What is WordPress?

WordPress is essentially an open-source and best Content Management System that allows you to have your own website. It gives you access to a basic guideline to build your website off and also allows you to add various features and widgets.

Everything from an explosive blog to a large-scale e-commerce platform can be run on WordPress with the right web development team. That is why top WordPress development companies from all over the world come out with fresh new themes, features, widgets, and banners every year. The framework is extremely flexible and thereby allows you to have all sorts of content on your website with ease. This centralized system gives you absolute control over what you post, making it easier than ever before to manage your content.

Advantages of Using WordPress

• Free to Use– Most of the basic packs in WordPress are free, meaning that it is the best option if you are just starting out and trying to experiment with things. If you are a blogger who isn’t sure what to write about or a business owner who is trying to decide whether or not to have an online store, WordPress is the platform for you. It allows you to build your website completely free of cost. Invest in your website by having additional themes and features, only after you are sure where you’re going. This also comes as a blessing to cash-starved start-ups looking to expand their digital presence.

• Open-Source– Since the platform is open-source, anyone can access it and use it, meaning that there is a huge community supporting WordPress. This comes in handy as it leads to a large number of updates, and frequent bug fixes, which in turn, helps you maintain an updated and relevant website. WordPress development companies frequently come out with patches and updates that help in solving issues and adding new features. Furthermore, a large number of users ensure that every theme or plugin released is extensively tested, implying that it has fewer chances of being laden with bugs.

• Highly Intuitive– The WordPress interface is extremely beginner-friendly and intuitive, making it easier to use when compared to other Content Management Systems. The dashboard contains all the information you will need, and the interface being very user-friendly, encourages exploration. This means that you will take less time figuring out how to configure your website, giving you more time to focus on the content you will upload. Also, building a website using WordPress requires almost no coding experience, meaning that anyone can give it a go. Meanwhile, don’t let the simplicity of the interface fool you, because it has some powerful features built into it, which you can tap into once you gain experience.

• Variety of Themes– One of the biggest reasons people opt for WordPress is because of the large variety of plugins, themes, and widgets it offers. Constant updates come from all corners and bring along with it, additional features and functionalities. Some of these options are free as well, meaning you will need to pay close to nothing to have your website running. The drag and drop web builder allows you to test out various features and implement new themes with ease. While certain themes are extremely niche-specific, you also get access to themes that comes packed with useful plugins and widgets which can be used for a number of purposes.

• Easily Customization– With so many themes and plugins out there, it is easy to make your website stand out from the rest. You have the power to build extremely unique websites using WordPress due to the large number of options it provides. Pick and choose functionalities from different plugins to create a website that has all the features you will ever need, and do it within minutes using WordPress! Furthermore, the security features given by WordPress allow you to breathe a little better, as it makes your website robust and secure. Regular security updates, downloadable security pins, and plugins ensure that your website stays safe for all its users.

The post Why WordPress is a good platform for development of a website? appeared first on Xornor Technologies.

Why do you need Responsive Websites?

In 2016, almost 52.7 % of all internet users accessed the internet via their mobile devices. Studies show that this number will only grow further in the future. So what does this mean for the future of websites and WordPress development companies in India? Since more than half the population now prefer phones and tablets over desktops, your website needs to be able to adapt and display effectively on any screen size. Hence, WordPress development companies are shifting their focus onto building mobile-friendly designs which are highly responsive. Not only does this lead to better user experience, but it also helps in converting leads and furthering growth.

Furthermore, from 2015, Google’s search algorithm has been rewarding websites that are mobile-friendly and responsive. Therefore, if you have a highly responsive website, chances are that you will end up higher on Google’s rankings. This, in turn, leads to more viewers and visitors, helping you funnel your leads and convert them more efficiently. Luckily for you, if your WordPress site isn’t up to the mark when it comes to response, there are several methods to make it good to go. Here’s a look at some ways WordPress development companies help you make your website more responsive.

Test Yourself First

The very first step in building a responsive website is bench-marking your current design to know where you stand with regards to responsiveness. So go ahead and take a mobile-friendly test to understand your current level of responsiveness, and to figure out ways to improve your performance. While your website might look great on a device, you need to test it with multiple screen sizes to truly understand how responsive it is. Test it on every screen or mobile phone you have to ensure a good response. Also, to make things simpler you can use the free tool handed out by Google. All you need to do to test your website is to enter your URL and wait for your results. The quick assessment will tell you if your website is mobile-friendly or not. Once you know where you stand, let us start getting better.

