I always take a manual back-up of sites before I update any plugins or the WordPress core, as this means that any compatibility issues can be dealt with quickly and aren’t catastrophic. Read more on how to safely update your site.

Install Updraft

Updraft is a free plugin that you can download and install by searching for it in the Add Plugins section of the WordPress back-end. Simply install it and activate it and it’s ready to use.

Taking a back-up

Once installed and activated, you’ll find the plugin in the WordPress menu system in the left-hand column.

To take a back-up right away, click on Backup Now. You’ll get a pop-up with some options. I’d select the following:

1. Include your database in the backup – check this
2. Include your files in the backup – check this
3. Send this backup to remote storage – check this (even if you don’t have remote storage set up, we’ll discuss this later)
4. Only allow this backup to be deleted manually – leave this unchecked unless you want to keep this back-up from being automatically deleted

Then click Backup Now.

The back-up will start and depending on your site size and server speed it could take a few minutes to around 10 minutes. You can leave the page running and when it’s done you’ll see a back-up with today’s date appear underneath the Existing backups section.

Downloading the back-up

If you want to download the back-up for extra security, click on the buttons that say Database, Plugins, Themes etc. and the files will make themselves available. Click Download to your Computer and choose where you want each file to be stored.

Restoring your back-up

Restoring is super easy. Simply decide which date you want to restore and click the Restore button next to it. It’ll begin the restoration process. You’ll have the option to select which items you want restored (database, plugins, themes, etc). Best option to ensure you get a complete restoration is to check all the items on the list. It’ll then run the restoration and let you know when the restoration is successful. Click the button that says Return to UpdraftPlus configuration to return to the WordPress back-end. You might be prompted at this point to log in again so do that.

When you’ve logged back in you’ll be on the Updraft page with a paragraph at the top that says your back-up has been restored. If you check your site and verify the restoration has been successful, return to the Updraft page and click the button that says Delete old folders.

Setting up remote storage

If you use something like Dropbox or Google Drive you might want to have your back-ups uploading automatically to these services to save you having to download the files manually.

To set this up, got to the Updraft page in WordPress and click on the Settings tab. There are a ton of services to choose from so select the one that you’d like to use and follow the instructions to set up the connection.

The post Taking a back-up of your site with UpdraftPlus appeared first on RaggedDesign.

In these instances you’ll need to get the plugin .zip file from the plugin creator and install it manually. This is super simple to do and there are two main methods for doing this.

1. Install through the WordPress back-end
2. Install using an FTP (useful if you can’t access the WordPress back-end for any reason)

Install through the WordPress back-end

Get the plugin

Download the plugin from the creator. If you’ve paid for it, it’ll likely be somewhere in your account section and will download as a .zip file.

Upload the plugin

In your WordPress back-end, navigate to Plugins > Add New. At the top next to the page title you’ll see a button labelled Upload Plugin. Click on that and you’ll have the option to Choose file. Choose your .zip file and click Install Now.

Activate the plugin

Once installed you’ll be taken to a screen that will tell you if the installation has been successful. If so, click Activate Plugin to be able to use the plugin.

Install via ftp

Why you might need to do this

If for whatever reason uploading via the back-end doesn’t work you can also upload the files via FTP. To do this you’ll either need access to the hosting control panel or the FTP details to the host using something like Filezilla.

Unzip the .zip

Start by unzipping the .zip file on your computer. You’ll see that within the folder created after unzipping there’s another folder which is normally just the name of the plugin without version numbers. We’ll call this folder the Plugin Folder from here on.

Access the server

Using a file transfer programme such as Filezilla, log in to your FTP. If you’re not sure of the details, ask your host.

Upload the plugin

Within your server’s directory you need to find the folder where the WordPress files are stored. This is often called something like public_html. You’ll know you’ve got the right folder because you’ll see folders called wp-admin, wp-content and wp-includes.

To upload the plugin, navigate to wp-content > plugins. Once here, you need to upload the Plugin Folder mentioned above into the plugins folder.

Once uploaded, head back over to the WordPress back-end and navigate to Plugins. You should see the new plugin listed as installed but you’ll need to activate it before you can use it which you can do by clicking on Activate.

Install via control panel

If you have access to your hosting control panel you can upload the .zip file to the wp-content > plugins folder and unzip it there, although you might need to move some of the files to the correct folder before continuing.

The post How to install a WordPress plugin manually appeared first on RaggedDesign.

This blog looks at a site using Elementor specifically so may not necessarily be suitable if you’re just using WordPress or another page builder.

Let’s start with the basics.

WordPress is a content management system – essentially a database with a face. The face being your website. It stores the information you put into it and then displays that to the world.

