We started the year comparing WordPress with Wix, but we’ve never talked about WooCommerce’s main competitor Shopify. Until today! But before we ring the bell, if you’re looking to start a shop, we think both WooCommerce and Shopify are great options; they just take quite different approaches to online selling — but we prefer Woo!

Key Takeaways

If there ever was a Grandaddy “it depends,” this is it — which is the best shop system. However, choosing between WooCommerce and Shopify isn’t a big mystery; it depends entirely on your specific needs and technical expertise.  

Essentially, the main trade-off between the two systems is between basic convenience (Shopify) and ultimate control (WooCommerce). 

Shopify is generally better for beginners who want to launch quickly, while WooCommerce is better for those who need more flexibility and are comfortable with some technical aspects. It’s also a question of priorities: are you mostly looking for a complete website platform and CMS (WordPress) or primarily a shop platform (Shopify)?

Why WooCommerce is Still Better Than Shopify

Whatever you decide, choosing the right backend for your website or online store is crucial. While both WooCommerce and Shopify are popular choices, WooCommerce offers a lot of advantages that make it a better option for most online shop owners; topping that list is popularity.

WooCommerce together with Woo Themes controls 54% of the eCommerce marketplace. Squarespace follows Woo with 14%. Shopify only has 11% of the market, followed by Wix Stores with 5%. (source: Statista)

WooCommerce’s Flexibility and Customization

WooCommerce, like WordPress, is open-source, which gives it a significant edge over Shopify when it comes to flexibility. With WooCommerce, you have complete control over your online store’s design, functionality, and user experience. 

With more than 3,000 WooCommerce themes, and 1,500 WooCommerce plugins available, you can create a unique and tailored shopping experience for your customers.

• Access to source code: Unlike Shopify’s closed system, WooCommerce provides full access to the source code, enabling you to modify every aspect of your store.
• Extensive plugin ecosystem: With a library of plugins available, WooCommerce offers endless possibilities for extending your store’s functionality.

“We’ve got 3 more ways you can customize your WooCommerce store and deliver a unique shopping experience that will keep your customers coming back.”

Rocket.net – Top 3 WooCommerce Customizations For a Memorable Shopping Experience

Cost-Effectiveness

Money is always a deciding factor. Getting the most for your buck. While Shopify’s pricing structure may seem straightforward, WooCommerce can be significantly more cost-effective in the long run.

• No mandatory monthly fees: WooCommerce is a free plugin, and you only pay for the hosting and any premium extensions you choose to use.
• Scalability without price hikes: As your business grows, you won’t be forced into higher-priced plans like with Shopify.

“WooCommerce itself doesn’t charge any fees for transactions, unlike Shopify. The fees charged are those of the payment gateways you choose to integrate into your store only.”

WooCommerce

Built on WordPress

If you’re already using WordPress, then adding a plugin or three to build a shop has definite benefits. WooCommerce’s integration with WordPress, the world’s most popular content management system (68% market share and counting), makes your life a lot easier.

• SEO advantages: WordPress is designed with SEO in mind, helping drive free, organic, traffic to your online store.
• Ease of content management: The intuitive controls make it simple to add and update content, upload media, and publish blog posts.

“WooCommerce SEO isn’t a magic setting that you flip on after uploading all of your products. Optimization is in the details. We’ve got 5 SEO tips for your WooCommerce shop!”

Rocket.net – 5 Tips to Optimize Your WooCommerce Store for SEO

Ownership and Control

Finally, with WooCommerce, you have full ownership of your website and data. You can even migrate your entire WooCommerce shop from one host to another. Try that with Shopify or Wix!

• Data control: You’re not locked into a proprietary system, giving you more control over your customer data and business operations.

Platform independence: You can easily move your store to a different hosting provider — like a managed WooCommerce host –  if needed, unlike Shopify’s hosted solution.

WooCommerce vs. Shopify: Is There a Clear Winner?

Choosing between WooCommerce and Shopify for your online store? Know your needs and your resources. Both names are leading shop platforms, but they cater to different needs and skill levels. It’s really about understanding what you prioritize: simplicity or control. 

Benefit Shopify: The All-In-One Solution

Shopify is a hosted, all-in-one solution designed for ease of use. It handles the technical complexities, like hosting and security with some tradeoffs.

• Shopify excels at getting you up and running fast. Perfect if you need a store online ASAP and don’t want to worry about hosting.
• Limited Control: Shopify operates within its own ecosystem. You’re relying on the tools and options they provide, and extensive code-level customization isn’t always possible.

Benefit WooCommerce: The Open-Source Powerhouse

WooCommerce, on the other hand, is the shop you build yourself. As a WordPress plugin, it offers immense flexibility and customization.

• Maximum Flexibility: If you crave control over every aspect of your store – design, functionality, integrations – WooCommerce is your playground.
• Some Technical Expertise Required: But here’s the catch: Despite being very simple for even newbies, WooCommerce demands more technical know-how. You’re responsible for hosting and keeping things updated.

WooCommerce or Shopify: Which One Wins?

There’s no universal “better.” It depends on your comfort level and priorities.

• Choose Shopify if: You value simplicity and an all-in-one approach. You don’t mind trading some control for ease of use, or the monthly fees.
• Choose WooCommerce if: You need maximum customization, flexibility, and control, and you’re already using WordPress or interested in starting.

Shopify lets you start selling quickly with a basic storefront, while WooCommerce allows you to craft a truly unique eCommerce experience – if you’re willing to put in the work.

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?

Emails that aren’t received aren’t opened. The result? Lost leads, frustrated users, and wasted effort. So, how do you ensure your emails actually land where they should? Enter SMTP, DKIM, DMARC, and some help from very useful WordPress plugins.

“Do you know what else results in frustrated users, wasted effort, and lost time? Password recovery. It’s another agency pain point we all know and could do without.”

Rocket.net – Password Recovery Tips That Won’t Drive Your Clients Crazy

What is Email Authentication?

Email authentication is a set of protocols and methods that verify the legitimacy of emails sent from your WordPress website. When email authentication isn’t properly configured, your messages might end up in spam folders or fail to deliver entirely. 

This typically happens when:

• authentication protocols aren’t properly set up
• SMTP settings are misconfigured
• server restrictions block email delivery
• plugin conflicts interfere with sending

Like broken website links, email delivery problems happen. It’s not catastrophic, but as delivery issues accumulate, they can seriously impact your website’s effectiveness – not to mention the potential loss of a customer.

Why Email Authentication Matters

The importance of proper email authentication comes down to three key factors.

First, unauthenticated emails fail to reach your visitors, leading to lost opportunities and frustrated users who never receive the content they requested. And, your marketing team that worked on the whitepaper for the download will be bummed, too.

Second, poor email authentication damages your domain’s reputation with email providers, which can cause even legitimate emails to be flagged as spam. Especially since users train their email clients what they consider spam (by their behavior) you never want to land in the junk folder.

Finally, proper email authentication demonstrates professionalism and reliability. It shows you take communication seriously and respect your users’ inbox space.

When emails fail authentication checks, they typically trigger spam filters or bounce back entirely. These failed deliveries are a wake-up call to review your authentication setup.

Email authentication isn’t optional. With providers like Gmail implementing stricter requirements, proper setup of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC isn’t just best practice. Authentication is essential for reaching your audience.

“Blacklisting can happen for various reasons, such as receiving too many spam reports, sending bulk emails without verifying email lists, or accidental reputation issues.”

WP Mail SMTP

Understanding Email Authentication Protocols

Several key protocols work together to ensure email authenticity:

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)

The fundamental protocol for sending emails — the postal service for your digital messages. It needs proper configuration to function effectively.

SPF (Sender Policy Framework)

A security standard that specifies which mail servers can send emails on behalf of your domain — the approved sender list for your domain. Mailchimp has a great article on SPF.

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)

Adds a digital signature to your emails, verifying they haven’t been tampered with during transit. It’s the kiss on the back of the envelope.

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication)

Sets policies for handling emails that fail authentication checks. This is your domain’s rulebook for email security, connecting your website with your mail provider.

“How do I fix DMARC authentication failure?” support.google.com

Setting Up Email Authentication

The implementation process requires attention to detail but isn’t overly complex.

Setting Up SPF, DKIM & DMARC for Better Deliverability

• Access Your Domain’s DNS Settings – Log in to your domain registrar.
• Add an SPF Record – Example:

o   v=spf1 include:_spf.yourdomain.com ~all

(If you already have an SPF record, merge it with this instead of creating a new one.)

