Top 9 WordPress Mistakes Business Owners Make (That We Fix Regularly)

WordPress is an incredibly powerful tool for building websites, which is why millions of business owners rely on it for their online presence. However, the ease of use can sometimes lead to overlooked details and poor practices that impact performance, security, and growth. As a WordPress maintenance service provider, we’ve seen the same mistakes repeated over and over again—many of which are easy to prevent or fix with the right know-how.

Below are the top 9 WordPress mistakes business owners make—and how we routinely fix them.

1. Ignoring Regular Updates

The Mistake:
Many business owners skip updating WordPress core, themes, and plugins due to fear of “breaking something” or simply not knowing it’s necessary.

Why It Matters:
Outdated software is the #1 reason WordPress sites get hacked. Updates not only add new features but also fix known security vulnerabilities and compatibility issues.

How We Fix It:
We schedule regular, automated updates with version control and backups. If anything goes wrong, we can immediately roll back to a stable version without data loss.

2. Using Too Many Plugins

The Mistake:
Installing dozens of plugins to add features without considering performance or compatibility.

Why It Matters:
Too many plugins can bloat your website, slow down page load times, and create conflicts. Even worse, abandoned or poorly coded plugins can be security risks.

How We Fix It:
We audit all plugins, remove unnecessary or redundant ones, and consolidate functionality where possible—often replacing several plugins with a single, better-coded solution.

3. Choosing a Low-Quality Hosting Provider

The Mistake:
Opting for the cheapest hosting plan available without considering uptime, support, or scalability.

Why It Matters:
Low-quality hosting leads to slower site speeds, poor security, and frequent downtime—which negatively affects SEO and user trust.

How We Fix It:
We offer complimentary Litespeed server based hosting with our maintenance plans.  Our hosting is WordPress-optimized focused on  improving speed, stability, and security.

4. Neglecting Backups

The Mistake:
Assuming the host takes care of backups or forgetting to set up any backups at all.

Why It Matters:
If your site is hacked, crashes, or data is lost, you could lose everything without a backup. Even one day of downtime can impact sales and customer trust.

How We Fix It:
We implement automated, daily backups stored securely offsite. We also test restoration procedures so that we can recover your site quickly when needed.

5. Not Securing the Admin Area

The Mistake:
Using the default login URL (/wp-admin), weak passwords, or even “admin” as the username.

Why It Matters:
These habits make brute-force attacks easier. Hackers target these common entry points to gain control of your site.

How We Fix It:
We harden WordPress admin security by changing login URLs, enforcing strong passwords, enabling two-factor authentication (2FA), and using login attempt limiters and firewalls.

6. Overlooking Performance Optimization

The Mistake:
Focusing only on design and content while ignoring the site’s loading speed, image sizes, or caching.

Why It Matters:
Slow websites frustrate visitors and increase bounce rates. Even a few seconds of delay can significantly affect user experience and lead conversions. Google also considers speed as a ranking factor, and slow sites can get penalized—even if you’re not actively doing SEO.

How We Fix It:
We optimize performance by enabling server-side or plugin-based caching (like LiteSpeed Cache or WP Rocket), compressing and lazy-loading images, minimizing CSS/JS files, and cleaning up unnecessary database bloat. This results in faster load times, better user retention, and fewer support issues.

7. Using a Poorly Coded Theme

The Mistake:
Choosing a bloated or outdated theme because it “looks nice” without considering performance or support.

Why It Matters:
Heavy themes slow your site down and often contain outdated or insecure code. Some themes are no longer maintained, posing a long-term risk.

How We Fix It:
When clients are running outdated themes, we provide recommendations on how to switch them to a modern, lightweight, and well-supported theme that’s optimized for performance and compatibility.

8. Lack of Analytics and Tracking

The Mistake:
Not installing Google Analytics or tracking conversions and goals.

Why It Matters:
Without analytics, you’re flying blind. You don’t know what’s working, where your traffic comes from, or how visitors behave on your site.

How We Fix It:
We help clients set up Google Analytics 4, integrate it with Google Search Console, and configure goals, events, and conversion tracking to provide actionable insights.

9. No Ongoing Maintenance Plan

The Mistake:
Building the site and then forgetting about it—or only checking in when something breaks.

Why It Matters:
WordPress is not a “set it and forget it” platform. Without regular care, performance, security, and user experience all decline over time.

How We Fix It:
We offer ongoing WordPress maintenance plans that include updates, backups, uptime monitoring, performance optimization, security scans, and support—all tailored to your business.

Final Thoughts

Most of the WordPress issues we fix are completely preventable. Unfortunately, many business owners either don’t have the time, the expertise, or the awareness to manage these technical aspects on their own—and that’s okay. That’s exactly why we offer professional WordPress maintenance services.

By proactively addressing these top 10 mistakes, we help our clients run faster, safer, and more effective websites that support their business goals, not hinder them.

Need help fixing or avoiding these WordPress issues?
Let us take care of your website so you can focus on growing your business. Contact us today to learn more about our maintenance and support plans.