Elementor sits within WordPress as a plugin (more on that below) and adds visual design functionality.

Themes

All WordPress sites have to have a theme. These can be found in the Themes section in the back-end of your site. WordPress makes its own themes, named by the year they were created, as does Elementor. The Elementor theme is called Hello and can be found by searching in the add theme section. WordPress themes come pre-installed with the latest one being the one that’s activated.

Themes essentially provide a certain level of styling to the site and there are lots of themes available that promise all sorts of bells and whistles, but if you’re choosing to use Elementor to build your site then Hello is perfect. Themes often add a ton of stuff to your site that you either don’t need or can’t figure out, and Hello does none of that. It’s a super lightweight theme that allows you complete control over how your site looks.

My advice: don’t be tempted to download a theme that claims to be specifically for your industry. They’re usually not well built, might not be compatible with Elementor, and will end up wasting you time. They might also slow your site down and that’s a big no no.

Advanced: if you plan on editing the functions.php file, other theme files for your site, or using custom CSS (if you don’t know what any of that is then chances are you won’t be doing it!) then it’s good practice to install a child theme. A child theme is related to the main theme and pulls some styles from it, but doesn’t get updated when the main theme does so any changes you make to the theme files (functions.php) or CSS you write won’t be overwritten when the main theme gets updated. Hello Child theme is available to download from GitHub and the zip file will need to be manually installed through the Add Themes page.

I always install a child theme and activate it just to be on the safe side.

Kits

Kits are an Elementor creation and can be found in Templates > Kit Library. These provide Elementor pages and designs to get you started and can be great if you don’t know where to begin.

As with themes, these can sometimes be badly built (or not taking into account best practices) and include things you don’t really need so be careful when selecting your kit. If you think you can design your site without one then that is definitely the best approach.

Templates

Confusingly there are two types of templates in Elementor. The first are smaller, pre-designed sections and can be found when you’re starting a new container (or section if you’re still using those). These are actually pretty good if you need help setting up the layout so use these if you can.

The second, if you’ve opted for Elementor Pro, can be found under Elementor > Templates. Think of these as the building blocks of your site. Here you can set up headers and footers to appear on ever page of your site, blog post templates (more on that below), and various shop pages if you’re an e-commerce store using WooCommerce. You create these templates using the same Elementor editor as for pages and then set conditions which dictate where they appear on the site.

Pages

Next up is one of the fundamental parts of your site and WordPress. Pages are the main, well, pages of your website! To get started, click Add a page and you’ll be greeted with the native WordPress page editor (called Gutenberg). Enter your page title where it says title, then click the button that says Edit with Elementor. This turns the page into an Elementor page rather than a Gutenberg page.

Here you can design your page and if you’ve already set a header and footer to appear on every page you’ll see those too. If you’re new to Elementor I’ve written a blog on getting started and best practices.

Posts

Posts are different from pages and should mainly function as blog-type entries to your site. WordPress was originally a blog hosting service so this used to be the main event.

If you’re hosting a blog using Elementor Pro then I suggest first creating a blog template in the Templates section (see above) before starting to write your blog. Read how to set up a blog post in Elementor.

Once you have your template then navigate to the posts section of the back-end. When you add a blog it’ll look like the new Page did that was discussed above, so go ahead and enter the title. This is where it differs though. My suggestion here is to continue using the native WordPress editor (Gutenberg) to write your blog. If you’ve set up your blog template correctly then this text will sit in the template really nicely. If you’ve chosen to design the blog in Elementor it’ll still sit within the template you’ve created, but there might be additional padding and other bits that will need fixing to get it looking good.

Plugins

Plugins are essentially bits of software that add functionality to a WordPress site. WordPress itself is quite basic as it was originally designed as a blog hosting platform, so all the additional bits (like Elementor) mean the platform can be used to create full blown websites.

There’s a few things to consider when choosing which plugins to use, and some plugins may break your site. When choosing a plugin run through this checklist to work out whether it’s going to be ok to install.

1. Ask yourself if you really need this plugin or if you could use an existing one to create the function you’re looking for?
2. How many downloads does the plugin have? If it’s a small amount it may not be a great plugin.
3. When was the last time it was updated and is it compatible with your version of WordPress? A plugin that hasn’t been updated in a while may not be very secure.
4. Give it a Google. Does the plugin have its own website? Generally this is a good indication of a reputable company.
5. Read some reviews. Check out the reviews on the plugin’s page on WordPress and see what folks are saying about it.

Check out my blog where I discuss my preferred plugin stack in more detail and this one where I talk about best practices to keep your plugins up to date.

