Installing a wampserver (Windows)

/0 Comments/in

A wamp server allows you to test web applications such as WordPress.
WordPress runs on PHP & MySql.

We take you through a few steps on how to set up an environment so that you can experiment with WordPress, or set up a website without having to do this on your hosting environment.

Some advantages of a WAMP environment:

  1. You don’t need any FTP software to put the files online
  2. It all works a lot faster
  3. A WAMP environment is complete with phpmyadmin

We set up the WAMP specifically to test security issues that we do not want to test on the server at the web host.
We also do this on a virtual machine, but that aside.

Download WAMP

We download the WAMP software at this website.
The installation is self-explanatory.

After installation you will still be able to choose which browser and text editor you prefer. We prefer to use Chrome and Notepad++

Using wamp

WampServer

Wamp opens after installation with a modest icon in the taskbar. Actually you don’t notice it and you’re waiting for a home screen 😉
With your left mouse button you click on the icon in your taskbar and then a menu appears that can give you a headache as a newcomer.

But don’t run away just yet! It’s simpler than it seems.

What you see

  1. Localhost
    This is the “web address” where your website can be found.
  2. Phpmyadmin
    This is a tool to manage your database.
  3. Admin
    Also a database management tool.
    Sidenote: Some claim that Adminer is better than Phpmyadmin.
  4. Your virtual hosts
    That is if you have multiple “websites”. I never use either.
  5. WWW Directory
    The folder where you will place WordPress.
  6. Apache
    That’s what PHP runs on, don’t change anything.
  7. PHP
    You can change the version of php, think 5.6, or 7.
  8. MySql
    Do nothing about it.
  9. MariaDB
    Do nothing about it.

As you can see, anything is possible, but you only use (1) the web address, (2) PhpMyadmin & (5) the www directory.

It is important that all services are on.
My virtual machine was missing some Microsoft components, which caused Missing DLL errors. I installed that Ge-Googled, downloaded the packages from Microsoft and then I was able to turn on the Apache, MySql and Wamp services.

Install WordPress on WAMP

Download WordPress and put it in WAMP
You download WordPress which you place in the www directory as mentioned in step 5 (From “what you see”). (Unzipped of course, since it will be downloaded as a zip)

Start phpmyadmin
You start phpmyadmin (See step 2 of “what you see”)

Then you get a username and password in front of you that makes you think: what do I have to enter there again?!
The internet is full of that question and the answer is:
User: root
Pass: empty, just leave blank. Leave blank.

Create a new database
After that, for convenience, you create a new database.

test database

Link WordPress to the database
Now you are going to link WordPress to the database so that WordPress will store all the data somewhere there.
To do this, go to your web browser and enter localhost as the url. (Or click on the Wamp icon and then on (1) localhost)

Then you will see the below screen,

database connectie

The data you enter
This is very different from online. Since this website is only visible on your computer, no passwords are required.
They set it up like this for convenience, you can’t lose the passwords that way and you don’t have to remember them all.

As you can see, the database name is the previously created name “test environment”. The username is “root” again.
Leave password field blank.
Leave hostname on localhost.
You can change the table prefix, this is wp_ by default but I have the habit of changing it to my liking. It doesn’t matter what prefix you put there. If only briefly.

You have your own test environment!

Now you have a test environment where you can test WordPress and plugins without slowing down the server. Without the need for FTP software!

Ps: If you go to localhost in your favorite browser, you will be the only one who can see the WordPress website.

Have fun 🙂Voorbeeld testomgeving

 

Uptime monitoring

/0 Comments/in , ,

Uptime monitoring is one of the ways we keep an eye on your website. It allows us to track whether the server hosting your website is stable and if your website is consistently accessible. If any issues arise, we are notified.

We also receive reports on the website’s uptime over the past months. These reports help us identify server time-outs, instances when the server was offline and the website was inaccessible, errors that rendered the website completely unavailable, and more.

There can be various reasons why a website may experience periods of inaccessibility, such as plugins, an overloaded server, or an unstable data network.

If we notice frequent occurrences of downtime, we can work towards resolving the issue or provide guidance on how to approach your web host.

We have been utilizing uptime monitoring for all our clients for many years.

With our Package 2, uptime assistance is included by default. If your website experiences downtime due to a server issue, we assist you by communicating with your web host or providing you with the necessary information to address the problem.

Uptime assistance and monitoring are services that we consider standard practice, especially for critical business websites and online stores.

What services do you get with a security package?