• Enable DKIM – Your email provider should provide DKIM keys to add as CNAME records.
• Set Up DMARC – Start with a monitoring policy:

o   v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:your-email@example.com;

(Adjust the policy over time based on reports.)

• Allow 24-48 Hours for Changes to Take Effect – DNS changes take time to propagate.

Securing SMTP with SSL/TLS Encryption

When setting up email authentication for your WordPress site, it’s crucial to implement SSL/TLS encryption for your SMTP connections. This adds an extra layer of security to your emails.

Using SSL/TLS encryption is increasingly becoming mandatory for email providers to accept incoming mail.

How to Implement

• Check if your hosting provider or SMTP service supports SSL/TLS
• Update your SMTP settings to use the secure port (usually 465 for SSL or 587 for TLS)
• Ensure your WordPress SMTP plugin is configured to use SSL/TLS

Example configuration in wp-config.php:

“`php
define( ‘SMTP_SSL’, ‘tls’ );
define( ‘SMTP_PORT’, ‘587’ );
“`

Online Tools for Email Authentication

Several free tools can help you verify your authentication setup:

• MXToolbox: Tests your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for proper configuration.
• Mail-Tester: Provides comprehensive email deliverability testing and suggestions.
• Google Postmaster Tools: Offers insights into how Gmail handles your domain’s emails.
• DMARC Analyzer: Helps monitor and analyze your DMARC implementation.

WordPress Plugins for Email Management

Quality plugins can significantly simplify email authentication. Here are two of our favorites:

• WP Mail SMTP: The most popular SMTP plugin, offering comprehensive email handling capabilities and OAuth 2.0 support for Gmail.
• Post SMTP: A robust alternative with detailed logging and multiple mailer options.

Important Reminder: Check the settings of any plugins running on your website, such as your WooCommerce shop plugin; your plugin’s email settings may also need to be adjusted.

“Review your WooCommerce email settings at WooCommerce > Settings > Email and settings of any plugins that you use to ensure that they send as your branded domain (e.g., me@mybrand.com) and not as your @gmail.com or @yahoo.com address.”

WooCommerce

Best Practice for Email Authentication: Having a Maintenance Schedule

The key to good maintenance is being proactive rather than reactive. Regular monitoring and maintenance prevent small issues from becoming major problems.

Here are the three most important tasks for maintaining sustainable email authentication:

Weekly: Review and respond to authentication failures

• Monitor delivery logs and failed authentication reports. You catch problems before they impact your sender reputation or cause delivery issues for multiple users.

Monthly: Authentication tests

• Test and review DMARC reports to ensure your configuration remains effective. This check helps identify patterns in delivery problems and keeps your documentation current.

Quarterly: Audits of all authentication records, policies, and protocols

• Ensures your entire email authentication system stays up-to-date. Standards and best practices across major email providers aren’t written in stone.

By investing in proper email authentication, you’re ensuring reliable communication with your audience – and protecting your domain’s reputation.

Focus on creating valuable content for your subscribers and let your authentication setup handle delivery.

Wrapping Up

If your WordPress site is sending emails, proper authentication is a must to avoid spam filters and ensure delivery. By configuring SMTP correctly and setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, you improve email deliverability, protect your domain reputation, and keep your communication channels open.

Make these changes today, and never worry about lost emails again!

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?

What are WordPress and Wix? What is the Difference?

Comparing WordPress and Wix is like comparing apples to oranges. WordPress is a powerful content management system (CMS) while Wix is a user-friendly website builder. Both have their strengths, but which one fits your needs best? Let’s break it down.

What is Wix?

Wix is a cloud-based website builder designed for simplicity. Its drag-and-drop editor allows even those with no coding experience to create websites. It follows the WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) principle. That means what you design in the editor is exactly how it will appear in the browser once published. 

Building your website with Wix means you are bound to the Wix platform, however. You can’t migrate your website somewhere else. This is a major downside should you want to add functionality outside of their scope – like in WordPress.

What is WordPress?

WordPress, on the other hand, is a versatile CMS. It can be installed on your hosting or accessed via a managed hosting provider. WordPress is an open-source platform. It offers developers and users the freedom to customize and expand functionality through plugins, themes, and direct code editing. WordPress websites have the advantage of being portable. 

If you build a website with WordPress, you can download it and move it to your desktop, or another hosting provider easily. And there is a large community of WordPress developers to choose from when you have someone manage your site.

Key Differences Between WordPress and Wix

1. WordPress vs Wix: User-Friendliness

Wix is known as one of the most user-friendly website builders, offering a seamless drag-and-drop interface. Beginners can get started quickly pretty much without any tutorials. 

For additional functionality, apps can be installed directly from the Wix App Store.

• Simple onboarding process; you can start building for free immediately after account creation.
• Guides you with a setup wizard, recommending features and design options based on user preferences.
• Ideal for beginners with its intuitive interface and pre-designed sites.

“Wix is easier to use but less flexible while WordPress is more flexible but has a steeper learning curve — deciding between the two is a question of tradeoffs.”

sitebuilderreport.com

WordPress may seem more complex initially, but its interface becomes intuitive with some practice. Installing plugins and themes is straightforward, and most are free. Creating posts or pages is simple once you understand the basics. 

If you can click on a block to add a paragraph or an image, you can build a website with WordPress.

• Requires installation, though every hosting provider’s auto-installer simplifies the process.
• Provides a block editor for drag-and-drop design, with enhanced features available through plugins.
• Includes built-in tools for creating and managing posts and pages, with additional features unlocked via plugins.

2. WordPress vs Wix: Design Options

Wix offers a comprehensive website design platform with thousands of integrated features. Wix also provides AI-powered tools for design customization, including style kits, layout optimization, and interactive visual elements.

• Offers 800+ customizable pre-designed templates.
• Uses Wix Editor and Wix ADI for customization but restricts switching templates after the site is live.
• Requires creating a new website to change designs post-launch.

WordPress provides an extensive library of free and paid themes, most of which are fully responsive. Knowledge of CSS and HTML is helpful for more customization. WordPress even offers a Full Site Editor (FSE) which allows you to edit the entire website, rather than go page by page.

• Provides over 11,000 free themes in its official directory, with additional premium themes available via third-party marketplaces.
• Allows theme changes anytime, with extensive customization options, especially with premium themes.
• Enables seamless theme switching and updates to maintain security and features.

“WordPress Full Site Editing (FSE) is an extension of the block-based approach introduced with the Gutenberg Editor, but it expands beyond posts and pages to the entire WordPress site. With FSE, you can use blocks to design and customize all aspects of your site, including the header, footer, sidebar, and more.”

Rocket.net – Are Agencies Using The Gutenberg Block Editor?

3. WordPress vs Wix: eCommerce

Wix offers free eCommerce website templates designed for various business categories. You can easily customize templates in the Wix Editor by adding apps, adjusting design and layout, and modifying content without requiring programming skills. 

Wix templates provide a flexible foundation for creating a unique and fully functional online shop.

• Offers built-in eCommerce tools during setup or via the editor, allowing quick creation of one-page stores with features like a product catalog and shopping cart.
• Requires upgrading to eCommerce plans ($27–$159/month), with the Business plan at $32/month offering 100 GB storage, automated sales tax (up to 100 transactions), and advanced shipping.
• Charges 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.
• Best for beginners due to its simplicity and built-in eCommerce tools.

WordPress can be transformed into a full-fledged eCommerce platform using free plugins like WooCommerce. It easily supports complex product catalogs and multilingual stores but may also require adjustments for legal compliance.

• Provides flexibility through plugins, with WooCommerce being a popular choice for selling physical and digital products.
• No extra cost for WooCommerce hosting with Shared Hosting – can be a paid feature with Managed Hosting.
• Payment processing fees depend on the chosen payment gateway (e.g., PayPal, Stripe).
• Superior for eCommerce overall, offering greater flexibility, scalability, and budget-friendly options through plugins.

4. WordPress vs Wix: Customization and Scalability

While Wix offers a simple drag-and-drop interface, customization is limited to the tools and features available within its ecosystem. Once you choose a template, switching to another template requires rebuilding your site. 

Additionally, Wix is less scalable for large or complex websites, as its proprietary framework restricts advanced features.

