Accessibility

Customer Service

DevOps

Digital Advertising

eCommerce

Entrepreneurship

Hosting

Lead Management

Project Management

Search Engine Optimization

Social Media

Uncategorized

Web Design

WebOps

Website Performance

Website Security

WordPress

Frequently Asked Questions

Development & Customization

What's the proper way to enqueue scripts and styles in WordPress?

Answer: Follow WordPress best practices:

// Add to functions.php or your custom plugin
function theme_enqueue_scripts() {
    // Enqueue CSS
    wp_enqueue_style(
        'main-style',
        get_template_directory_uri() . '/assets/css/main.css',
        array(), // dependencies
        '1.0.0' // version
    );
    
    // Enqueue JavaScript
    wp_enqueue_script(
        'main-script',
        get_template_directory_uri() . '/assets/js/main.js',
        array('jquery'), // dependencies
        '1.0.0', // version
        true // load in footer
    );
    
    // Localize script with data
    wp_localize_script(
        'main-script',
        'siteData',
        array(
            'ajaxUrl' => admin_url('admin-ajax.php'),
            'siteUrl' => site_url()
        )
    );
}
add_action('wp_enqueue_scripts', 'theme_enqueue_scripts');

Key points:

  • Always use wp_enqueue hooks, never hardcode script tags

  • Load scripts in footer when possible

  • Use dependencies array to manage load order

  • Include version strings for cache busting

  • Use wp_localize_script for passing PHP data to JavaScript

How do I safely customize a WordPress theme without losing changes during updates?

Answer: Use one of these methods:

  • Child Theme (Recommended for most cases):
// In child-theme style.css
/*
Theme Name: Parent Theme Child
Template: parent-theme-folder-name
Description: Child theme for customizations
Version: 1.0
*/

/* Import parent theme styles */
@import url("../parent-theme-folder-name/style.css");

/* Custom styles below */

Create a site-specific plugin for functionality changes:

<?php
/**
 * Plugin Name: Site-Specific Functionality
 * Description: Custom functions for this specific site
 * Version: 1.0
 */

// Custom functions go here
function my_custom_function() {
    // Function code
}

// Add shortcodes
add_shortcode('my_shortcode', 'my_shortcode_function');
  • Use hooks and filters instead of modifying core files
  • Document all customizations in a central location for reference

 

E-commerce & Forms

What's the best way to implement custom fields in WooCommerce products?

Answer: Choose the appropriate method based on your needs:

// Register fields with ACF
// Then display in template:
<?php 
$custom_field = get_field('specification_sheet', $product_id);
if($custom_field) {
    echo '<a href="' . $custom_field . '">Download Specification Sheet</a>';
}
?>
  • WooCommerce native Custom Fields:
    • Use Product Data → Custom Fields tab in admin

    • Access with get_post_meta($product_id, 'field_name', true);

  • Custom Product Attributes:
    • For filterable/searchable data

    • Can be global or per-product

    • Access with $product->get_attribute('attribute_name');

  • Custom Product Data Tabs:
add_filter('woocommerce_product_tabs', 'add_custom_product_tab');
function add_custom_product_tab($tabs) {
    $tabs['specifications_tab'] = array(
        'title' => 'Specifications',
        'priority' => 20,
        'callback' => 'specifications_tab_content'
    );
    return $tabs;
}

function specifications_tab_content() {
    global $product;
    // Tab content here
}
How do I troubleshoot WooCommerce payment gateway issues?

Answer: Follow this systematic approach:

  • Check server requirements:
    • PHP version compatibility

    • Required PHP extensions (curl, json, etc.)

