Lots of articles online discuss the ‘sexy’ side of development, such as coding strategies, framework choices, and other ‘fun’ elements. The more practical side of planning and developing WordPress solutions is less on display, although it can be just as interesting (and is absolutely vital). For example, honing and refining an idea into a laser-focused concept can often be very rewarding – especially when you discover how much this can benefit your actual coding. In addition, while many of the rote tasks involved in plugin development can seem unnecessary at first glance, putting in the work upfront can result in […]

Icon fonts can be a very useful tool for WordPress sites. They allow you to add symbols and images to your website without slowing it down. That and other reasons are why icon fonts have become popular in recent years. If you are not sure about this topic, this blog post is here to help you out. In it, you will learn what icon fonts are and why it’s a good idea to use them. After that, you will get step-by-step instructions on how to add icon fonts to your WordPress site, both manually and via plugins. Sounds good? Then […]

The new WordPress block-based editor Gutenberg is coming to the WordPress soon. While no one has yet defined where Gutenberg will next be used, its been well architected for reuse, which is great, because plugin developers can now use these components in other interfaces, in the WordPress admin and beyond. Because the Gutenberg team is currently moving a lot of the code that is most likely to be reused into npm modules, this makes it very simple to reuse the Gutenberg components in a React app, even if it isn’t in WordPress. That’s not the only way to import Gutenberg […]

It is common practice for developers to work on several servers or tiers in order to test their work and make sure code is ready to deploy without introducing errors on a live production environment. WP Engine features multiple environments per WordPress installation and provides a multi-tiered workflow. It is possible for developers to work on a separate development site until code is ready to be shared with a client. The finished code can then be pushed to staging for customer approval. Once the customer signs off, it is possible to push the code live in the WP Engine User […]

Deciding how your business will turn interested leads into paying customers can be tough, and the answer is almost always unique to your services and goals. As a self-employed developer, it can be even more challenging. However, you can’t ignore the importance of working on and perfecting your business’ sales funnel. Knowing how your sales funnel operates is vital for winning new work. Fortunately, the first step on that path can greatly simplify the rest of the process. If handled correctly, the point at which curious visitors first contact you looking for help can be the perfect opportunity to set […]

Of all the web platforms available today, WordPress is one of the fastest and easiest tools for creating a functional website in minutes. All you have to do is install the CMS and start adjusting your look to fit your needs. It plays a key role in the effectiveness of your Internet marketing and the overall growth of your business. Websites created through WordPress are effective and interesting marketing tools. Usually, this is a predefined free website that companies of all scale mark their web presence by enabling them to display varieties of products they sell and the services they […]

As a marketer or blogger, one of the most important factors to your success is how well you understand your target audience. They have all this data and metrics that give them data on their audience. They don’t, however, truly know their target audience. They don’t know what makes them tick. They don’t know what motivates them to go to their pages and read their content and that is where they really miss the mark. Your first realization should be that your audience is made up of actual human beings with all the dimensions that come with the human experience. […]

So far in my series of posts on React development for WordPress, I’ve covered React basics, create-react-app and testing with Jest. Jest is useful for testing the rendering of React components. There are a few big buckets of functionality we have not looked at testing yet. Specifically how the internal state of stateful component changes, DOM events, and isolated testing of component class methods. Jest alone can’t do that. Using Enzyme For DOM Testing I hope it’s clear now how Jest, with the default test renderer, can do a lot of test coverage quickly. A snapshot covers one component, with […]

At WordCamp Europe this year, Automattician John Maeda, shared his idea for the Automattic Design Awards. The crowd cheered and thus the idea was born. Maeda teamed up with Simon Cooke from Pragmatic shortly to create a way to recognize amazing designs made with WordPress. Maeda and Cooke gathered a jury of digital agency and design leaders in the community to find the best designs out there. The team is looking for developer-led design projects that highlight accessibility. Not only from the front-end UX side but also in the backgrounds of entrees. Deadline to enter is November 16, 2018 at 23:00 […]

It’s tempting to think that once a project has been delivered, the relationship with your client is over. However, nothing could be further from the truth. If you don’t incorporate a post-project ‘customer aftercare‘ phase, you could end up facing ongoing and constant support requests for the smallest of queries. Fortunately, creating a solid process for weaning the client off your support is relatively straightforward. Of course, you don’t want to sever ties completely (especially if there is still a warranted need for your services).  Still, helping the client become self-sufficient is good practice for both parties. In this post, […]