Wordpress FAQs

For sites built by Foremost Media, we use Divi or Elementor builders to populate the site. To see what those builder are like, you can view tutorials available in our support information.

In the Dashboard, go to Appearance>Menus. You can then search for the new page in the left-hand pages box, click the checkbox next to the page name and click the "Add to Menu" button. Then select the new item and drag it into the desired position in the menu. Note: your site may have multiple menus, check the structure before proceeding with adding the new page to ensure you're modifying the right menu.

We do automatically update Wordpress on the site we host to keep current with the latest security updates. Plugins and themes are not auto-updated because conflicts could occur and cause the website to lose functionality or break in appearance. We recommend to perform these updates manually to limit the possibility of a conflict occurring without notice. We do offer Wordpress Maintenance agreements where you purchase a block of time that is used each month to upgrade the plugins and theme. During this process, the site is checked for errors and conflicts and they are resolved. If this is something you're interested in, contact our Support team.

In Wordpress, you need to specify where your blog posts should display. This is usually a matter of setting the page you want them to display on in the Homepage settings. Create a new page you want them to display on. Select that page in the theme settings (Appearance>Customize>Homepage Settings). Then add your new page to the menu. If this is something you'd like us to handle for you, contact our Support team.

When logged in on your site, go to Media in the Dashboard and select "Add New". From there you can upload files by browsing your computer or drop the file into the upload field.

Yes. The most commonly used e-commerce plugin for Wordpress is WooCommerce. There are also other options such as Shopify buttons for example. If you're interested in adding e-commerce functionality to your Wordpress site, contact our Support team and they can assist you with finding the right solution to fit your needs.

WordPress is a popular and versatile content management system (CMS) that powers millions of websites worldwide. It's an excellent choice for creating and managing websites for several reasons:

User-Friendly: WordPress is known for its user-friendly interface, making it accessible to both beginners and experienced users. You don't need advanced technical skills to navigate and manage your website.

Customization: WordPress offers a wide range of themes and plugins that allow you to customize your website's design and functionality to suit your specific needs. Whether you're building a blog, e-commerce site, portfolio, or business website, there's a theme or plugin for you.

SEO-Friendly: WordPress is designed with search engine optimization (SEO) in mind. It provides features like customizable permalinks, SEO plugins (e.g., Yoast SEO), and clean code, making it easier for search engines to crawl and index your site.

Content Management: WordPress excels at managing content. You can easily create, edit, and organize your pages, posts, and media. Its built-in editor offers a word processor-like experience.

Scalability: WordPress can grow with your website's needs. You can start with a small blog and expand it into a full-fledged e-commerce site or a large corporate website.

Active Community: WordPress has a vast and active community of developers, designers, and users who contribute to its ongoing development. This means constant updates, security enhancements, and a wealth of resources for troubleshooting and learning.

Mobile Responsiveness: Most WordPress themes are mobile-responsive by default, ensuring your site looks great and functions well on various devices, including smartphones and tablets.

Blogging Capabilities: WordPress was initially created as a blogging platform, so it excels at managing blogs. It offers features like categories, tags, commenting systems, and RSS feeds.

Cost-Effective: WordPress is open-source software, which means it's free to use and comes with no licensing fees. You only need to pay for hosting and any premium themes or plugins you choose to use.

Ecosystem: With a vast ecosystem of themes and plugins, you can extend the functionality of your website easily. Whether you need e-commerce features, social media integration, or advanced SEO tools, there's likely a plugin available to meet your requirements.

In summary, WordPress is a versatile, user-friendly, and powerful platform for building and managing websites. Its flexibility, scalability, and active community make it an ideal choice for individuals, businesses, and organizations looking to create an online presence.

.

In the Dashboard, go to Appearance>Menus. You can then search for the new page in the left-hand pages box, click the checkbox next to the page name and click the "Add to Menu" button. Then select the new item and drag it into the desired position in the menu. Note: your site may have multiple menus, check the structure before proceeding with adding the new page to ensure you're modifying the right menu.

If you forget your WordPress login credentials, there are several steps you can take to recover access to your website:

Reset Password via Email:

• On the WordPress login page, click on the "Lost your password?" or "Forgot your password?" link.
• You will be prompted to enter your username or email address associated with your WordPress account.
• After submitting your username or email, WordPress will send you an email with a link to reset your password. Check your inbox, including the spam folder, if you don't see the email in your primary inbox.