• Features a drag-and-drop editor for easy rearrangement of elements without coding. Includes a toolbar for editing fonts, sizes, effects, and spacing.
• Suggests color palettes in its editor, with options for fine-tuning to match branding.
• Limited support for third-party tools; customization options are restricted to the Wix Editor.

WordPress is highly customizable and scalable; you can download and migrate to any web host.

Hot tip: you can migrate an unlimited number of WordPress sites to Rocket.net — free. 

With WordPress, you can modify themes, build custom templates, or add functionality with plugins. Its open-source nature allows complete control over your site, making it suitable for everything from small blogs to enterprise-level websites.

• Offers a block editor for adding posts, pages, and custom blocks, with access to advanced features like navigation bars and logos.
• Supports third-party drag-and-drop builders that allows direct modification of theme source code.
• Provides broader flexibility, letting users customize layouts and designs extensively.

5. WordPress vs Wix: Price

It all comes down to money, right? The practical difference between Wix and WordPress for most small businesses and non-profits starts with the price.

Wix offers a free account for website creation and testing. Paid plans run from $17-$159.50/month with a yearly subscription. Their Business Plan is $36/month which includes standard eCommerce support. The Wix Business Elite plan offers the most features and advanced eCommerce.

WordPress is free but requires hosting (typically $5-$30/month). Managed hosting costs more than shared hosting but provides a faster website and human support. The choice is yours!

“Wix is easy for beginners to build their sites … WordPress is more complex but also more powerful. It offers a broader range of capabilities and customization options and lets you build a more scalable site.”

semrush.com

Bonus Point: SEO: WordPress vs. Wix

Let’s talk about the most important aspect of your website – getting in front of people. We all want to get found; the question is, is our website platform a help or a hindrance?

While your website build impacts SEO, your success depends more on strategy than the platform itself. You should be focusing on quality content, technical optimization, and link-building to achieve results, regardless of the platform.

Wix SEO

• Includes features like custom meta tags, social sharing optimization, robots.txt support, and automatic sitemap updates.
• Offers an SEO setup checklist and basic integrations with tools like Google Analytics and Google Business Profile. Premium SEO apps are available in the App Market.
• Automatically creates redirects, integrates with an external CDN, and optimizes images for faster loading.

WordPress SEO

• Allows deeper customization, such as choosing SEO-friendly themes, customizing permalinks, enabling breadcrumbs, and categorizing/tagging content.
• Supports advanced plugins like Yoast and Rank Math, which provide detailed optimization recommendations, internal linking, and integration with Semrush for keyword research.
• Requires plugins for advanced SEO but delivers greater control and comprehensive features.

SEO Summary

Wix provides all essential SEO tools, but WordPress surpasses it with greater flexibility and functionality when paired with the right plugins. For businesses focused on advanced SEO strategies, WordPress is the better choice.

Wrapping Up

Wix and WordPress cater to different audiences. Wix is ideal for beginners seeking simplicity, while WordPress is better suited for users seeking flexibility and scalability. If you’re unsure which platform best suits your goals, consulting a professional can help.

Drop us a line or connect with us on X at @RocketDotNet

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?

Websites, like cars, can be expensive to fix. Prevention should be core. Monthly maintenance costs range from $20 to $5,000, with annual contracts costing between $300 and $60,000. Costs vary based on the website type, service level, and provider expertise. Understanding costs and services is crucial to sensible budgeting, so get them in writing up front in a maintenance contract.  

Whether you are a WordPress service provider or a customer, an annual maintenance contract saves money and surprises. Talk with your agency or hosting provider today.

Note: All prices are in USD and reflect 2024 market rates. Actual costs may vary by location and specific requirements. This guide will help website owners understand maintenance costs and make better decisions. Prices and services should be reviewed annually to match current market rates and tech requirements.

Website Maintenance in 2025: A Price Breakdown and Strategy Guide

Maintaining a website isn’t a luxury—it’s a business necessity. As technology changes and competition ramps up, website maintenance costs have become more nuanced. Depending on your website’s complexity, business requirements, and bank balance, you can pay as little as $20/mo to maintain your website or up to $5,000.

Whether you manage a niche blog, a small business website, or a complex eCommerce platform, this post should help you understand website maintenance expenses.

Running a great website is the tip of your online business iceberg; understanding maintenance costs is crucial.

Key highlights:

• Detailed cost breakdowns by website type
• Critical factors influencing maintenance expenses
• Strategies for cost-effective website management
• Essential considerations for scalability and growth

By the end of this post, you’ll have a clear roadmap for navigating website maintenance costs; you’ll be able to make informed decisions that balance performance, security, and your budget.

Standard Website Maintenance Pricing

So, you’ve launched your website, and you’re excited to see it grow. After the second quarter, you see it starting to lag; the cool plugins from Q1 need to be updated too. You set aside ten per cent of sales for SEM campaigns; how much did you allocate for website repairs?

Budgeting for website maintenance is as core to your marketing as accessibility. It ensures your site stays functional and competitive. So how much should you be setting aside? That depends on your website’s type.

Monthly Ballpark Website Maintenance Costs by Type:

• Personal Websites: $100-$200/month
• Small Business Websites: $500-$1,000/month
• Corporate Websites: $1,000-$4,500/month
• eCommerce Websites: $750-$5,000/month
• Enterprise WordPress Sites: Starting at $500/month

Hourly Support Rates:

• Standard Support: $150-$250/hour
• Emergency Support: $200-$350/hour
• Technical Specialists: $250-$400/hour

“Offering website maintenance care plans is one of the best ways to stabilize and grow your revenue. If you’re at the phase of your agency where it feels like it’s all you without help and/or frustrated with the client acquisition, one-and-done mentality, then offering website care plans is the next best step.”

Rocket.net – Afraid Of Selling Website Maintenance Care Plans To Your Clients? Your WordPress Agency Adds Value In Just A Few Steps!

How Much Should I Pay for Website Management?

That depends. Think of website management as the ongoing tune-up your car needs. Whether you run a small business or manage an enterprise, regular maintenance is vital to ensure your website runs smoothly. Just like your car, maintenance costs vary based on how much attention your website requires.

Initial Ballpark Setup Costs:

• Small Business First Year: $3,000 – $5,000
• Enterprise First Year: $10,000 – $60,000

Ongoing Maintenance:

• Basic Maintenance: $500 – $1,000/month
• Standard Maintenance: $1,000 – $2,500/month
• Premium Maintenance: $2,500 – $5,000/month

Website Maintenance Cost Factors

Imagine your website as a custom-built home. The size, materials, and features all influence the upkeep costs. Similarly, website maintenance costs depend on complexity, customization, and security needs. Let’s see what shapes these expenses.

Website Complexity:

• Static vs. dynamic content
• Number of pages
• Custom features
• eCommerce functionality
• Security requirements

Service Provider Type:

• Freelancers: Most flexible pricing
• Agencies: Comprehensive service
• Managed Hosting: Basic maintenance included
• In-house Teams: Fixed salary costs

“When it comes to website management costs, your company’s rates depend heavily on your website. That’s why it’s helpful to break down website maintenance pricing by website types, like ecommerce, small business, or enterprise.”

WebFX

What Do Website Maintenance Fees Include?

Website maintenance fees are the cost of sleeping better at night. Whether it’s keeping your website secure or ensuring fast loading times, these services provide value by keeping your website “always on”. Here’s a look at what these fees typically cover:

Standard Maintenance Services:

• Security monitoring and updates
• Daily/Weekly backups
• Performance optimization
• Technical support
• Bug fixes
• SEO maintenance

Premium Services:

• 24/7 emergency support
• Custom development
•  Advanced security measures
• Marketing integration
• Content updates
• Analytics reporting

Contact your hosting provider or agency and ask about your specific needs. Get answers in writing too!

How to Choose the Right Website Maintenance Plan

Choosing the perfect maintenance plan is like choosing the best package holiday. You want to get the most, with the least surprises, and without going bankrupt. Your maintenance plan should fit your business’s needs, allowing room for growth and ensuring your peace of mind.

Essential Considerations:

• Website Type and Complexity
• Business Size and Growth Plans
• Traffic Volume
• Security Requirements
• Update Frequency
• Budget Constraints

Best Practices:

• Compare Multiple Quotes
• Review Service Level Agreements
• Check Provider Experience
• Assess Response Times
• Calculate ROI
• Consider Scalability

FAQ: Website Maintenance Costs

Here are some quick answers to the most common questions, making it easier to understand what to expect. Got some specific questions? Contact us – we’re happy to have a chat!

