5 free ways to bulletproof your wordpress site wordcamp seattle 2009 ignite presentation

5 Free Ways to Bulletproof Your 5 Free Ways to Bulletproof Your WordPress SiteWordPress Site

● What Does Bulletproof Mean to Me?● Usable● Accessible ● Secure● Provides a satisfying user experience

– For Your Users

– For You

5 Free Ways to Bulletproof Your 5 Free Ways to Bulletproof Your WordPress SiteWordPress Site

1. Backup and Maintain

2. Beef Up Security

3. Speed it Up

4. Use the Firefox Web Dev Toolbar

5. Improve Search for Usability

#1 - Backup & Maintain#1 - Backup & Maintain

● Backup Regularly● Backup themes, plugins & databases

● Know your Host's backup policies and tools● Use plugins to make database backup easy

● WP DB Manager– http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-dbmanager/

● WP DB Backup– http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-db-backup/

#1 Backup & Maintain#1 Backup & Maintain

● Have your site regularly backup your database and email a copy to you.

● Automatic database optimization.

#2 - Beef Up Security#2 - Beef Up Security

● A Stitch in Time . . . to save your behind● Use the secret key in your wp_config.php● Read ”Hardening WordPress”

– http://codex.wordpress.org/Hardening_WordPress● Use SSL for admin pages

– http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/admin-ssl-secure-admin/

● Use WP Security Scan to audit your site– http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-security-scan/

#2 - Beef Up Security#2 - Beef Up Security

● WP Security scans for common security exploits● Gives easy advice and tools to improve security.

WP Security Scan http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-security-scan/

#3 – Speed it Up#3 – Speed it Up

● Be Prepared for Traffic● Have a good hosting infrastructure● Tailor images and code for use on web● Reduce server requests● Offload media to other domains● Use plugins judiciously● Enable caching plugin like WP Super Cache

#3 – Speed it Up#3 – Speed it Up

Test your site's speed● Yahoo's YSlow Plugin

http://developer.yahoo.com/yslow/

● Google Page Speedhttp://code.google.com/speed/page-

speed/

#4 – Use Firefox Web Dev Toolbar#4 – Use Firefox Web Dev Toolbar

● It's wonderful for:● Development – write CSS & HTML and see the

effects in real time.● Troubleshooting – can't figure out why things

aren't working? ● Testing – test for common usability and

accessibility concerns.

#4 – Firefox Web Developer Toolbar#4 – Firefox Web Developer ToolbarDevelopmentDevelopment

● Change CSS & HTML and see instant results● Locate troublesome layout issues (Firebug too!)

#4 – Firefox Web Developer Toolbar#4 – Firefox Web Developer ToolbarTroubleshoot & Test Troubleshoot & Test

● Validate HTML / CSS● Tools/Validate HTML● Tools/Validate CSS● Clean code is poetry

#4 – Firefox Web Developer Toolbar#4 – Firefox Web Developer ToolbarTestingTesting

● Disable CSS● This is near what a

search engine or screen reader 'sees'

● Can you still get around and does the page make sense?

● Good, semantic markup helps users and search engines.

#4 – Firefox Web Developer Toolbar#4 – Firefox Web Developer ToolbarTestingTesting

● Disable Images● Can you still navigate and make sense of site?● Is your branding visible?

#4 – Firefox Web Developer Toolbar#4 – Firefox Web Developer ToolbarTestTest

● Disable JavaScript● Does your site

degrade gracefully?● Is there an alternate

version or message?● Can you navigate?● Do forms and

behaviors still work?

#4 – Firefox Web Developer Toolbar#4 – Firefox Web Developer ToolbarTestingTesting

● Validate WAI / 508 Accessibility● Shows major

accessibility issues● Links to usability

checkpoint definitions● Not perfect, but a

great start

#5 - Improving Search#5 - Improving Search

● Better Search means Better Usability & Accessibility

● As sites grow, search becomes more critical● WordPress Search was created for blogs

● Search results are in reverse-chronological order● WordPress shows "default" excerpts, not most

pertinent excerpt

● Can't easily perform category or tag-specific searches

#5 - Improving Search#5 - Improving Search

● Finds matches● Reverse chronological

order– Okay for blogs– Not so, for business

● Not most relevant● No highlighting● When content grows,

search doesn't improve?

●Search for 'hosting' with WordPress

#5 - Improving Search#5 - Improving Search

● Relevanssi - A search plugin by Mikko Saari ● http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/relevanssi/

● Results sorted by relevance● Include only posts, only pages or both● Index comments, tags and custom fields● Expand shortcodes before indexing● Highlighted search terms in results● Search term logging● Limit results to certain categories or tags.

#5 - Improving Search#5 - Improving Search

● Highlighted search terms● More relevant results

presented first● Pass category / tag ID(s)

to focus search ● As content grows, search

gets better

●Search for 'hosting' with Relevanssi

The WrapThe Wrap

Eric Amundson● Personal Blog

● sewmyheadon.com● @sewmyheadon

● Business Site● www.ivycat.com● @ivycatweb

Holler at me if you have any questions!