Common mistakes when building a website

When you get started building a website, you (often unconsciously) make a lot of mistakes. The great thing is that you can learn from every mistake, so you can never make enough mistakes. But let's avoid these mistakes and do things the right way.

Forgotten to backup

I regularly come across websites that do not have a full backup available. It does not matter whether you are using a Joomla or WordPress website (or a completely different system). Make sure you make a complete backup (of files and database) before every update or change. If something goes wrong somewhere then you can always restore the website.

Ignoring Joomla core updates

In recent years, it has been made very easy for you. You can perform Joomla (minor and bugfix) updates at the click of a button. Updates are released regularly and at least once a month (on Tuesdays). Yet there are many Joomla installations that are not running on the latest version. Of course, this can have various reasons, but if you want a good and safe website, you have to keep it updated. Don't have the time and/or inclination to do this? Then consider outsourcing the updates via a maintenance subscription. The costs for this are always less, than repairing a website that turns out to have been hacked.

Ignoring extension updates

Just like the core Joomla update, you should also check that all Joomla or WordPress extensions are still up-to-date. Hackers are always looking for ways to gain access to your website and an easy target are websites with extensions that are not properly maintained. However, the good news is that many extension developers keep checking everything and release updates from time to time. This way, you not only get new features, but also better extension security.

Try out extensions on a live or development environment

If you are not sure whether the extension meets your expectations, try it out on a separate test environment first. If you do this on the live or development environment, you can leave a lot of mess in the files and/or database (even if you remove the extension straight away).

No database maintenance

One of the most unknown areas on a CMS website is the database. You often forget to take care of it, even though you need to. However, the thing is that databases can grow pretty fast. And if you don't maintain it properly, it can slow down your website and as a result, your website may not be found as well in search results.

An extension I use to optimise the database just as quickly is Akeeba Admin Tools via the "Repair & Optimise Tables" button. It also doesn't hurt to use PHPmyAdmin to check the database for unnecessary tables or tables with a lot of content. (And make a backup first, of course)

Not optimising images

When you take a picture, you store a lot of information (metadata) in an image. The date of capture, camera details, and so on, are data that can be found in the image, but are not at all relevant to a web visitor. This information does make the photo heavier. In addition, you need to think about the size of the photo beforehand. If you want to show a small image, there is no need to upload a 2000px wide photo. When you use this photo on your website, it takes more time to load. As a result, your website will not perform as well. So make your images the right size and remove the meta-data before you put it on your website.

Not organising files

Many people know you can use categories in Joomla and Wordpress and classify their articles neatly. On the other hand, they don't do that with files and everything is put in the /images folder. Most websites start as a small project, but small projects grow big and after a year, it's hard to determine which images are still being used and which ones you can delete. So always keep your files organised.

Do not change file names

When using images, make sure they have a descriptive title. This way, search engines can better understand your images. So change the name IMG3201.jpg to the iphone8-spacegray-2018.jpg so that search engines can understand it and will also show your photos in search results.

Also, make sure not to use spaces in file names. Instead, you can use a dash to separate the words. This way, you can avoid messy code and unpredictable problems.

Copy and paste texts from Microsoft Word

When you copy text from Google Documents, Microsoft Word or any other programme into your editor, there is a good chance that you are pasting in a lot of unnecessary code, which in many cases you don't see. Unless you look at the article's source code. Therefore, it is always a good idea to look at the code after you have added the article.

Do not consult a professional

Running into problems or want to build the website yourself with a specialist on the sidelines giving you tips? I can always offer you support in creating your website. Support obviously costs time and therefore money, but by enlisting the help of a professional, you can improve your website and avoid problems.

Outgoing links open in the same window

In the article, we often make links to other websites and there is nothing wrong with that. What most people forget is that they open the content in the same window. This way, the visitor goes from your page to another website. As a result, you lose the visitor. Instead, you should therefore always open all external links in a new window.

Do not use internal links

Focus on an internal link structure while building a website or writing an article. Focus on links to the most important pages of your website and make sure these pages are better found by the search engines.

Underlining text

Most users think underlined text is a link. So they try to click on it. It is better not to create any confusion and instead use the underline function only when you are actually using a link.

Don't use reference management

Of course, you change your website with some regularity. Non-relevant articles will be removed, but what do you do with the URL that now no longer works? In Joomla's referral management, you can easily create redirects and point the page to an alternative or the homepage, so the visitor does not see an error message.

Use the cheapest hosting company

For any website, a good hosting company is extremely important. By switching to a web hosting company with Joomla experience, you can improve many things, such as server response time, website security and so on. In addition, they can give you tips to improve your website.

If you are looking for good Joomla or WordPress hosting, contact me to get your let advised.

Incorrect file permissions

One of the biggest causes of problems with a CMS is incorrect file permissions. I often find many incorrect folder and file permissions and this could even lead to a hacked website. That's why it's good to have the right file permissions settings. Want to know more about file permissions? Read this article for Joomla file permissions and this article for WordPress file permissions

An extension I use to set file permissions properly is Akeeba Admin Tools

Not extending the session duration

By default, the Joomla session duration is set to 15 minutes. When you write large article, like this one, you spend more than 15 minutes on it. As a result, you save the article and lose all changes because your session has expired. Set the session duration in the general settings, or write your article in notepad and then copy it into a Joomla article.

Don't focus on SEO

If you are not focusing on SEO, you are making a big mistake. If you want your website to start generating something, the first thing you need is for it to be found by the search engines. With the help of SEO, you will get organic traffic to your website and get more sales or revenue. Immerse yourself in SEO developments or take a look at my SEO Dashboard.

Not using a professional design

If your website does not have a professional look, visitors will immediately hit the "Back" button. This increases your website's bounce rate and you will lose visitors and customers. Instead, choose a responsive Joomla template that offers the user a great experience.

Not making the most of the possibilities

Joomla has a lot of features to offer. Consider, for instance, using 2 factor authentication for the security of your website. Or the use of custom fields, making many extensions redundant. Always think carefully about which extensions you need and which you don't, so you can stay as close to the core as possible. This will ultimately also ensure simpler management and easier upgrading to the new version of Joomla.