Q: What is the minimum cost for website maintenance?
A: Basic maintenance starts at $20 – $50 monthly for simple static websites.

Q: How often should websites be maintained?
A: Websites require a minimum of monthly maintenance, with weekly or daily updates for active sites.

Q: Can I maintain my website myself?
A: Yes, for simple websites. However, professional maintenance is recommended for business-critical sites.

Q: What affects website maintenance pricing?
A: Key factors include website complexity, update frequency, security needs, and service provider expertise.For as little as a dollar a day, a managed hosting plan gives you peace of mind with daily website backups. Check out all our monthly hosting plans.

Money-Saving Tips for Cost-Effective Website Maintenance

Just like caring for your car, there is a lot you can do to save money on website maintenance, too. These tips are a roadmap to maintaining your website without breaking the bank.

From prioritizing essential services to planning for future growth, these strategies ensure you get the most value out of your website.

Resource Optimization

• Use pre-built templates and themes
• Take advantage of affordable/free design tools
• Choose scalable Content Management Systems (CMS)
• Bundle services and consider annual contracts for cost savings
• Start with essentials and scale services as needed

Internal Operations

• Handle routine content updates and maintenance in-house
• Take care of basic image editing and layout adjustments yourself
• Outsource specialized tasks to freelancers first
• Monitor performance metrics using freely available tools
• Maintain regular update schedules

Strategic Planning

• Align website development with business growth goals
• Focus on gradual, prioritized improvements
• Choose professional services for high-impact changes

You can maintain a high-performing website and effectively manage costs by balancing in-house competencies with selectively chosen external services.

Wrapping Up

Standard Website Maintenance Pricing

Regular website maintenance is essential to keep your site functional and competitive. Here’s an overview of monthly costs by website type:

• Personal Websites: $100 – $200/month
• Small Business Websites: $500 – $1,000/month
• Corporate Websites: $1,000 – $4,500/month
• eCommerce Websites: $750 – $5,000/month
• Enterprise WordPress Sites: Starting at $500/month

Hourly support rates vary:

• Standard Support: $150 – $250/hour
• Emergency Support: $200 – $350/hour
• Technical Specialists: $250 – $400/hour

Initial setup costs can also impact your budget:

• Small Business First Year: $3,000 – $5,000
• Enterprise First Year: $10,000 – $60,000

The final price will depend on your site’s complexity, customization, and security needs, but it’s a good investment. Regular maintenance ensures your website stays secure, updated, and optimized. 

Your website is a digital investment – protect it by choosing the right maintenance plan.

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?

What is the Upside of Managed Hosting?

Managed hosting comes with many advantages. Sure, maybe it’s a little more expensive than shared hosting; but courtside seats are more expensive than those in the nosebleed section. We’ll never be a commodity hosting company. You shouldn’t settle for that either.

Why? Your websites are too important. Your websites are your business. Your WooCommerce online shops generate income and serve your customers. Never sacrifice business success by saving a few dollars every month on uptime, performance, technical support, or security.

“24/7 access to human support isn’t just a luxury—it’s a necessity that can mean the difference between a minor hiccup and a major crisis. While automation and AI have their place, they should complement, not replace, your support team.”

Rocket.net – No AI Bots Here: Why Agencies Need WordPress Hosting With 24/7 Human Support

Got Managed Hosting? You Made the Right Decision

Managed hosting costs more than shared hosting because you get more.

Superior performance: servers are optimized specifically for your WordPress instance. These servers offer faster load times, professional caching, and better performance than what we like to call, “commodity hosting.”

Easy management: Most providers offer a simple user interface so you can easily manage your websites without requiring in-depth technical knowledge. But you can get down and technical if that’s your thing.

Increased security: Managed hosting providers take responsibility for the security of your website by creating regular backups and performing security updates.

Dedicated customer support: Managed hosting packages offer dedicated customer support that specializes exclusively in WordPress websites. Your WordPress website!

Not Every Customer Support Question is Worth a Call

Customer support workers probably love the “Have you tried unplugging it and plugging it back in?” types of questions. For most of our support questions, the internet suffices, or our kids.

For experienced WordPress operators and shop owners, the most important customer support questions likely focus on more advanced topics and troubleshooting.

Here are some customer support questions that might be particularly relevant and see here almost every day here. Thanks, customer support people!

How do I troubleshoot plugin conflicts?

Experienced operators often deal with complex plugin setups, making conflict resolution a crucial skill.

How do I optimize my WordPress site for speed?

Site performance is critical, and experienced operators need to know advanced optimization techniques.

How do I secure my WordPress site?

Security is paramount, especially for larger or high-traffic sites that experienced operators typically manage.

How do I set up and manage multisite?

Multisite management is an advanced feature that experienced operators may need to utilize.

How do I debug WordPress errors?

Troubleshooting complex issues requires an understanding of WordPress error logs and debugging techniques.

How do I customize my theme using child themes?

Advanced customization without affecting the parent theme is a valuable skill for experienced operators.

How do I migrate a WordPress site?

Knowing how to safely move a WordPress site between hosts or domains is crucial for site management.

The Elephant in the Room: Customer Support

Raise your hand if you’ve ever experienced a problem with your WordPress hosting. Keep your hand raised if you’ve gotten the run around when you tried to reach out to your hosting provider for help. 

We get it. We’ve been in the industry for many years and we’ve seen the bad side of customer support. 

From day one, Rocket.net set out to be the web hosting industry’s leader in customer service and technical support.

Dedicated customer support = expert WordPress support

All the help you need is at your fingertips. Rocket’s industry-leading WordPress support team can be contacted directly from your WordPress control panel at any time.

“Good web hosting is at the heart of any successful website. Regardless of platform, you need safe, fast, and dependable web space to make your site accessible.”

Rocket.net

Good Customer Support is Your Knowledge Bank

Think of customer service as a knowledge base — your 24/7 virtual support assistant. It’s like having an always-available instruction manual that makes sense. 

AI might know about WordPress, but AI chatbots don’t really know WordPress. That’s an important distinction. 

Your issues are unique and need to be dealt with quickly and effectively. You don’t need to spend time searching for generic answers to other people’s problems.

Great customer support is like having your personal answering machine. Got a problem? Customer support has dealt with it before and has a specific answer that fits your situation.

Good Customer Support Means Good Customer Service

Customer support is the totality of answers and solutions that support you – and your customers. It’s all about a better understanding of your products and how to work with them effectively. That’s it!

How good your customer support is significantly influences how your company is seen. 

Customer support is expected to be provided via all available channels — more and more via chatbots.

At the end of the day, however, customer support does matter and has to be the top priority for businesses today.. 

People say ‘customer support’ and ‘customer service’ interchangeably. But, customer service tends to encompass all general customer interactions. It’s not just about fixing the problem, but how it’s fixed. 

If customer service fails to please, you could find your customers switching to a competitor.

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!

The latest WordPress update focuses on three things: enhancing your editing experience, improving design flexibility, and boosting your website’s overall performance and security.

There were over 750 contributors to this release and we’re proud to sponsor some of these contributors, as a total of 5 Rocket staff directly contributed to WordPress 6.7.

Two months ago, I started doing what I had been wanting to do: contribute to Make WordPress—and it has been an amazing experience ever since.

It all started when I joined Five for the Future – and our team has grown even more now:

This naturally opened up more chances to learn and contribute. I’m proud to be part of the newest release, WordPress Core 6.7 and the Polyglots team, as a General Translation Editor

It has been truly exciting! Thank you to everyone at Rocket.net for encouragement, and positive response. Also, thanks to Zunaid Amin for paving the way and bringing us together!

Can’t wait to contribute even more in the future!

Rocket.net WordPress Engineer: Maria Yohana

WordPress’s Latest Theme is really a Canvas

The biggest takeaway from the new update is that WordPress 6.7 is breaking from tradition. Sure, there is always an annual new theme but this one breaks the mold. The latest default theme isn’t just another neutral template.

“There’s a pretty big departure from how Twenty Twenty-Four works to how Twenty Twenty-Five works.“

Matt Meidros

Twenty Twenty-Five embraces your own artistic expression. How?  The theme design philosophy centers around the concept of transformation – fleeting moments and thoughtful visual elements.

You’re motivated to open it up and get designing now, right?

