_WP_CRON', true);

Now, since WP-Cron is disabled in your wp-config.php file your site will no longer execute wp-cron on requests, ultimately improving your site’s TTFB.

What Happens If I Disable WP-Cron?

If you disable WP-Cron posts may not publish, plugins and core may not update, as well as a number of things. However, if WP-Cron is disabled, it’s most likely replaced with “a proper cron running on the server instead” as Better Notifications for WP mentions.

How do I enable a System Cron?

Now that WP-Cron is disabled via our wp-config file, we need to have wp-cron execute in order for some very important tasks to run.

Did you know Rocket.net staff can do this for you? Our team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and has an average response time of just 41 seconds.

Get Started

Whether you’re using cPanel or a custom control panel, your hosting should support creating cron jobs. You may need to contact your host to have them create it for you, but ultimately you’ll want to have the following cron created so your wp-cron executes every 15 minutes at minimum:

*/15 * * * * wget -q -O - https://yourdomain.com/wp-cron.php?doing_wp_cron >/dev/null 2>&1

The >/dev/null 2>&1 part of the line above will disable email notifications every time the cronjob runs.

Are There Any WP-Cron Vulnerability Problems?

Any code can be vulnerable to security attacks, even WP-Cron. This is one of the reasons why we’ve implemented Cloudflare Enterprise on the Rocket Platform – our customers can choose to use Cron Triggered Workers instead. More importantly, however, WP-Cron can be its own worst enemy. It’s an internal threat.

“It becomes a rudimentary DDoS attack against yourself. This is because the cron is being executed multiple times a minute using an HTTP request.”

The CPanel Guy

How Do I Check to See if WP-Cron is Working?

You can check to see if WP-Cron is working by installing a plugin like WP Control, as WPBeginner recommends. If your scheduled blog posts aren’t publishing on time, this is an indicator that WP-Cron (or an alternative) isn’t working.

Will My Website Be Faster if I Disable WP-Cron?

You can make your site faster by disabling WP-Cron and moving to a server-side solution. This is especially true when your traffic scales – quickly. Since WP-Cron is triggered on a page load, the more a page is loaded the more WP-Cron jobs are executed. Essentially, that’s a greedy beast. “Feed me, Seymour!”

Talk Is Cheap. Let Rocket Show You What The Fastest WordPress Hosting REALLY Means!

Saving site performance, your agency’s time, and money? Yes. The Rocket Platform has built-in features that eliminate your need for otherwise paid versions of security, image optimization, CDN, and JS content loader plugins. They are features built into your new favorite platform (the product formerly known as Managed WordPress Hosting).

Let’s talk about how we can migrate your site to Rocket.net, the fastest WordPress hosting available anywhere. Launch your Mission today!