/0 Comments/in ,

Within our security package, we provide the following services:

1. Securing your website against hackers and malicious scripts.
2. Keeping your website up-to-date, including plugins, themes, and WordPress itself.
3. Continuously monitoring your website for security vulnerabilities.
4. Performing daily backups to ensure data integrity in case of server issues.
5. Monitoring your website’s status on security service lists.
6. Monitoring website speed, uptime, and log files.
7. Resolving issues that may arise during updates without disturbing you.
8. Restoring hacked websites if a controlled plugin or WordPress itself becomes compromised.

In summary, we handle everything related to the security of your website.

If any issues occur during an update, we will resolve them at no additional cost. Sometimes, certain plugins may no longer be compatible, a plugin developer may introduce a coding error, or server updates may cause problems. We usually discover these issues during post-update checks and resolve them without bothering you.

However, it’s important to note that we do not offer graphic design modifications or develop new features for your website. For such tasks, you would need a web designer or web agency.

Regarding service, we strive to provide as much assistance as possible within the security package. You can ask questions about your website’s functionality, request backup restoration or data recovery, request a staging environment for testing, ask us to coordinate with your web developer or provide information, seek guidance on hosting, and occasionally ask technical questions.

There are no additional costs beyond the fixed monthly fee. While some sites may require more work to ensure their security, we rarely, if ever, send extra invoices. We aim to keep it that way by focusing entirely on the security and updates of your website.

What is a one-page website?

/0 Comments/in

A one page website = a website with 1 page. That’s it, thanks for reading!

Explanation of a one page website

A one page website displays all the important information on a single page:

  1. Introduction to the company or product
  2. Key points
  3. Possibly a Showcase/Portfolio
  4. References/Reviews
  5. A contact form OR contact information

Sometimes a separate checkout page or contact page is added.

The pitfall of a one page website

A one page website presents all the important elements on a single page, which can sometimes make it lengthy and overwhelming.

How to make the one page website user-friendly and accessible for visitors

To make the page more organized, it is often helpful to use a navigation that directly takes you to the relevant section on the page. The page scrolls to the appropriate position.

pagina vershuift

How does linking to a section within the page work technically?

You assign an ID to the desired section on the page.
This can be a DIV or a HEADLINE: <div id=”about-us”> or <h2 id=”about-us”>
Then, you refer to the link like this: #about-us

Simple, isn’t it!?

The advantages of a one page website

  • Less content is needed
    In fact, it is recommended not to overcrowd the page with extensive blocks of information; instead, distribute the content across multiple pages.

The disadvantages of a one page website

  • Fewer pages in Google’s index
    With only one page, your visibility is reduced when people search for your company or product.
    This means that another website addressing the same topic with multiple pages will stand out more and appear directly below your first search result along with a few other results.
  • Less analytical tracking capability
    Since a visitor has no other pages to navigate to after the initial page (from an analytics perspective, they only exit the website), it becomes more challenging to track their interests, whether they wanted to learn more, or if they intended to contact you, etc.

Is creating a one page website easier than a regular website?

You might think that it is much easier and cheaper to create a one page website or have it built by a web developer.

However, that’s not the case. Setting up a website involves a few tasks:

+ Installing or configuring the website
+ Designing the theme
+ Implementing and formatting the content

Afterward, it’s not very difficult to add a few extra pages and distribute the text from the homepage across those pages!

You still need all the skills required for a regular website when creating a one page website! And the workload is almost the same.

Who is a one page website suitable for?

  • For companies or products with limited availableinformation

    or those that prefer to share only essential information.

  • For website owners who want an easy-to-maintain website with only one page.
  • For web developers who want to save one hour of work 😉
    Although it should be noted that creating a one page website also requires expertise; it’s just a different way of presenting information. But once you become proficient at it, it’s smooth sailing!

Also, remember that every website needs security, whether it has 1 or 10 pages. WordPress and its plugins require updates and security measures.
And that’s where we come in! After more than 10 years of experience, we excel in website security.
Contact us for any questions or secure and maintain your WordPress website now!

 

WordPress Updates – 10 things you need to know

/0 Comments/in , ,

The 10 Crucial Points About WordPress Updates You Should Know

Every owner of a WordPress website is familiar with it: the frequent notifications about new updates. Although they may seem annoying, WordPress updates are essential for the security and functionality of your website. In this article, we will discuss the ten most important things you need to know about WordPress updates.

Why are updates necessary?

WordPress is an open-source CMS, which means that developers from all over the world are constantly working on improvements. Updates often include important features, bug fixes, and security updates that help your website run smoother and safer.