The default theme is versatile enough to accommodate any web project, but Twenty Twenty-Five really focuses on niche users. After a few minutes in the new theme, you can’t help but think “portfolios, personal websites, sophisticated blogs.” You know who much we love niche blogs!

The power of Twenty Twenty-Five is that it can be tailored to align with your unique vision and needs. And, it has accessibility and media library improvements.

“For me it’s the new Twenty Twenty-Five theme and the built in ability to upload HEIC photos.”

Syed Balkhi

More New Patterns

Twenty Twenty-Five contains a library of 70 customizable design patterns. That’s a seven and a zero! So, whether you need a simple button or an entire page layout, there are pre-built elements that serve as starting points for your design. Each pattern is a flexible foundation you can adapt and transform.

More Styles

The theme also offers amazing versatility through its in-depth style options:

• A default design plus eight distinct visual variations
• A carefully-curated selection of nine color schemes
• Eight typography collections for diverse visual expression (see our post about fonts)
• A typography library featuring nine font families, spanning both serif and sans-serif

You’ll find these customization tools in two places: use the Site Editor’s Style section for site-wide changes (available in block themes) or adjust individual elements directly within your pages and posts.

Zoom Out Mode: A Bird’s-Eye View of Your Content

One of the most anticipated features in WordPress 6.7 is the new Zoom Out Mode. And we love it!

Zoom Out allows you to edit content at a pattern level, providing a high-level view of the page layout. With Zoom Out Mode, you can:

• Add, rearrange, and edit patterns directly
• Access the Patterns tab in the block inserter by default
• View patterns instead of individual blocks in the List view
• Perform actions like drag, move up/down, and shuffle on selected patterns

This feature streamlines the editing process for complex layouts and long-form content, making it easier to maintain design consistency across sections.

Zoom Out Mode Has Some Limitations

While very cool, Zoom Out may not be suitable for precise editing tasks. The tool focuses on broader layout adjustments rather than detailed content manipulation.

This mode is best used for managing and styling sections or block arrangements. You may need to switch back to the regular view for more detailed edits.

Also, Zoom Out’s effectiveness can depend on the complexity of the page layout and your familiarity with using patterns. 

Fluid Typography: Responsive Text for All Devices

The next standout feature in this release is Fluid Typography. Sure, it came out with WordPress 6.1., but it’s still another of our favourite features.

Fluid Typography dynamically adjusts font sizes based on screen dimensions, ensuring optimal readability across all devices.

You can access Fluid Typography settings through the Site Editor, selecting typography links and font size presets:

• Access the Site Editor in your WordPress dashboard
• Navigate to the Styles section and select Typography
• Choose a font size preset (e.g., medium or large)
• Toggle on the Fluid Typography option that appears

This feature not only enhances design responsiveness but also improves accessibility for users with vision impairments by maintaining legible text sizes across different screen sizes.

“The default style variation of Twenty Twenty-Five uses the font Manrope for headlines and paragraphs. This style has white with dark grey and accents in yellow, pink and purple.The alternative fonts shipped with the theme are Beiruti, Fira Code, Fira Sans, Literata 72pt, Platypi, Roboto Slab, Vollkorn and Ysabeau Office.”

Twenty Twenty-Five Documentation

Bonus: Ask ChatGPT

Just for fun we asked ChatGPT, an AI assistant by OpenAI, if these fonts were accessible. The following is their answer. Take it with a grain of salt. Of course, we recommend that you always test your own site builds for WCAG requirements.

Color and Style Considerations

The color scheme (white with dark grey and accents in yellow, pink, and purple) is generally fine, but contrast should meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). For example:

• Ensure text meets contrast ratios: 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
• Avoid using color alone to convey meaning.

General Recommendations for Accessibility

• Use sans-serif fonts like Fira Sans, Roboto Slab, and Manrope for better readability in digital formats.
• Avoid overly decorative fonts (like Beiruti or potentially Platypi) for body text.

Test the fonts with screen readers and users with visual impairments to ensure they perform well in all environments.

Even More in WordPress 6.7: Enhanced Design Tools and Developer-Friendly APIs

Enhanced Design Tools

You want it bigger? WordPress 6.7 has you covered. Several design enhancements give you more control over your site’s appearance:

• Extended block supports for borders, backgrounds, and shadows
• Background image controls for Quote and Group blocks
• New font management tools for improved typography control

These additions provide greater flexibility in customizing the look and feel of websites without the need for custom code.

Developer-Friendly APIs

The new release also includes powerful APIs that expand WordPress’s capabilities.

Template Registration API

This API simplifies the process of registering templates and template parts for plugins. This makes it easier for developers to create custom layouts.

Preview Options API

Developers can now add custom preview options to the editor, too. This enhances flexibility in content creation and review processes.

Performance and Security Enhancements

WordPress 6.7 doesn’t just focus on new features; it also prioritizes:

• Speed optimization for faster page load times
• Responsive design improvements for better mobile experiences
• Advanced security measures to protect against vulnerabilities

“That last improvement to lazy loading should help improve core web vitals scores because the Auto Sizes feature helps the browser select the right image size from the CSS and use that to build the web page, rather than using the image size itself.”

Search Engine Journal

WordPress 6.7 is a Blogger’s Dream

Blog may be a four-letter word but blogging certainly isn’t. Don’t let it get you down either. Publishing your thoughts and demonstrating your expertise is core to any business. WordPress 6.7’s focus is on user-friendly editing tools, enhanced design capabilities, and improved performance. This is a big step in the right direction for everyone. We applaud another step forward in content creation and website design.

This update empowers you to create more sites with greater ease than ever before. Take it out for a spin today!

• Release details: WordPress 6.7 “Rollins” – WordPress News
• Full list of updates: WordPress 6.7 Source of Truth – Gutenberg Times
• The field guide: WordPress 6.7 Field Guide – Make WordPress Core

We’d Love to Show You What Real Performance Means for Your Site!

Among all of these updates, WordPress 6.7 made performance improvements. We’re glad that WordPress Core has made improvements for performance, but don’t forget that speed starts with an optimized, experienced hosting platform.

Sure, everyone brags about how great their support is, and believe me, there are many amazing people out there, and I give them massive credit. 

But at Rocket.net, we are different. We’re willing to go the distance for our customers and do whatever it takes to ensure they’re always online and as optimized as possible.

So, let’s dive into a real-world example of what happened today.

Situation Overview

Today, around 4:30 AM Eastern, one of our large Enterprise customers noticed a slowdown in checkouts and specific pages throughout their site. So, we rolled our sleeves up and got to work.

First, I’ll share what the customer’s setup is:

Enterprise 4
96 cores
256GB RAM
2TB NVMe Storage

NVMe storage plays a huge role here for high traffic due to its high read/write speeds during heavy workloads.

For example, this customer still sees around 700mb/s writes and over 6.2gb/s reads during peak hours; this is extremely important for PHP and MySQL.

Now, outside of the server specs, they’ve been pleased with the performance, but they started to notice a slowdown as things picked up. 

The server was running at 5% CPU usage with bursts to about 20-30%, so something did not seem right.

Identifying the Problem

To get started, I installed New Relic to start tracing. Typically, we use PHP X-Ray for this job, but in this case, New Relic was the tool used for the job due to its granularity.

Once I started receiving some data, the issue stuck out: The Action Scheduler!

Take a look at some of these traces. We’re normally not pleased with more than a second or two of execution time, but here, processes took tens of seconds and tens of minutes!

I knew there was a problem, and I assumed it had to do with task queueing, but I did not understand WHY this problem was occurring.

So, I started diving into the Action Scheduler documentation: https://actionscheduler.org/perf/

Similar to WP Cron, the action scheduler executes on POST requests to admin-ajax.php. If these requests take a long time to process, they hog resources, slowing down visitor experience and causing PHP threads to start queuing new requests, ultimately elevating response time across the board.

Solving the Problem

So, following the Action Scheduler documentation, I built two cron jobs to move the action scheduler to WP CLI, which uses resources outside of the web server so that it doesn’t compete with client requests. 

Job 1 (every 5 minutes):

/path/to/php /path/to/wp action-scheduler run –group=woocommerce-webhooks –batch-size=500 –path=/path/to/wp

Job 2 (every minute):

/path/to/php /path/to/wp action-scheduler run –exclude-groups=woocommerce-webhooks –path=/path/to/wp

Why two? Well, this site uses explicitly many webhooks to push data to its internal systems, which ultimately was the real culprit here. Running jobs via WP CLI for webhooks can take seconds or even 10+ minutes. 