Creating a Responsive WordPress Website- Theme 

If you are using a WordPress Theme built by any reputed WordPress development company, then chances are you are good to go. However, if you are using an old theme, there might be a reason to worry. Therefore, make sure you switch to a more updated theme to ensure maximum mobile optimization. Double-check both your WordPress and Theme version, and update them if needed. For instance, WordPress 4.4 added several functionalities that helped developers build responsive images. In case your updates don’t help, go for a different, newer theme that focuses on mobile-friendly services. Before you decide on any new theme, test the demo out on multiple devices and read as many reviews as possible.

Creating Your Own Responsive Theme

If you want to make your own mobile-friendly theme, then that’s a great option too. Remember to start out slow and really experiment before making any drastic changes. A great option would be to use Local and experiment to your heart’s content before finalizing your ideas. Local gives you the freedom to work with multiple options without actually tearing up your current website. Furthermore, this WordPress development tool allows you to create shareable URLs to test how your site looks on various devices. While designing, ask yourself how you want your images to scale, how the navigation bar needs to look and also what content your website needs to hide. Make use of media queries to set boundaries for your design, and think of every element individually before integrating it into the design.

Tips for Responsive Web Design

• Make use of responsive plug-ins as much as possible.
• Always ensure all your widgets and CTA buttons scale well on different screen sizes.
• In case you have a button that misbehaves, give an option to disable them while scaling up or down.
• Avoid pop-ups when it comes to mobile devices as they can be very annoying.
• Consider all the media you have on your website and strategist effectively, keeping in mind a responsive design.
• Hide certain elements if they do not scale properly. 
•  Make sure you keep track of your media size to ensure your pages load on time.
•  Use the smallest file size available, without compromising on quality.

The post How to make the best Responsive Website in WordPress? appeared first on Xornor Technologies.

What is WordPress Development?

WordPress Development is any activity that helps in the development of websites and blogs. This includes the creation, design, implementation, and maintenance of plugins, themes, portals, and other content. With over 25% of the world’s companies relying on WordPress to host their website, such development is seeing steady growth.

Why is WordPress so Popular?

• WordPress is Universal: As WordPress is a global, open-source project, millions of people and companies from around the world use, making it a universally acclaimed CMS. Therefore, your website will enjoy large-scale popularity and a strong community.
• Super Smooth: Since WordPress takes the user into consideration, it is very user-friendly and easy to use.
• Easy to Build: WordPress is easy to work on, making it easy for someone with even very little technical knowledge t set up shop on WP.
• Versatile: WP is a one of a kind platform that is extremely adaptable and flexible, making it possible for all kinds of websites to co-exist with ease.
• Reliable: WP is incredibly reliable, meaning your website stays online 24-7, free of bugs and in the most presentable way possible!

Why Do We Need a WordPress Development Company?

WordPress is by far the most popular CMS website, being a free platform which provides a ton of possibilities. It has become so very popular due to the fact that it is highly adaptable, flexible, reliable and scalable as a platform. Due to its high customisability, it is able to host almost any kind of website with ease. So if WordPress is so perfect, then why do we need a WordPress development company?

Well, WordPress runs on PHP, and some additional HTML, CSS, Javascript and MySQL. It integrates itself into web servers such as Apache, Microsoft IIS or Nginx. However, in some cases, the plug-ins that WordPress provides just doesn’t cut it. Or maybe, you want your website to be truly unique. In such cases, to build upon the CMS, add plugins and expand functionality, you need outside help. This is essentially what a WordPress development company does for you. Top WordPress development companies help you figure out exactly what you want your website to be, and then make that dream a reality.

What are the types of WordPress Developers?

You have two options when it comes to developers. You can either go for freelancers such as Upwork, Toptal and 99designs, or stick to a top WordPress development company. Usually, in most cases, if your company is big enough, it is better to hire a team from a top WordPress development company. This is so because such companies provide reliable service as they are responsible for your entire project. Furthermore, when you hire a team, they end up fixing all the problems without any delay. Also, since the team is part of a company, they will want to maintain their reputation. Therefore, in order to, retain their brand value, they will provide the best result at an affordable price.