Types of updates

There are three types of WordPress updates: core updates, theme updates, and plugin updates. Each type has its own specific characteristics and requirements.

WordPress core updates

Core updates involve changes to the basic code of WordPress. They can include new features, bug fixes, or address security issues. It is always recommended to perform these updates to keep your website secure and efficient.

WordPress core updates are developed by a large group of selected programmers from Automattic (the company behind WordPress) in collaboration with the active WordPress community.

WordPress updates undergo extensive testing and are released in three variants:

  1. Quick patches
    If a security vulnerability is discovered, they quickly create an update that fixes it. These quick patches can be developed in 1 day (or night) and in case of high risk, even forcefully implemented!
  2. Minor releases
    These are additions to the versions. On average, they include between 10 and 20 minor adjustments.
  3. Major releases
    Also known as major releases. These incorporate innovative improvements. For example, activating the Gutenberg editor to replace the Classic editor or introducing new menu structures.
    These versions occur relatively infrequently; at the time of writing, we are on WordPress 6+, which corresponds to 6 major releases.

Theme updates

Theme updates usually add new features, improve compatibility with the latest version of WordPress, and address any issues. Since themes play a significant role in how your site looks and functions, it’s important to perform these updates in a controlled manner.

For example, we create backups, screenshots, or even a staging test environment before applying theme updates.

Plugin updates

Plugins are modules that add additional functionality to your website. Plugin developers regularly release updates, sometimes even weekly, to fix compatibility issues, add new features, or address security vulnerabilities.

Now you understand that with 20 to 30 plugins and the weekly updates of some plugins, you may easily see 20+ updates within a week when you log in to your WordPress website.

Automatic updates

WordPress has the option to enable automatic updates for both the core, themes, and plugins.

While this can be convenient, it is also risky – and not recommended for large, high-traffic websites – as automatic updates can sometimes lead to

compatibility issues or conflicts between different components.

Updating process

When performing updates, it is crucial to follow a well-defined process. This involves creating backups, testing updates on a staging environment, and then applying them to the live site.

Following a systematic update process helps you identify and fix any issues before they affect your website’s performance or security.

Keeping track of updates

To stay on top of updates, you can monitor notifications in your WordPress dashboard, subscribe to newsletters or blogs that provide updates on WordPress news, or use monitoring tools that notify you when updates are available.

Regularly checking for updates and staying informed about the latest changes is crucial for maintaining a secure and optimized website.

Conclusion

WordPress updates are vital for the security and functionality of your website. By staying informed about updates and following a proper update process, you can ensure that your WordPress site remains secure, up-to-date, and optimized for the best performance.

Leave Updates, Security, and Maintenance to Us

At WP Security, we understand how crucial WordPress updates are for the security and functionality of your website. Here are some compelling reasons why you should consider engaging our services to manage security and updates:

  1. Time and Convenience
    Performing updates can be time-consuming, especially if you are not technically inclined. At WP Security, we have years of experience and dedicate ourselves to the security and updates of WordPress websites seven days a week. We are highly skilled in this process and can easily take care of it for you, freeing up your time for what truly matters: your business, your hobbies, and your leisure time.
  2. Security Requires Specialization
    The world of security is constantly evolving at a rapid pace. Hackers and hackbots from around the globe are constantly engaged in brute-force attempts to gain control of countless websites for selfish purposes such as black-hat SEO and the sale of shady products that yield substantial profits. We stay up to date with the latest security patches and updates, vulnerabilities, and techniques used by online criminals. This allows us to promptly, proactively, and effectively apply updates and security solutions to your website. Additionally, we possess tools to monitor WordPress websites, which is crucial for ensuring security.
  3. Troubleshooting
    In the event of problems arising during an update, we can quickly identify and resolve them. With our in-depth knowledge of WordPress, we can proficiently address most issues, roll back updates if necessary, and expertly resolve errors.
  4. Advice and Support
    We can guide you through the update processes and provide advice on best practices for your specific site. We can also offer guidance on specific plugins and features.

Of course, you are now interested and eager to engage our services to secure, maintain, and update your WordPress website!

Please contact us, and we will discuss the best options for your WordPress website!

What is WordPress?

/0 Comments/in

WordPress is a so-called CMS (Content Management System) that allows you to easily create a website. You can write pages and news items, add images and publish them on the worldwide web with a few mouse clicks.