For example, if this customer does a bulk edit on orders for 1000 orders, it will create 1000 scheduled tasks for webhooks at minimum. 

Knowing these webhooks can take up to 10 minutes to complete in the queue, we don’t want to create a bad customer experience by delaying emails, subscription renewals, etc, by 10+ minutes, so we have another job that runs just for all non-webhook tasks.

After creating the jobs, we followed Action Scheduler’s advice and had our customer install and enable the Action Scheduler—Disable Default Queue Runner plugin.

The Result

After moving the action scheduler to WP CLI, we saw incredible results on the site:

 
In the above screenshot, you can see where an admin-ajax.php request took 43 seconds! Then, you can see where they dropped to 625ms-1s after moving the action scheduler to WP CLI, an incredible difference in response time.

Now, this scenario does not apply to all sites. To put this into perspective, this site processes about 20,000 requests per minute and uses about 4.6TB of bandwidth a day… and it’s not even Black Friday or Cyber Monday yet!

Without this fix, I do not believe they would have survived Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or any other massive sale.

So, if you’re running a large WooCommerce site and are preparing for big sales like Black Friday, look into the action scheduler as you’re checking things out… or just give us a shout. 

We’d be happy to set you up and optimize your WooCommerce store in time for Black Friday and Cyber Monday (yes, we even work Thanksgiving).

You also might roll your eyes when every other article we write is a nagging reminder.

“Regularly backing up your websites is essential to safeguard against data loss. Keep your WordPress core, along with plugins and themes, frequently updated. Utilize a staging site to test changes. Monitor and regularly clear the cache.”

Annoying, isn’t it? Why do we keep repeating ourselves? In a nutshell, our goal is to help you prevent WordPress errors on your blog.

Hosting with Confidence: Reducing Your Error Concerns

We don’t like errors. Nobody does. The fewer the better. How many errors did you encounter in the last year? Two? Three? How often did they happen? Blogger Outreach wrote about 35 common errors that website owners face. We’ve never seen so many errors. It makes you wonder what’s happening over there.

Our friends at codeable wrote up a manageable list of ten WordPress errors. Not too many, not too few. Ten is a safe, manageable amount, and they wrote a great article.

You don’t have time to worry about all the errors that might occur – you need to know about the errors that often do occur. Why? Because if we’re hosting your website, you’re not going to need to worry about errors – with the exception of 401s.

WordPress Error Management: Prioritizing the Top 7

To ensure your WordPress blog runs smoothly, it’s essential to understand the bugs that can lead to issues and how to resolve them. The good news is that you can always pinpoint the source of the problem. 

Here are the most common reasons for these WordPress error messages on your blog, and how you can effectively resolve them.

Error 1 – Content Access Errors

Your readers are the most important users of your website, so let’s start here. If they cannot access your content, everything else can wait. There are two common errors they can encounter: A Mixed Content/Insecure Website error and a Javascript error.

Mixed Content Errors: If your blog is using HTTPS but some resources are loaded over HTTP, this can cause mixed content errors. These degrade security and user experience. Ensuring all resources are loaded over HTTPS can resolve these errors. Most often this occurs when you import images or fonts from another website – your website may be HTTPS, but the source website is HTTP.

JavaScript Errors: Many websites can experience JavaScript errors due to differences in how browsers interpret JS. These errors might not visibly affect the functionality but can clutter the console with error messages. Using a caching plugin to minimize your JS and CSS can also cause sliders and contact forms to no longer function properly.

Error 2 – Plugin Conflicts

Plugins (there are more than 50,000) are the best way to extend the functionality of your WordPress site, but they can also be a double-edged sword. When multiple plugins try to perform similar tasks or interact with the same elements, conflicts can arise, leading to error messages. You may also be using a poorly-coded plugin. Ensure your plugins come from a trusted source.

Solution: Regularly update your plugins and deactivate (and uninstall) any that are not essential. If an error occurs after installing a new plugin, deactivate it to see if the issue resolves. Always ensure that your plugins are compatible with your WordPress version, and keep a backup of your site before updating.

“The single biggest reason that WordPress sites are compromised is through out-of-date software. You must keep on top of this because the hackers won’t put off hacking your site until you’re less busy.”

Rocket.net – Stay Safe and Keep Your WordPress Up To Date

Error 3 – Theme Issues

Your theme is the backbone of your blog’s appearance and functionality. There are over 10,000 different themes available to you, so your blog will never look boring! However, not all themes are created equal. Poorly-coded themes or those that haven’t been updated can cause a myriad of issues. Just like your plugins, ensure your theme comes from the WordPress repository or a trusted vendor.

Solution: Choose themes from reputable sources and ensure they are regularly updated. If you encounter an error, switch to a default, classic, WordPress theme (like Twenty Twenty-One) to see if the problem persists. This can help you determine if the theme is the culprit.

Error 4 – 400 (Bad Request) and 500 (Internal Server) Errors

Sometimes, the issue isn’t with your WordPress site at all but with your server. Server downtime, limited resources, or misconfigurations can lead to error messages. 

A 400 error indicates that the server cannot process the request due to a client-side issue. A 500 error signifies that the server encountered an unexpected condition that prevented it from fulfilling a valid request.

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. Often 401 error codes can be fixed by simply hitting the refresh button. What Is A 401 Error Code? (How To Fix It On WordPress)

There are a lot of ways user error results in HTTP 500 errors. Most of them, in our experience, come from editing the .htaccess file or installing a less-than-stellar plugin. We recommend that you test all new plugin installations and updates. Why Do I Get 500 Internal Server Errors? How to Fix It

Error 5 – Database Errors

Your WordPress site relies heavily on its database to store content and settings. Corrupt or inaccessible databases can lead to error messages, such as the dreaded “Error Establishing a Database Connection.”

Solution: Regularly back up your database and use tools like phpMyAdmin to repair and optimize it. If you encounter a database error, check your wp-config.php file to ensure your database credentials are correct. Sometimes a “0” looks like an “O,” right?

“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. As far as website errors go, a database connection error is normally pretty easy to resolve.“

Rocket.net – 5 Ways How To Fix Error Establishing A Database Connection In WordPress

Error 6 — Exceeding PHP Limits

WordPress and its plugins require a certain amount of PHP memory to function correctly. If your site exceeds these limits, you’ll likely see error messages. These can occur due to syntax errors, memory limit issues, or deprecated functions in the code. By default, WordPress sets this limit to 32MB, but it can be increased to accommodate more resource-intensive tasks

Solution: Increase your PHP memory limit by editing your wp-config.php file or contacting your hosting provider for assistance. Ensure your site isn’t overloaded with unnecessary backup files, unused plugins, or deactivated themes.

Error 7 – Outdated WordPress Core

Running an outdated version of WordPress can lead to compatibility issues and security vulnerabilities, resulting in error messages.

Solution: Always keep your WordPress core updated to the latest version. Regular updates ensure compatibility with plugins and themes and protect your site from security threats.

WordPress Errors are Not the End of the World

Blog error messages can come from a variety of sources. External factors can play a role, such as a poor internet connection or browser issues. To troubleshoot, first refresh your browser. 

Errors can also stem from technical issues like server problems, plugin conflicts, theme problems, or coding errors. Follow up by checking your server status, clearing your browser cache, or updating your WordPress plugins and themes. 

Error messages can be a nuisance, but they also provide valuable clues about what’s going wrong with your WordPress site.

By understanding the common causes and implementing these solutions, you can keep your blog running smoothly and focus on what you do best—creating great content.

Seeing More Error Messages on Your Blog?

Your blog might experience an increase in error messages due to server overload, hardware or software issues, database problems, code errors, or network difficulties. An unexpectedly high, or increased number of errors may also be a sign of increased website traffic or cyber attack.

Monitor your server logs, check website traffic, and view attempted log-ins — these are essential steps in troubleshooting for any blog owner.

When in doubt, contact your web administrator or provider. WordPress, out of the box, offers a website health check function. Use this together with a login protection plugin, and notifications from your hosting provider to get a clear picture of what’s behind increased error messages.

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!

Fun Fact: Tommy Dorsey was a popular American jazz musician until his death in 1951. His band recorded many hits, including “I’ll Remember April,” and “The Sentimental Journey.”

What’s New in WordPress 6.6?

