Introduction
WordPress is one of the most versatile and powerful platforms for creating websites. Its ease of use, along with its extensive ecosystem of plugins and themes, makes it the ideal choice for beginners and advanced developers alike. However, that same flexibility can lead to mistakes that affect performance, security and user experience.
Over the years, we have helped many customers fix bugs that could have been avoided with proper planning. That’s why today we share with you the 5 most common mistakes when creating a WordPress website, and most importantly: how to avoid them from the beginning.
1. Not using a lightweight and optimized theme
It is tempting to choose a theme with spectacular animations, sliders everywhere and dozens of visual effects. But these themes often come with a lot of unnecessary code that slows down the site and negatively affects SEO and user experience.
How to avoid this:
Choose a lightweight, responsive and well-coded theme. Some recommended options are Astra, Hello Elementor or GeneratePress. And if you’re going to use a visual builder like Elementor, make sure the theme is optimized to integrate with it.
Also, always test the theme demo before installing it: check its loading speed, its adaptability on mobile devices and its ease of customization.
2. Installing too many plugins (or the wrong ones)
One of the great attractions of WordPress is its plugin library. But installing too many plugins, especially if they are of low quality, can generate conflicts, vulnerabilities or slow down the site.
How to avoid this:
Before installing a plugin, ask yourself: do I really need it? Check the plugin’s reputation, its compatibility with your WordPress version and when it was last updated.
Keep only the essential ones and avoid duplicating functions.
3. Not configuring permalinks correctly
Many new sites keep the default URL structure like tusitio.com/?p=123, which is not SEO or user friendly.
How to avoid this:
As soon as you install WordPress, go to Settings > Permalinks and select a post name-based or custom structure. This will make your URLs clearer and more search engine optimized.
4. Ignoring security from the start
When thinking about security, many believe that attacks only occur on large sites. But the reality is that poorly protected WordPress sites are easy targets for bots and automated scripts.
How to avoid this:
Change the default username, use strong passwords, install a trusted security plugin like Wordfence, and enable two-factor authentication. Also, keep WordPress, themes and plugins always up to date.
5. Not making regular backups
Can you imagine losing all the content of your website due to an error or a hack and not having a way to recover it? It is more common than it seems.
How to avoid this:
Install a backup plugin like All-in-One WP Migration. Schedule automatic backups and store them in the cloud (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.). This way you will have the peace of mind of being able to restore your site in case of emergency.
Bonus: Choosing a bad hosting service
This is a mistake that many overlook and ends up costing you dearly. A bad hosting can make your site load slow, have frequent crashes or even be more vulnerable to attacks.
How to avoid this:
Choose a hosting provider specialized in WordPress, with good technical support and optimized servers. Some good options are Hostinger, AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean, WP Engine.
A good hosting is not an expense, it is an investment in the stability and performance of your site.
Conclusion
Creating a WordPress website is simple, but keeping it professional, fast and secure requires attention to detail.
Avoiding these common mistakes from the beginning will not only save you time and headaches, but will also allow you to offer a better experience to your users and improve your online positioning.
