For the past 3 weeks, I have written about how adding functionality to your website has never been easier. In last week’s post, I talked about the drawbacks of using WordPress and other open source content management systems.
Today I am going to share the secret of how you can use WordPress effectively and minimize the risk of problems:
- Only use plugins you need for the website. The more plugins you use, the more likely you could run into problems in the future.
- Research plugins before using them.
- Look at the user rating of the plugin and only use plugins that have a rating of 4 out of 5 or higher.
- Check when the latest update of the plugin was released. If it has been released within the last couple of months, that is a good indication that the developer is regularly updating the plugin. If is has been 6+ months, it means the developer is not making the needed updates.
- Look at the support forums of the plugin to make sure the developer is responding to support requests and responding in a reasonable time frame (1-2 days).
- Update WordPress and your plugins every month.
- Work with a company like OurChurch.Com who will do all of this for you. When we build custom websites for our clients, we do all of the items above as part of the site building process and monthly Full Service Support service they receive.
What are your thoughts of using WordPress or other open source web builders? How can OurChurch.Com help you in making your organization’s website an effective tool? Please post your comments below?
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