WordPress 6.6 includes 299 Core Track tickets, 392 enhancements, 462 bug fixes, and more than 50 accessibility improvements — specifically for the Block Editor (the artist formerly known as Gutenberg).

There are two highlights for us in 6.6. First, the new rollback option for automatic plugin updates. This gives you more control, flexibility and security. You can simply roll back to the previous version if something goes wrong during an update. Potential downtime is minimized, and website security is improved.

The second highlight of 6.6 is the Block Bindings API. With this, you can create and customize bespoke block patterns. The API allows you to change block structures and styles in a synchronized way, ensuring a consistent look across your entire website. The Block Bindings API will make your workflows a lot easier!

You don’t have time to read through all of the improvements? No worries. We rounded them up into the four important ones:

• Block Editor Features
• Site Editor Features
• Performance Improvements, and 
• Accessibility Improvements

New Features in the Block Editor

The editor area has undergone several improvements. Among other things, there are now more design options for block themes.

Color palettes and fonts: Block theme authors can now create unlimited custom color or font sets. (Thank the internet gods!) This offers more specific design options within the same theme. This means more comprehensive design options allowing for customization without changing the overall design. Does this mean you can go native and ditch page builders? It’s a real possibility.

Quick preview for pages: Simplify your workflow with the new customized page layout. You can see all your pages and a preview of a selected page before you edit it via a split layout in the website editor. Who doesn’t love a WYSIWYG editor? This was always the intent for Gutenberg circa 2017 and now it’s coming to life.

Other useful WordPress 6.6 changes to the Block Editor include:

• New keyboard shortcuts:
  • Group selected blocks: Ctrl + G (Windows) or Cmd + G (Mac)
  • Indent/outdent list items: Tab / Shift + Tab
• The Group block now supports simple grid layouts with a new “Grid” variant, allowing for flexible grid layouts that adapt to available space.
• The Command Palette, previously available in the Site Editor, is now accessible in the Block Editor. It provides quick access to various tools and views.
• The “Post” or “Page” tab in the Settings sidebar has been redesigned for better clarity.

New Features in the Site Editor

The new layout in the site editor allows you to display the pages and their previews side by side, which makes the workflow much easier. Version 6.6 also makes it much easier to customize the content in the synchronised patterns. We hear you clapping.

Synchronized patterns can now be overridden without breaking the connection to the original. This allows you to customize specific content in each instance of a synchronised template while maintaining a consistent style across all instances. Currently, you can set overrides for heading, paragraph, button, and image blocks.

New views for “Pages” and “Templates”

As part of Gutenberg Phase 3, new data views have been created that are already activated for the Pages and Templates sections.

Gutenberg Phase 3 moves the editorial workflow entirely to WordPress by enabling Google Docs-style collaborative editing in the Gutenberg site editor.

“Template Parts” are now at the top of “Templates”

A small yet significant change that has been long awaited is the new sorting in the Templates section. The template components, such as Header and Footer, are now positioned at the very top. This straightforward adjustment greatly reduces the amount of scrolling required when accessing these elements. 

Note: The page and template changes affect the Site Editor and are only relevant if you have activated a block theme like Twenty Twenty-Four.

Performance Improvements

WordPress 6.6 offers important performance updates such as the elimination of redundant WP_Theme_JSON calls, the deactivation of autoload for large options and the elimination of unnecessary polyfill dependencies. 

Other improvements include lazy loading of post-embeds, a new data-wp-on-async directive and templates in the editor that load around 35 per cent faster.

WordPress 6.6 offers substantial database performance improvements, too. These advancements result in faster page load times and more efficient data retrieval, ultimately improving the overall user experience.

There have also been significant improvements to asset management. The new version optimizes script and style loading, minification, and third-party script handling. These enhancements result in faster page load times and better overall site performance. We love speed!

Finally, WordPress 6.6 includes enhanced caching mechanisms. This includes improvements to object caching, page caching, and better integration with popular caching plugins. These caching improvements lead to faster response times and reduced server load, providing a smoother user experience.

Accessibility Improvements

WordPress 6.6 contains over 50 accessibility fixes and improvements – specifics of these improvements we don’t know.

What we do know is the updates focus on fundamental aspects, particularly the data views that support the new website editing. They also address areas such as the inserter, which provides an important way to interact with blocks and templates with keyboard shortcuts.

If you’re new to the importance of accessibility in your websites, then check out the W3C website for an intro. An accessible website is a useful website – frontend or backend.

“When websites and web tools are properly designed and coded, people with disabilities can use them. However, currently, many sites and tools are developed with accessibility barriers that make them difficult or impossible for some people to use.”

CDP Communications

Rocket.net Contribution to WordPress Updates

Did you know that several Rocket.net employees continue to contribute to the WordPress community including the latest release as an official Five for the Future partner?

WordPress 6.6 Wrap Up

The updates in WordPress 6.6 aim to provide a more intuitive, efficient, and customizable experience for both users and developers. The focus on refining existing features and introducing new design capabilities demonstrates WordPress’s commitment to evolving with user needs and technological advancements. Keeping WordPress open source is central to this evolution.

Upgrading to WordPress 6.6

Are you planning to update your site to WordPress 6.6?

It’s recommended to back up your website before upgrading to WordPress 6.6. Once you have a backup, you can follow the standard WordPress upgrade process to update your site to the latest version.

Using PHP 8.1 or 8.2 in conjunction with WordPress 6.6 is recommended. However, to be on the safe side, you should first perform a PHP compatibility test with your WordPress installation. 

The updates in WordPress 6.6 aim to provide users with more design flexibility, improved editing capabilities, and better performance.

“The regular WordPress updates are another reminder of the importance of keeping WordPress open source. Customization, community-driven development, and enhanced security through public code access ensure the world’s most popular CMS remains that way.”

Rocket.net – Why Keeping WordPress Open Source is Important for Agencies and Clients

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!

Today, making money has never been easier. What do you want to sell today? You can sell that eBook you wrote. You can sell your client’s entire line of cat toys. You can even sell your agency services with an online booking form. You don’t even need to accept credit cards – you can just add PayPal.

Is having a plugin and a blog enough to make money these days? Probably not. Customers are done with “satisfaction.” They are over “online shopping.” Gone are the days even when free shipping got you sales. Today, customers want to be delighted. Customers want an online shopping experience. So, are you ready to impress?

Plug in WooCommerce and Excite Your Customers

Building an online store sounds daunting, but it’s not. You don’t even need to code. WordPress and WooCommerce can help you create a memorable and personalized shopping experience – both of which are crucial for standing out in a crowded marketplace.

Think about the last article you wrote or the website you built. Was it “working” enough? No. Content has to be tailored for an audience. It has to rank for keywords. It has to be more than good. The same for websites – and, the same for your online shop.

As a WordPress agency owner or niche online store salesperson, you need to transform your WooCommerce store into a true reflection of your brand and your customers’ preferences. And, you can do it!

We’ve got 3 ways you can customize your WooCommerce store and deliver a unique shopping experience that will keep your customers coming back.

WooCommerce Customization Store Tip 1: Enhance Your Product Presentation

Product presentation is even more important online than offline. Why? You can’t touch what you’re about to buy. It’s all about tangibility.

Tangibility helps customers examine the material, texture, fit, workmanship, and quality of products, which are considered important for purchase decisions.

When products are offered online, they become more intangible, which can lead to greater difficulty in evaluation, higher perceived effort, higher risk perceptions, and lower customer engagement. Plus, our attention spans are shorter! We’re scrolling, not walking.

To overcome the intangibility constraint of online shopping, you need richer product presentation formats like 360-spin rotation tools and virtual mirrors, which can enhance the perceived tangibility of your products.

It’s All About Your Product Pages

Product pages can take different approaches, from a direct display of the product and its benefits to more elaborate, interactive pages that provide an authentic experience for the user. Remember: the most captivating product pages don’t require complex programming and WordPress offers thousands of plugins and themes that can support whatever you want to build.

WooCommerce enables you to create unique product pages that fit you and your customers.

1.1 Utilize Compelling Product Images

High-quality, professional-looking product images make a significant impact on your customers’ purchasing decisions. Invest in a good camera or work with a photographer to capture visuals that showcase your products from multiple angles.

Use real product images for your store – not AI images. AI images are great to pep up your blog content but not ideal for shopping decisions.