Note that we are talking about the version of WordPress.org that you can install yourself on a server.
* We are not talking here about the rental version of wordpress.com

The WordPress community

The large WordPress community, or the large number of users communicating on forums about the use and operation of WordPress is the great strength behind WordPress.
Common questions and even more complicated ones are answered.

The free themes & Plug-ins

The large number of free themes (the layout of the website) and plug-ins allow you to expand the WordPress website in any way you want.
From webshop to forum, from video site to corporate website…. everything is possible.

WordPress through the years

WordPress was developed in 2013 and has continued to evolve, initially WordPress was used as a weblog, for blogging. Several large companies started using WordPress and after it became known that WordPress is so good to use they more and more companies started using WordPress to realize the corporate website.

Interesting developments

Over the years, Automattic – the company that created WordPress – has added many interesting developments to WordPress.

  1. A CSS Customizer
    This code editor allows you to make adjustments to the styling of your website and view them live while coding.
  2. Custom Fields
    Custom Fields allow you to deploy text fields, checkboxes, dropdowns and more in posts and pages.
  3. Youtube
    You can embed a link from Youtube in a post or page, wordpress will turn it into an embedded video itself. This also works with many other platforms.
  4. Theme preview If you want a new design, a different look using a new theme you can preview it without actually having to install the theme.
    You can thus preview multiple themes without having to turn your website upside down each time.

 

Some popular plug-ins for WordPress

The large number of free plug-ins has made WordPress the most popular CMS system in the world. Here are some plug-ins that are widely used.

  • WooCommerce – Transform your WordPress site into an online store with WooCommerce
  • Yoast SEO – Control how your website shows up in google
  • Contact form 7 – Add a contact form or quote form to your website.
  • Mailchimp – Collect email addresses and create newsletters
  • Loco translate – Translate your website for visitors

Securing your WordPress website

Your website can be seen from anywhere in the world, accessed as a person, hacker and with a hacking script.

Just as Windows has had several viruses over the years, so has WordPress (and especially its plugins), but squared as your website can be accessed OVERALL as mentioned, unlike a computer that can only be seen and used by you.

Therefore, it is important to secure your website with iThemes or WordFence.
Or another security plugin that can be found in the plugin list of WordPress Plugins.

The security of WordPress as a system

WordPress as a system is secure and is often provided with updates to ensure that security, and patches and security releases appear with great regularity. but as with Windows, the user and ignorance is the risk. And so WordPress security sometimes gets negative press.
Too many plugins, easily guessed passwords and failure to update in a timely manner create security problems.

Using WordPress as a webshop with the WooCommerce plugin

The WooCommerce plugin allows you to set up an excellent webshop. In fact, it’s pretty easy!

Tip: Read up before you get started, of course. Take the time to go through the installation steps.

WooCommerce is open source, free of charge. Several plugins or payment providers do cost monthly cents, by the way, but you decide which ones you want to use.

Creating a great business website with WordPress

There are technically little to no limits to using WordPress for large companies. You can effortlessly deploy hundreds of users, hundreds to thousands of pages, posts or products.

Just determine in advance exactly what you expect from the website when you set it up. Do research on what plug-ins you need. Check quietly that the code of different plug-ins does not clash.

Speed and SEO of WordPress

The speed of WordPress is good. WordPress runs on PHP and MySql, these are proven techniques that have been used more and more effectively over the years. Especially with php 7+, great advances have been made in website loading speed.

The code is light, and if needed you can even use 1 of the many caching plug-ins for an extra bit of speed. (Note: 1 caching plugin because multiple at once causes lag and problems)

For the SEO, you can use Yoast SEO. This allows you to set what meta description Google should show. If you do not use an SEO plugin, Google will take the title of a post and the first findable text of a page or post.

Conclusion WordPress

WordPress is versatile to use. But handle it properly. Secure your WordPress website against hackers and bots so you can enjoy it for a long time.

Elementor – is that still something?

/0 Comments/in , ,

Elementor is a so-called Page Builder. You create complete pages with it.

Yeah but, that’s what we have Gutenberg for, right? That comes standard in WordPress these days!
Well, Gutenberg came about in the 2020s, and elementor in 2016. You notice that tremendously, Elementor currently works even more pleasantly than the (meanwhile built into WordPress) Gutenberg editor.

Installing Elementor

You can simply find Elementor in the list of plugins from WordPress.org
Installing it is a piece of cake.

In your admin > Plugins > New plugins – Enter elementor in the search box. Click Install Now and then Activate.

elementor installeren

Using Elementor

Once activated, you can go to a page or post and start using the Elementor content builder.
– Click “Edit with Elementor” if the Elementor layout does not appear immediately.

elementor aanzetten

Drag and go!