Steps in WordPress Development

• Most top WordPress Development companies start by analyzing your objectives.
• Once they know exactly what you want, they try to understand your company’s vision, mission, and goals.
• Understanding why the website exists in the first place is key to designing and developing a good website.
• Following this, the team starts to think of ways to make your objectives a reality.
• They design plugins and the basic layout and start coding the same.
• The team then moves on to testing the various components, and re-design as and when necessary.
• They make sure that there are no bugs, interruptions or slow loading issues.
• Once all the trouble-shooting is done, they hand over your website to you.
• Following this, they keep a close watch on the website to ensure that nothing goes wrong. In case something does, they fix it on the spot, making it easier than ever before to run your website.

Services Provided by Top WordPress Development Companies in India

• Fully customizable designs so that every website is unique and special.
• Fully compliant websites that meet every W3C standard.
• Complete access to installation and configuration, so that you can utilize WP to the maximum extent.
• It provides mobile responsive websites, making it easier for you to drive traffic via phones.
• Fully customizable WP themes to give your business a boost.
• SEO-compliant websites to ensure organic traffic
• Flexible and scalable website designs that ensure maximum growth
• Boost the overall speed of your website to ensure faster loading speeds
• Handle all the trouble-shooting and bug-fixing.
• Prevent issues caused by malicious links, bloatware and spam links
• Highly customizable templates

The post What Does a Top WordPress Development Company do? appeared first on Xornor Technologies.

But again, since WordPress is an open source platform and has got the support of millions of developers, the solutions for these errors are already there.

Six Most Common WordPress Errors

1. Error Establishing a Database Connection: A database is the most important component of every website, as it contains all website related details, like the user information, posts, pages, etc. So, when this error is found, it becomes difficult for the website to run. The mentioned error is quite common in WordPress, and it occurs when the connection between the website and its database is lost.

Resolving the Error: The database error is mostly connected with the wp-config.php file of the website, located in the root directory. This file contains all the database related information, including the username and the password of the database.

Here you need to check those credentials as if they are correct or not. If not, simply replace the credentials with the correct ones and voila, you are good to go.

But if the error is still there, you need to activate WordPress’s automatic database optimization tool for resolving it. For that, just include the following line in the wp-config.php file:

define( ‘WP_ALLOW_REPAIR’, true );

After that, save the file and upload to the server. Then, you need to go to the following URL:

https://websiteurl.com/wp-admin/maint/repair.php

The URL will redirect to the screen shown in the image, where you need to press either of the buttons, and you will get rid of the error.

2. WordPress Parse or Syntax Error: Writing codes is quite a sensitive process, and here, if you even miss a bracket, the website can become a mess. The WordPress Parse or the Syntax error is the result of such missed brackets or a line of codes. Most commonly, the error is found in the function.php file as it is common to add the code snippet to this file after the pages are already created.

Resolving the Error: This error is the simplest to resolve, as when the error occurs on the browser, it even shows the number of the line where you have made the mistake and has originated this error. You just need to go to the mentioned file through the SFTP (say FileZilla) and correct the code in the file. Save the file and select ‘Yes’ when FileZilla will ask you if you want to replace the existing file or not.m

3. Internal Server Error: The internal server error, or the 500 error, is the most common one, but without having a particular reason. The known three reasons that may be causing this error includes exhausted PHP memory limit, functions of the used theme or the plugins, or a corrupted .htaccess.
Resolving the Error: The prime reason for the occurrence of the error can be the .htaaccess file. So, before trying with another reason, you need to access the .htaccess file.

Just go to the SFTP and rename the .htaccess file. After that, check the website, and if the error is resolved, create a new .htaccess file. For that, you need to go the WordPress admin dashboard, and from the Settings option click on Permalinks. On the screen without making any changes to the settings, just click on ‘Save Changes’, and the new .htaccess file is created.

If still there is the same error, do the following:

• Increase the Memory Limit: This is in the case of exhausted PHP memory. For this, you need to contact your host in order to increase the memory limit. After you get the permission, you will need to open the wp-config.php file and write the following code in it:

define( ‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ‘64’);

This way, you will be able to increase the memory limit to 64MB.

• Deactivate all the Plugins: The 500 error can also occur because of one of the plugins you have installed, as there is the possibility that any of those plugins are not compatible with the other plugins. For this, you need to deactivate all the plugins from the SFTP server. You need to go to wp-content, under which you will find the plugin folder. Rename the folder to deactivate all the plugins at once. After checking on the website as if it is working fine, you need to rename the folder back to plugins and re-activate all the plugins one-by-one. Now you will easily be able to find out which of the plugins was originating the conflict.