    • SSL certificate validity

  • Common issues and solutions:
    • Payment failing silently: Enable WooCommerce logging (WooCommerce → Settings → Advanced → Logging) and check logs

    • API connectivity: Test with Postman or similar tool to verify endpoint access

    • SSL issues: Verify mixed content warnings with browser console

    • Webhook failures: Check webhook delivery in payment gateway dashboard

  • Gateway-specific troubleshooting:
// Example debug code for Stripe
add_action('woocommerce_before_checkout_form', function() {
    WC_Stripe_Logger::log('Checkout initiated: ' . $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR']);
});
  • Testing process:
    • Use gateway sandbox/test modes

    • Try test card numbers (Stripe: 4242 4242 4242 4242)

    • Verify IPN/webhook settings

    • Check currency support

Security & Maintenance

What's the proper way to implement a staging environment?

Answer: Follow these steps to set up an effective staging environment:

  • Server Setup Options:
    • Subdomain (staging.yourdomain.com)

    • Subdirectory (yourdomain.com/staging)

    • Separate server environment

  • Implementation:
    • Use WP Staging, Duplicator, or All-in-One WP Migration plugins for WordPress

    • For custom sites, use version control and deployment tools like Git, Jenkins, or GitHub Actions

    • Ensure environment variables are properly configured for each environment

  • Best Practices:
    • Password-protect staging sites (using .htaccess)

    • Block search engines with robots.txt

    • Use identical server configurations across environments

    • Implement a deployment workflow (Dev → Staging → Production)

    • Document environment differences in a README file

# Example .htaccess for password protecting staging site
AuthType Basic
AuthName "Staging Site"
AuthUserFile /path/to/.htpasswd
Require valid-user

Help me with this

How do I properly secure my WordPress website?

Answer: Implement these security measures:

  • Keep WordPress core, themes, and plugins updated

  • Use strong passwords and 2FA (with plugins like Wordfence or Sucuri)

  • Implement WordPress Salts in wp-config.php (use https://api.wordpress.org/secret-key/1.1/salt/)

  • Limit login attempts with a security plugin

  • Change the default wp-admin URL using a plugin like WPS Hide Login

  • Use SSL/HTTPS across your entire site

  • Disable file editing in wp-config.php by adding: define('DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true);

  • Implement proper user roles and permissions

  • Regular backups with automated solutions like UpdraftPlus

  • Web Application Firewall (WAF) implementation

Help me with this

Website Performance

What's causing my Core Web Vitals issues and how can I fix them?

Answer: Common causes and solutions:

  • Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Optimize server response time, implement resource prioritization, and optimize critical rendering path.

  • First Input Delay (FID): Reduce JavaScript execution time, break up long tasks, optimize event handlers.

  • Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Add width/height attributes to images, ensure ads/embeds have reserved space, and avoid inserting content above existing content.

Tools for diagnosis:

  • Google PageSpeed Insights

  • Chrome DevTools Performance tab

  • Lighthouse audits in Chrome

  • web.dev Measure tool

Help me with this

How can I improve my WordPress site's loading speed?

How can I improve my WordPress site's loading speed?

Answer: Implement these optimization techniques:

  • Enable caching with plugins like WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache

  • Use a CDN (Cloudflare, Bunny CDN) to distribute static assets

  • Optimize images with WebP format and lazy loading

  • Minify and combine CSS/JS files

  • Implement GZIP compression via .htaccess

  • Consider database optimization with WP-Optimize

  • Use a lightweight theme with minimal HTTP requests

// Example .htaccess code for browser caching
<IfModule mod_expires.c>
  ExpiresActive On
  ExpiresByType image/jpg "access plus 1 year"
  ExpiresByType image/jpeg "access plus 1 year"
  ExpiresByType image/gif "access plus 1 year"
  ExpiresByType image/png "access plus 1 year"
  ExpiresByType text/css "access plus 1 month"
  ExpiresByType application/pdf "access plus 1 month"
  ExpiresByType text/javascript "access plus 1 month"
  ExpiresByType application/javascript "access plus 1 month"
  ExpiresByType application/x-javascript "access plus 1 month"
  ExpiresByType application/x-shockwave-flash "access plus 1 month"
  ExpiresByType image/x-icon "access plus 1 year"
  ExpiresDefault "access plus 2 days"
</IfModule>

Help me with this