If Elementor’s description is to be believed, it is a matter of dragging and dropping elements, modifying them and saving them.

elementor voorbeeld

Does elementor really work that easily? Um, YES!
This just works incredibly well and easily.
I have been using Elementor for no more than 10 minutes, and I get all the elements exactly the way I want them. Width, height, etc. Text in, image next to it. It works tremendously intuitively.

I’m a website nerd, keep in mind that you need to take some time to do it yourself if you don’t already have basic experience with page builders 🙂

Tip

If you want to put elements next to each other you first use a column.
It’s called an “inner Section” in Elementor.

columns in elementor

Conclusion – The elementor page builder, is it still something?

Yes, this works well. I must admit that I am positively surprised.

[press-graphic]I use this pagebuilder when a website requires a lot of customization, I’m used to this builder and can’t live without it. It’s just which one you started using first if you ask me[close-press-graphic].

If you have any tips or suggestions about the Elementor page builder – let me know in the comments below!

What is spam

/0 Comments/in

Spam is unwanted email that often has a commercial background, such as advertising products or services.

What makes an email spam is that you receive it without having signed up for the advertisement.

How does a “spammer” get your email address?

They are obtained by computers using scripts (also called BOTS) from websites that can be found on Google.

Place a contact form

It is advisable to use Contact form 7. With Contact form 7 you can place a contact form on your website.
The customer can send you a message that appears in your mailbox, without revealing your email address on the website.

Legislation on spam

It is legally required to provide recipients of advertising with the option to unsubscribe.
Therefore, you often find a link at the bottom of the email, in very small letters: unsubscribe here.

Be careful when unsubscribing, as they may use tricks.
Read carefully what it says, otherwise you may click on a sentence like:
Do you not want to receive email from third parties but do want to receive email from us? Click here…

Then you’re still stuck with it!

What WPbeveiligen does against spam

Of course, we are actively involved in making websites hack-free. Websites are often hacked to send spam!

We also offer hosting with the necessary spam filters so that you receive less spam.
We also have various manual options to prevent spam, such as setting filters based on domain name, email address, specific words, and more!

 

What is ChatGPT?

/0 Comments/in

ChatGPT is a database of information that you can access simply by chatting with it.
You ask a question and ChatGPT answers it.

Why should you use ChatGPT?

  1. ChatGPT answers your questions chat-style with Artificial Intelligence
  2. You can simply “communicate” in Dutch
  3. The chatbot gives you clear answers back in Dutch
  4. You have privacy – the conversations are not stored (according to OpenAI at the moment)
  5. You can continue to ask questions – you can supplement the questions and answers

Yeah but, I already have Google, right?

Google is of course the most well-known and best search engine for websites, but ChatGPT offers advantages that Google does not currently offer. See some points below.

ChatGPT Google
plusRemembers multiple questions & answers Remembers 1 question at a time
plusDoes not show advertising responses yet Displays advertising as first results
plusKeeps conversations anonymous Uses your search results commercially
plusUnderstands your questions through AI Does not yet use AI to help you
plusCannot yet be influenced like Google Can be influenced with SEO
plusCan correct data from you plusHas many more services such as maps
plusCan help you code Can’t correct code
Is not live, or up to date plusIs live, up-to-date with latest news etc.

Is ChatGPT that much better than Google?

Well, right now it offers many advantages that Google does not yet have. With that, ChatGPT can be a nice addition, a custom help want – custom answers.

[blok-vol-notif-red]Note: ChatGPT currently still answers based on information that is several months old, ChatGPT is NOT as up-to-date as Google[sluit-notif]

How to login your WordPress website

/0 Comments/in

Okay, so you have a new WordPress website and don’t know how to log in to your website! That can happen, fortunately, it’s very easy!

To log in to WordPress, do the following:

Type in your website address and add /admin to the end of the address.
example login

Then you will be taken to your login page where you enter your username or email address and then your password (after which you click on “log in”).
WordPress login page

Wasn’t that easy!

PRO TIP: Customize your WordPress login URL

Cyber criminals also know that /admin is the login address for every WordPress website.

But fortunately, you can easily customize the default login URL to a new address that prevents hackers from attempting to break into your website.

To do this, install the plugin: Change wp-admin login.

After installation, go to settings > permalinks > scroll down where you can enter a new address.
example of changing login address
PS: Write down the new address if necessary so that you don’t forget it!