The post Themes, kits, templates, pages, posts, plugins. What does it all mean?! appeared first on RaggedDesign.

Most of these are free and if they’re not I’ve given current prices (correct as of 19th August 2024) in the descriptions. The free ones often have premium versions that add more features, but I tend to just manage with the free versions.

1. Elementor Pro
2. PowerPack
3. Yoast
4. WP Fastest Cache
5. Updraft
6. WP Advanced Database Cleaner
7. Shortpixel
8. WordFence
9. GDPR Banner

Elementor Pro

Let’s start with the one you’re probably familiar with – Elementor Pro. This is the paid-for version of Elementor and expands the number of widgets available. It’s made by the same people as Elementor and therefore works with the main plugin.

You won’t find this on the Add Plugin page as it requires a paid for licence, so to download it go to Elementor.

Elementor recently changed their subscription options so the cheapest one won’t get you the full suite of widgets so it will depend on your budget and requirements which subscription you go for. For 1 site with limited widgets it’s currently $59 a year or if you want all the widgets it’s $99 a year.

Once you’ve paid and downloaded the plugin it’ll need to be manually installed. Read how to manually install plugins.

Highlights of what it gets you:

1. Header and footer template creation which is key if you’re looking to build a custom site;
2. More widgets including contact forms.

PowerPack

This is a other paid plugin but for me, this really fills in some of the gaps that Elementor Pro doesn’t cover so is the perfect addition as my standard plugin stack for clients.

Subscription for one site is $49 a year, which isn’t bad for what it’ll get you.

To subscribe and download go to PowerPack.

Highlights of what it gets you:

1. A better, more flexible mobile menu (which is one of the main draws for me);
2. More advanced widgets that often have more customisations than their Elementor Pro equivalents.

Yoast

Yoast is my go to SEO plugin as it’s lightweight and easy to use. It also sits well with Elementor and you can access it directly from the Elementor editor panel.

The basic plugin is free and can be installed through the plugins section in your WordPress back-end. The Premium version can be found here and is £99 + VAT a year.

If you’re unfamiliar with SEO plugins they basically tell Google what to show to the world when you come up on a Google search. You can also set how the site looks when someone shares your site on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms.

WP Fastest Cache

If you’re not sure what cache is, don’t worry. Simply put, when browsers load your site they talk to the server and download all the files they need. To speed things up though you can use a caching plugin like WP Fastest Cache to instruct the browser not to download everything each time, but to show the user a saved version if they’re visiting the site more than once. The benefit of this is that your site loads quicker which is great for SEO and keeping your users happy.

UpdraftPlus

UpdraftPlus is a back-up plugin I use when I’m updating sites. With a few clicks it’ll back-up all the site files for you to either download or sync with cloud storage. In the event of an update going wrong you can roll-back to the update point so nothing gets lost. Super important.

For a run through of the settings, check out this blog.

WP Advanced Database Cleaner

Ever had the dreaded “Server error 404” when trying to update you page in the Elementor editor? This can be caused by a few things but one thing that does cause it is having a bloated database. That’s where this plugin comes in.

Every time you make changes to your site it stores what are called Revisions. Over time these revisions take up more and more space and eventually cause issues. With WP Advanced Database Cleaner you can flush out these revisions (and other stored items) and get everything running smoothly again.

This is a more advanced plugin and a might be a bit daunting. I’ve discussed it more here.

Shortpixel Image Optimizer

Shortpixel Image Optimizer takes all your images and optimizes them automatically. It’ll also crate webp versions too. It’s best to make sure you’re uploading pre-automized images (check out this blog for hints) but this plugin makes them even smaller for a quick loading site.

WordFence

Hackers are annoying. For some reason even the most simple of WordPress sites get attacked by hacking bots from random parts of the world. If all your plugins are up to date you should be fine but it’s always best to be covered and that’s where WordFence comes in. This is a trusted plugin that sets up a firewall against hackers trying to inject malicious code into your site and blocks brute force and incorrect login attempts, amongst other things. There are A LOT of settings, so I talk about it more here.

GDPR Cookie Compliance

If you’re using Google analytics to track your users then you’ll legally require a GDPR banner to allow them to opt-in to tracking. GDPR Cookie Compliance by Moove is my go-to banner. It’s super slick and customisable and I love the pop-up feature that provides the details.

It’s recently added the function to paste tracking IDs for some services into the plugin settings so you won’t need to bother with the full tracking code. Works with GA4, Google Tag Manager, Google Ads, and Meta Pixel. Otherwise you can add the full tracking codes into another section of the banner settings.