Reset Password via phpMyAdmin (Advanced):

• If the email method doesn't work, you can reset your password directly in the WordPress database using phpMyAdmin (advanced users only). This method involves accessing your website's database, so proceed with caution.
• Log in to your web hosting control panel and access phpMyAdmin.
• Select your WordPress database from the left sidebar.
• Locate the "wp_users" table (the table prefix "wp_" may vary depending on your WordPress installation).
• Find your username and click on "Edit" (usually represented by a pencil icon).
• In the "user_pass" field, enter a new password. Make sure to select the MD5 or SHA-256 hash function from the drop-down menu.
• Click "Go" or "Save" to update the password.
• You should now be able to log in with your new password.

Contact Your Hosting Provider (If Applicable):

• If you are hosting your website with Foremost Media, you can contact our support team for assistance in recovering your login credentials. We can guide you through the process or take the necessary steps to help you regain access to your WordPress site.

Use a Password Manager:

• To prevent future login issues, consider using a password manager to securely store and manage your WordPress login credentials. Password managers can generate and remember complex passwords, reducing the chances of forgetting them.

It's crucial to keep your WordPress login credentials secure and updated regularly to enhance the security of your website. Additionally, consider setting up multiple administrative users with different roles and permissions to avoid complete lockout in case of login issues.

Optimizing images in WordPress is essential for improving website performance, user experience, and SEO. Here are some best practices for image optimization in WordPress:

Choose the Right Image Format:

• Use appropriate image formats. JPEG is ideal for photographs and images with many colors, while PNG is suitable for images with transparency (e.g., logos). Use WebP for even better compression and faster loading times if supported by your server.

Resize Images Before Uploading:

• Resize images to the dimensions needed on your website. Avoid uploading oversized images and relying on HTML/CSS to resize them. This reduces the file size and ensures faster loading times.

Compress Images:

• Use image compression plugins like "Smush" or "Imagify" to automatically compress images without compromising quality. These plugins can reduce file sizes significantly.

Enable Lazy Loading:

• Enable lazy loading for images. Lazy loading delays the loading of images until they are visible in the user's viewport, reducing initial page load times.

Optimize Alt Text:

• Add descriptive and keyword-rich alt text to all images. Alt text not only improves accessibility but also helps search engines understand the content of the image.

Choose the Right File Names:

• Use descriptive file names for your images instead of generic ones like "image123.jpg." Include keywords related to the image content.

Utilize Image Titles and Captions:

• When appropriate, add titles and captions to your images. Titles can provide additional context, and captions are displayed below the image.

Set Image Dimensions:

• Specify image dimensions in HTML or via CSS. This ensures that the browser can allocate space for the image while it's loading, preventing layout shifts.

Optimize Thumbnail Sizes:

• WordPress generates multiple image sizes (thumbnails) for different uses. Ensure that you optimize these thumbnail sizes to reduce unnecessary server load.

Minimize HTTP Requests:

• Limit the number of images on a page. Too many images can increase the number of HTTP requests and slow down your site.

Implement Responsive Images:

• Use responsive design techniques to serve different image sizes to different devices and screen resolutions. The "srcset" attribute in HTML can help with this.

Use Lazy Loading Plugins:

• Consider using lazy loading plugins like "Lazy Load by WP Rocket" or "A3 Lazy Load" to implement lazy loading functionality easily.

Regularly Audit and Optimize:

• Periodically review your website's images and optimize any new images you add. Image optimization should be an ongoing practice.

Leverage Browser Caching:

Configure your server to leverage browser caching for images. This allows returning visitors to load images faster as the images are cached in their browsers.  If you are hosting with Foremost Media, our Wordpress Hosting can help with this

By following these best practices, you can ensure that your WordPress website loads quickly, provides an excellent user experience, and ranks better in search engine results. Image optimization is a crucial aspect of website performance and should not be overlooked.

Yes, WordPress allows you to add multiple users or authors to your website with varying roles and capabilities. Here's how you can do it:

Administrator: Administrators have full control over the website. They can add, edit, or delete posts and pages, install plugins and themes, manage users, and make changes to the site's settings. There can be multiple administrators, but be cautious about assigning this role to too many users to maintain security.

1. Editor: Editors can create, edit, publish, and delete their own posts, as well as posts created by other users. They have control over content but cannot make changes to the website's settings or install plugins or themes.
2. Author: Authors can write, edit, and publish their own posts. They do not have control over other users' posts or the site's settings. This role is suitable for guest bloggers or individual contributors.
3. Contributor: Contributors can write and edit their own posts, but they cannot publish them. Instead, their posts must be submitted for review by an editor or administrator. This role is often used for guest authors or writers who need approval before their content goes live.
4. Subscriber: Subscribers have the least privileges. They can only manage their profiles, including changing their passwords and email addresses. This role is typically for site visitors who want to receive updates or access restricted content.