• Re-uploading Core Files: The WordPress core files include the wp-admin and wp-includes folder. You need to upload fresh wp-admin as well as the wp-includes folder and replace the old folders through the SFTP. To get fresh wp-admin and wp-include folders, you need to install the updated version of WordPress.

And if none of these methods would work, just contact your hosting provider.

4. 404 Page Not Found Error: This error mainly is caused by the permalinks. This error indicates that the server was not able to find the requested page. The prime reason for the error is the change in a particular permalink.

Resolving the Problem: If there is a change in the permalink, then you can simply change it back to the previous one or change the URL for the hyperlink.

If that too doesn’t resolve the problem, go the Permalinks option in the Settings under the WordPress admin panel. Here you just need to click on the ‘Save Changes’ button, and soon after, you will stop seeing this error.

Again if the problem is still not resolved with the above method, go to .htaccess file from the SFTP and change the permissions from 660 to 666 in the file. After that, you need to repeat the previous method, and this will surely remove the error.

5. White Screen of Death (WSoD): White Screen of Death or WsoD is the error when the website is all gone, and the browser is showing a white screen only (not even an error message over it). This error can be due to various reasons, including the exhausted memory limit or sometimes the plugin conflict.

Resolving the Error: The error can be removed by extending the PHP memory limit or plugin deactivation, through the methods discussed before. If the issue is not resolved, you can try resolving it by setting the default theme or by enabling the debug mode. Enabling the debug code helps in finding the right cause of the error.

To enable debug mode you need to go to the wp-config.php file and insert the following code in it:

define( ‘WP_DEBUG’, true);

6. Connection Timed Out: You might have seen this error a few times. The error occurs when the server is unable to establish a connection to your website. This mostly happens to the websites that use a shared server.

Resolving the Error: Resolving this error includes similar methods as of a few earlier discussed errors:

• Increase the memory limit.
• Deactivating all the plugins.
• Switching to the default theme.

So this was a summarised list of the errors that, being a WordPress website owner, you may face often. These errors do look frustrating but are simple to resolve with the discussed methods.

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The main highlight of the upgrade is the addition of Gutenberg to it, first released as a plugin for the purpose of testing. Although the Gutenberg plugin version, currently, has an average rating of 2.5/5 with 158 people rating it as one star, the big WordPress community was still waiting for its integration with WordPress 5.0 eagerly. Along with Gutenberg, WordPress 5.0 is comprised of the following new features:

Gutenberg: The new WordPress editor is an easy-to-use website building platform for media-rich pages and posts, that provides an interface very similar to page builders. Gutenberg is a block-based editor, providing the developers with content blocks, to create beautiful layouts. It has replaced the older text editor that had a text window to write the post, and add different media files, and shortcodes according to the need. Now, the users with even minimal knowledge or who are new to WordPress can easily insert, rearrange, and style multimedia content on WordPress, with the help of those blocks. Gutenberg also provides the developers with live HTML preview.

New Default Theme: Following the ritual, WordPress has again named its new based on the upcoming year, i.e., Twenty Nineteen. It is the new default theme for WordPress 5.0, which is highly responsive, created especially to work on different screens of different sizes. The theme is fully compatible with the new editor, and with the help of editor styles, the developers see the changes live, without going to a preview page. The theme is faster and provides better performance. In contrary, the previous themes have also been upgraded with improved responsive features.

Security Updates: For WordPress developers, security has always been a major concern. Hence, with the development of WordPress 5.0, they have also worked towards enhancing the security, to solidify the core of WordPress such that to avoid all type of hack attacks. The platform has also provided the hosting services which offer SSL certificates, two-factor-authentication, and application-level password protection.

Crop Background Image: WordPress 5.0 has also introduced a feature to crop the images before it goes live on the site. It will save a lot of time for the developers, as they do not have to use other software to crop the same image.

Reusable Blocks: WordPress, along with Gutenberg, has brought a range of default blocks and allows the developers to create custom blocks during the development. Those blocks once created, can be re-used, again and again, inside other posts and pages. The reusability of those blocks reduces the complexity and development efforts. WordPress also renders the modification of those block, at any time, according to the requirements, without actually going to every block, throughout the website. The changes may or may not reflect throughout the website, depending upon the customization options selected by the developer.