Once set up the banner will appear on your site with buttons to either accept or reject cookies, and only when your user accepts will the tracking be loaded.

Other plugins I like

1. Duplicator – if you need to move your site to a new host this is a great plugin to use. There’s a free version and a paid version, but the free version has everything needed to move a normal sized site. I talk more about moving sites here.
2. Autoptimize – I used to use this a lot on sites but with recent changes to Elementor I’ve found it’s not quite so necessary. It’s an optimizing plugin that works really well. I’ve talked about optimizing sites here.
3. Yoast Duplicate Post – sometimes it’s easiest to duplicate posts and this is the plugin I’d recommend for that. It’s lightweight and does the job.
4. WP SMTP – if you’ve got a contact form anywhere on your site you might want to consider this plugin. WordPress has a built in email sender but it can sometimes just stop working, so this plugin allows you to connect to your email via an SMTP protocol and send that way. It links up with Google and other providers and unless you use Office 365 you shouldn’t need the paid version.
5. WooCommerce – if you’re looking for e-commerce with Elementor then this is the one. It’s a great plugin with it’s own library of plugins to create the shop of your dreams.
6. Really Simple SSL – if you’re having some trouble getting the site to recognise your SSL certificate then this plugin can help set it up for you. Simply install the plugin and activate and it’ll find the certificate automatically and install it fully on your site.

The post My preferred plugin stack for Elementor appeared first on RaggedDesign.

Here I’ll outline how I update my Elementor sites to ensure a smooth process every time.

Tech stack

One of the biggest issues is caused by incompatible plugins. You should always make sure whatever plugins you choose to use on your site come from reputable sources. It can be tempting to install plugins for every specific little function you’d like but this can result in a sprawling plugin stack filled with random plugins that just aren’t up to scratch.

When choosing your tech stack, follow these simple steps:

1. Ask yourself if you really need this plugin or if you could use an existing one to create the function you’re looking for?
2. How many downloads does the plugin have? If it’s a small amount it may not be a great plugin.
3. When was the last time it was updated and is it compatible with your version of WordPress? A plugin that hasn’t been updated in a while may not be very secure.
4. Give it a Google. Does the plugin have its own website?
5. Read some reviews. Check out the reviews on the plugin’s page on WordPress and see what folks are saying about it.

Check out my preferred plugin stack.

Turn off auto-update

The only times I’ve ever had issues with Elementor is when a client has auto-update turned on. So switch it off! You can do this easily from the plugin page.

Staging site

This is essentially a copy of your site that you can test things on. I always set up a test site for clients as a subdomain of my own website and I also use Local by Flywheel to set up an offline version.

Your hosting provider may provide you with the option to set up a staging site, or you can achieve this with a plugin. Look into WP Stagecoach and WP Staging if you’re going down this route.

The benefit of having a staging or test site is that you can update your site there first and if things go wrong you can troubleshoot without affecting your live site.

I do all the following stages on both my Local site and test site first before reproducing on the live site.

Back it up

So you’ve checked your tech stack and got a staging site. The next thing before updating anything is to take a back-up of your site. Your host may take regular back-ups but it’s always best to make your own just before you update. That way you can easily roll-back any changes should things go wrong.

I use a plugin called Updraft to take my back-ups. It’s super easy to use and you can roll-back with one click of a button. It links to cloud storage such as Dropbox and Google Drive, or you can manually download the back-up files. Take a look at how to install and run back-ups using Updraft.

Update one at a time

Once you’ve got your back-up sorted it’s time to start updating. Do it slowly, one plugin at a time and check the site by loading a new page after each plugin. That way if a plugin causes the site to break you know which one is the cause.

I use a particular order to update my plugins which seems to work.

1. WordPress core
2. Elementor Pro
3. Any other Elementor add-on (PowerPack, Plus Add-ons etc.)
4. Elementor
5. Any other front-end plugins such as e-commerce platforms, galleries, blog plugins, booking calendars for example
6. Back-end plugins such as SEO, caching, optimizing
7. Themes

Doing it slowly and methodically should mean you face no issues and if you do you can quickly isolate the issue.

Resolving conflict

If a plugin causes a conflict and you’ve used Updraft to create a back-up, you can restore your backed-up version by navigating back to the Updraft page in the WordPress back-end. Then start again with the updates and ignore the plugin that didn’t work. Make a note of the version number and check back at another time to see if they’ve bought out a new version, then you can try that instead. Chances are the developers will have addressed the issue. If not, you might need to consider a different plugin.

If a plugin causes a critical error on your site then check out this blog on manually uploading plugins that’ll help you upload a previous version of a plugin.

And that should be it! A pain free and easy update every time.

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