To add multiple users or authors to your WordPress site, follow these steps:

1. Login as an Administrator: You need to have administrator privileges to add users.
2. Go to the Users Section: In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to "Users" on the left-hand menu.
3. Click "Add New": On the Users page, click the "Add New" button at the top.
4. Fill in User Details: Enter the user's details, including username, email address, first and last name, and their role. You can also generate a strong password or allow the user to set their password.
5. Send Invitation: If you want the user to set their password, check the box that says "Send User Notification." This will send an email to the user with instructions on how to set their password.
6. Click "Add New User": Finally, click the "Add New User" button to create the user account.

Users will receive an email with their login credentials and a link to set their password if you chose to send them an invitation. They can then log in and start contributing to your WordPress website according to their assigned role.

If you encounter technical issues on your WordPress site, first contact Foremost Media support for assistance. Additionally, you can try the following steps:

1. Identify the issue.
2. Check for recent changes.
3. Deactivate recently added plugins.
4. Switch to a default theme.
5. Review error messages.
6. Clear browser cache.
7. Ensure server resources.
8. Consult online resources.
9. Backup your site.

For a prompt resolution, contact our support team for help.

.

To enhance the security of your WordPress site, consider implementing these essential practices. First and foremost, ensure that you regularly update WordPress itself, along with your themes and plugins. This step is crucial as updates often include security patches that help protect your site from vulnerabilities. Additionally, it's vital to use strong, unique passwords for your WordPress accounts and encourage the same for your users.

For an added layer of security, think about installing a reputable security plugin like Wordfence or Sucuri. These plugins offer features such as firewall protection and real-time threat monitoring.

If you're hosting your Wordpress site with Foremost Media, rest assured that we actively monitor for outdated plugins and provide security measures at the server level, further safeguarding your site. In addition, it's a good practice to enable a firewall to block malicious traffic and have a disaster recovery plan in place, including regular backups of your site's data. This ensures that you can quickly restore your site to a functional state in case of unexpected issues or security breaches. Lastly, consider limiting login attempts to deter brute force attacks and monitor user activity and file changes to quickly identify and address any suspicious or unauthorized actions on your site, ensuring its overall security and integrity.

In the Dashboard, go to Appearance>Menus. You can then search for the new page in the left-hand pages box, click the checkbox next to the page name and click the "Add to Menu" button. Then select the new item and drag it into the desired position in the menu. Note: your site may have multiple menus, check the structure before proceeding with adding the new page to ensure you're modifying the right menu.

Enhancing the performance and speed of your WordPress site is crucial for a positive user experience and SEO rankings. Here are some best practices:

1. Optimize Images: Compress and resize images before uploading them to your site. You can also use image optimization plugins to automatically reduce image file sizes.
2. Use a Caching Plugin: Install a caching plugin like WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache. Caching plugins create static versions of your pages, reducing server load and speeding up page loading times.
3. Choose a Fast Hosting Provider: Select a reliable hosting provider known for its speed and performance. If you're hosting with us at Foremost Media, rest assured that our managed WordPress hosting service optimizes your site's server environment for speed and reliability.
4. Minimize Plugins: Limit the number of plugins you use, as each one can slow down your site. Delete unnecessary plugins and choose lightweight alternatives when possible.
5. Enable Browser Caching: Configure your site to leverage browser caching, allowing visitors to load cached resources from their browsers, reducing load times for returning visitors.
6. Optimize Code: Keep your WordPress and theme code clean and efficient. Remove unnecessary code, comments, and white spaces.
7. Regular Updates: Ensure that WordPress, themes, and plugins are up to date, as updates often include performance improvements.
8. Contact Us for Expert Help: If your site's performance issues persist or if you need expert guidance, don't hesitate to contact us at Foremost Media. Our team of experts can diagnose and address performance-related issues to ensure your WordPress site runs at its best.

By implementing these strategies, you can significantly enhance your WordPress site's performance and provide a faster, more responsive experience for your visitors. And if you're hosting with Foremost Media, know that we monitor and optimize your hosting environment for top performance.

In WordPress, "posts" are typically used for regularly updated content like blog articles. They are organized by categories and tags and often appear in reverse chronological order on your site. "Pages" are used for static content like About Us or Contact pages. They don't have categories or tags and are not ordered by date.