Along with the above features, WordPress 5.0, now is supporting the latest PHP 7.3 version. The usage of blocks in WordPress makes its older editor replaced by the totally gorgeous WYSIWYG editor. Gutenberg in WordPress 5.0 has brought the biggest change for the WordPress developers. But the developers must keep a backup before updating to WordPress 5.0, as there is no going back. After the upgrade the developers will have to use the Gutenberg editor, that may not be preferred by everyone, so WordPress has provided the developers with a plugin that enables them to use the older text editor. But the plugin will also be discontinued by 2021.

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Among the whole scenario, the question arises; a professional WordPress development team or a freelancer? The fact is that having wonderful frameworks and CMSs for a website development is not enough until you know some awesome website developers. And then, you get a choice between the freelancers and the professional WordPress development team, making the task even more difficult. Here are some simple points that can provide you with some evidence on how a professional team is better than a freelancer for your WordPress development needs:

Skills And Expertise: You must agree that a single freelancer cannot have all the skills and experience that a professional team possess. From design to development, they have all type of services available. There cannot be any loophole in the working of a team of professionals than a freelancer. The freelancer can lack many stints, ending in the delayed project and poor service.

Manageability: The team, as a whole, can accomplish even a difficult task with an ease. They have people for research, planning, designing, development, testing as well as maintenance. Moreover, a freelancer is alone responsible for the whole development life cycle, that he may not carry out, as efficiently as a professional team can.

Reliability: You can judge the reliability of the company, by the projects it has already delivered, to its clients. Yes, the freelancer can also provide you with the list of his previous work, but what can be more reliable than an established mortar and brick company. A freelancer, who might have a false name and can suddenly disappear, cannot earn the trust entirely. The workload can easily make the freelancer to just switch off on all the mediums of contact, and your project is hung in between. On the other hand, with a professional WordPress development company, you can deal with legalities, given you enough reason to trust them.

Meeting The Deadlines: A licensed team always start its work with a proper research and planning. The plan is executed by dividing the tasks between the specialists, along with a deadline. Every expert does the job on its own and in reduced time. But, in the case of a freelancer, the person is an individual, handling all the work, hence extending the time limit for the completion of the project. Also, in most of the cases, the freelancers, alone have failed to meet the deadlines, resulting in, the client bearing all the losses.

Support & Maintenance: As soon as the project is complete, you can’t expect to get further support from a freelancer. Although most of them try to provide the maintenance service, as they handle their own work alone, they are not able to cop-up for a long time. But, when you hire a professional WordPress development company, you get a proper clause on support and maintenance, in your contract. Those companies have their own team that does all the maintenance and provide you with the support. Hence, the support and maintenance are assured, even after the project is over.

Independent of Complexity: A freelancer might not possess all the skills you need. Also, for a single person to keep up with the changing technologies, can be a tedious job. But, when we go to a professional team, it involves the people belonging to different technologies, that are up to date with their skills. Also, for them, carrying out a job, that with a higher complexity is not a big thing as the work is completed in segments.

Privacy & Warranty: A contract with a professional WordPress development company also includes the warranty. It can be for six months or a year. But, isn’t it great to have an option to get all the issues fixed by the professionals, even after the project is over before you learn to handle it all your own? In the case of a freelancer, you are not sure if he will be available even for your next project, after, the delivery of your first project. Also, your project needs all the privacy and data protection, which is the biggest priority for a professional team. They understand the consequences of a data breach and focus on the data security completely.

Overall Cost: It is obvious that hiring a professional WordPress development team will cost you higher than a freelancer, any day. But, spending money on a reliable team is worth the price. You are provided with better customer service and the work is always on time. But, when you are spending money on a freelancer, even if it costs lesser, it cannot match the level of the services provided by a professional team. The higher expenditure on a professional development company pays off in a long run.

The above discussion may have given a hint of whom to choose over whom, but in the end, it all depends on your own choice. Hiring a professional development team or a freelance developer can be a pain, but keeping all those points in mind, you can make your decision.

Xornor is a professional WordPress development company, that is experienced and skilled enough to help you out with your website development needs. If you have made your mind to choose a WordPress development team, for your next project, you can reach out to us and get a quote.

The post Why it is better to choose a WordPress development company over a freelancer? appeared first on Xornor Technologies.