Woo says: https://woocommerce.com/document/adding-product-images-and-galleries/

Product Thumbnail plugin tip: https://iconicwp.com/products/woothumbs/

1.2 Implement Engaging Product Descriptions

You have to think about your customers here. What were they searching for, and why? What’s the context of this purchase? Get those search terms and pleasure points out there and visible.

Describe your products in such a way that they appeal to potential buyers. How? Try the Problem/Agitate/Solve formula. Or use the Attention/Interest/Desire/Action model. How about the Feature/Advantage/Benefit angle? Don’t just list features – list advantages and benefits.

Here’s an example: selling an online social media course. FAB!

Feature: Comprehensive online course covering the latest social media trends and best practices.

Advantage: Stay ahead of the changing social media landscape with weekly, 30-minute lessons.

Benefit: Maintain a strong social media presence leading to increased lead generation and sales.

WooCommerce: https://woocommerce.com/posts/how-to-write-product-descriptions/

WooCommerce SEO plugin tip: https://yoast.com/wordpress/plugins/yoast-woocommerce-seo/

1.3 Leverage Product Variations and Customization

Offer your customers the ability to customize their purchases by providing options for size, color, or other product attributes. You’re enhancing their shopping experience and increasing the chance of a sale. Don’t make your customers look for customization options. Get those options front and center.

How? Use the WooCommerce Custom Fields for Variations plugin. The plugin allows you to display additional static data on specific variations. WooCommerce custom fields allow you to do two things: you can add extra product options and additional data to specific variations.

Woo says: https://woocommerce.com/document/variable-product/

Advanced WooCommerce product variations: https://woocommerce.com/document/advanced-product-variation/

WooCommerce Customization Store Tip 2: Personalize the Customer Journey

Personalization is a powerful tool in creating a unique shopping experience. By tailoring the customer journey to individual preferences and behaviors, you’re building stronger connections with your audience and fostering brand loyalty – all the while making the shopping experience better.

Personalization is crucial. Shoppers have too many choices. Walmart has 83 types of ketchup! Is that helpful? Probably not. If you can excel at personalization, you’ll differentiate yourself. It’s better to offer unique value propositions that your competitors have difficulty replicating. Stand out from the crowd.

“Over three-quarters of consumers (76 per cent) said that receiving personalized communications was a key factor in prompting their consideration of a brand, and 78 per cent said such content made them more likely to repurchase.”

McKinsey.com

2.1 Implement Personalized Recommendations

Utilize WooCommerce integrations that analyze customer browsing and purchase history to provide personalized product recommendations. This can help customers discover new items they might be interested in leading to increased sales and satisfaction.

Woo suggests: https://woocommerce.com/products/product-recommendations/

This guide lists some of the most common, high-performing product recommendation strategies that you can implement with WooCommerce Product Recommendations: https://woocommerce.com/document/product-recommendations/recommendation-strategies/

2.2 Offer Customizable Account Settings

Allow customers to personalize their account settings, such as preferred payment methods, shipping addresses, and communication preferences. This level of control can make them feel more invested in your store and more likely to return.

Customize My Account for WooCommerce: https://woocommerce.com/document/customize-my-account-for-woocommerce/

Enable users to personalize their My Account page with the WooCommerce Customize My Account page plugin: https://woocommerce.com/document/customize-my-account-page-user-dashboard-for-woocommerce/

Woo suggests the full-featured My Account page with the Custom My Account Dashboard for WooCommerce extension: https://woocommerce.com/products/custom-my-account-dashboard-for-woocommerce/

The dashboard customizer extension allows you to add features such as custom endpoints, user avatars, and banners. You can also change the layout of the page and display information in tables.

2.3 Leverage Abandoned Cart Reminders

Do you want to know where the real money is? It’s sitting in abandoned carts. Carts that never made it to the checkout are currently valued at 4 trillion dollars (Hotjar.com). Don’t leave that money on the table.

Set up automated abandoned cart email reminders to gently nudge customers who have left items in their cart without completing the purchase. This can be an effective way to re-engage potential customers and recover lost sales.

Read what Woo has to say about how you can reduce your abandoned carts: https://woocommerce.com/posts/fewer-abandoned-carts-more-sales-nine-proven-strategies/

Woo suggests: https://woocommerce.com/document/abandoned-cart-recovery/. The AutomateWoo extension excels at sending abandoned cart emails for WooCommerce. It can identify returning registered users even when they’re not logged in, while also tracking guest customers.

Find out more: https://woocommerce.com/document/automatewoo/abandoned-cart/

WooCommerce Customization Store Tip 3: Enhance the Checkout Experience

This is where you can lose a lot of your business. No one likes waiting in line, and no one likes clicking seven times to buy their product. The longer customers take to complete their purchase, the more likely they are to abandon their shopping cart. That’s lost revenue.

The checkout process is the critical touchpoint in the customer journey. Optimizing it can significantly improve the overall shopping experience – and save you lost sales.

“A complicated checkout process deters 17% of shoppers. Checkout flows with too many form fields, too many steps or a confusing setup drive almost one in five customers away from their online shopping carts.”

Hotjar.com

3.1 Streamline the Checkout Flow

Ensure your checkout process is intuitive, straightforward, and easy to navigate. Check out in as few steps as possible. No one likes to click ten times. Minimize the number of steps required to complete a purchase and provide clear instructions and progress indicators to guide customers through the process. Your customers will thank you. 

Here are two ways you can optimize your checkout in WooCommerce:

Tailor your checkout to fit customers’ needs in WooCommerce. The extension allows you to add, remove or edit fields to best suit your store. Check out the extension here: https://woocommerce.com/products/woocommerce-checkout-field-editor/

You can create one-page checkouts easily with the WooCommerce One Page Checkout extension: https://woocommerce.com/products/woocommerce-one-page-checkout/

“Customers can add or remove products from their cart and complete payment without leaving the page and waiting for a new page to load.” Woo

3.2 Offer Multiple Payment Options

Provide a variety of payment methods, such as credit/debit cards, digital wallets, and alternative payment gateways. Don’t forget PayPal and Venmo. Options cater to the preferences of your customer base and reduce friction during the checkout process. Translation: People just want to shop – so let them. Fun fact: in Fallout, bottle caps are used for currency. Be flexible. 

According to Statista, PayPal topped the charts of the most used online payment in the USA, followed by Apple Pay, Venmo, Google Pay, and Amazon Pay. Traditional merchant accounts are becoming a thing of the past.

Woo Payments allows you to accept major credit and debit cards as well as popular local payment methods on your WooCommerce site. You can also boost sales with the Buy Now, Pay Later option of accepting Klarna, Afterpay, and Affirm.

Woo suggests: https://woocommerce.com/products/woopayments/

3.3 Implement Order Tracking and Updates

Order and delivery tracking is essential, and not just so you can monitor your system. Customers want to track the status of their orders from processing to delivery. Provide timely updates and shipping notifications to keep them informed and build trust in your brand.

Reminder: notifications for each step of the process are probably too many. However, if your customers want to be informed about each step, build that into the system. For most customers, the ideal is probably “order received, order shipped, order arriving on —.”

Woo suggests: https://woocommerce.com/products/order-tracking-for-woocommerce/ and https://woocommerce.com/products/shipment-tracking/

Are You New to Woo?

You may be completely new to WooCommerce. WooCommerce is a plugin that allows you to add eCommerce (an online store) to your WordPress website. We’ve listed three links below that will help you get a foot on the ladder.

Rocket.net offers not only Managed WordPress hosting, but also Managed WooCommerce hosting.

How to build an online store Using WooCommerce

How to personalize your online store

Looking for extensions? Visit the WooCommerce Marketplace

Are You an Experienced WooCommerce Seller?

You may be an old hand at WooCommerce, and you may already be enjoying our supersonic WooCommerce hosting. If not, then please give us a call to see how we can support your shop. If you are already onboard, you may like to check out other WooCommerce articles we’ve written.

The Top 10 Best WooCommerce Plugins for Your WordPress Online Shop

Optimizing Your WooCommerce Button Color for Conversions

Top Winning WooCommerce Email Marketing Plays

Top 3 WooCommerce Pre-Launch Social Media Tips to Explode Sales

Why Instagram Social Selling Drives WooCommerce Success

5 Tips to Optimize Your WooCommerce Store for SEO

WooCommerce Styling And Design Tips For Managed WordPress Hosting

We’d Love to Show You What the Fastest WordPress Hosting Means for Your WooCommerce Online Shop!

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