Tips Tuesday – Update WP 5.3, Gutenberg and Page Builders, NameHero is #1

Hello Happy Site Owners and Webmasters!

Tips this week include:

• BlogAid courses are on sale for the holidays, as is hosting
• The super fun I’m having with creating snazzy Gutenberg page templates and when they’ll hit the course
• How to update to WordPress 5.3 and the special order you need to do things
• What you need to delete after updating to WordPress 5.3
• The progress reported on Gutenberg as a full theme builder
• My test results for the GetWid Gutenberg plugin
• A block-based theme proposal that is a must-read for all designers
• Why so many designers are dead wrong about what Gutenberg can’t do
• NameHero was just ranked the #1 host for 2020 in an independent case study
• Why you must get your own backups and what happened to someone who trusted her host with it
• Just how important the heading sizes you use can be for SEO – from a company that lost 10% of their revenue over it

Listen to the Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Join me Live to Discuss Tips Tuesday

I hope you’ll join for tonight’s livestream at 7pm ET / 4pm PT on the BlogAid Facebook Page. It’s a great way to get the deeper story on what’s reported in Tips Tuesday. And, I almost always have breaking news for the day too. So come join us live for the party.

Replay

BlogAid Happenings

It’s been a super busy week around here with wrapping up multiple site client projects and onboarding new ones. I’m still running about 4-6 weeks on the wait list, and that likely won’t change through March.

So if you’re considering a site service like an audit, and especially help with migrating to a better host, then contact me pronto so we can get you on the schedule in a timely manner.

Get Your Holiday Deals

Speaking of site services, site audits are discounted right now. Just book it in December and you won’t pay until we do it, which will be in late January.

And, all BlogAid courses are on sale too, including the Gutenberg Ninja course, so you can get going with that in 2020 as well.

And the DIY SEO course is on sale too, and we start the Quick Checks for it in January as well.

Plus, if you’re a designer or maintain sites for clients, now is the time to get the deepest discount on the Webmaster Training you need. It includes all site security and speed, plus real HTTPS conversions. And it’s made for non-techie designers and takes all the scary out of the back side of hosting and sites. It’s step-by-step and you learn by doing. So don’t miss this opportunity to separate yourself from the pack and get more business in the new year.

Plus, NameHero has extended their holiday deals too, so you can still get deep discounts on hosting as well.

Gutenberg Page Templates in the Works

I’m having such fun making all manner of page templates for you in the Gutenberg course. 

I have several already done and have a few more to go and then I’ll be releasing them into the course very soon!!!

I can hardly wait to show you the power of Gute like this!

You’ll get all kinds of ideas for home pages, landing pages, product pages, optins, and so much more!!

That’s all the news from around here. Let’s jump into this week’s tips.

WordPress Tips

How to Update to WordPress 5.3

I believe it’s safe for most folks to update to WordPress 5.3 at this point, but there is a specific order you need to do things in with it.

That’s especially true if you are using any type of editor plugin, like Gutenberg or TinyMCE Advanced, or using a maintenance updater plugin like MainWP.

I still can’t say that it will be okay for everyone to update to WP 5.3 without encountering at least small issues.

I’ve heard folks report that their image captions are no longer centering when the image is centered.

Other than that, most folks reporting issues are encountering them during the update itself, like it freezing, or not being able to authenticate the file coming from WP.

And neither of those will lock you out of your site, they just won’t update.

So, you can try it if you like and see how it goes for you.

And I have notes in the post for it freezing and such and how to deal with it.

Now, if you are using a specialty theme, like something for food or such, check with your developer to ensure they say it’s okay for you to update.

If you have issues, check with your theme developer or groups for that theme’s users.

You’re also welcome to report whatever you ran into on that WP 5.3 post, and what the fix was. It takes a village, and that just may help your fellow bloggers avoid an issue, or maybe even help you fix one.

Delete the TwentyTwenty Theme

After you update to WordPress 5.3, be sure to delete the TwentyTwenty default theme that came with it.

I forgot to put that in the update post. It’s there now.

Thanks for the reminder Marilyn Lesniak of Marilyn’s Treats.

Gutenberg as Full Theme Builder Progress

Phase 2 of Gutenberg development is all about making Gute a full theme builder and the devs are making excellent progress.

Right now they are focusing on the navigation menu block, as well as registering content areas, like the navigation menu. 

The Customizer blocks are being built too. They are in the super early phase of creating the foundation, but it’s enough for theme and plugin developers to start playing with it.

They are also making good progress on a Block Directory. This will help you find and install single blocks from within your WordPress admin area just like you do for plugins now.

I don’t think anybody expected there to be so many new blocks developed in the first year of Gutenberg’s release. So, they really weren’t prepared to need this type of directory. So, many of the blocks and block suites are coming as plugins right now. I expect that will change and go a different direction in 2020 as they get this Block Directory up and fully running.

GetWid Gutenberg Plugin Testing Results

This past week, while building new landing page examples for the Gutenberg Nina course, I came across a block suite plugin that had a very different set of blocks and functions than the usual fair. So, I tested it out.

Unfortunately, the GetWid plugin adds all of its templates and their css and js files to your site. What’s worse is that it loads all that stuff even when you are not using one of their blocks on a page.

And we can’t stand that for speed, so it’s going on my do-not-use plugin list for Gutenberg Blocks.

Folks, this is the same with themes and regular plugins. You can’t base your decision about using them solely on looks. You need to know if there is a price to pay in speed or hosting resources.

That’s why I do all these deep speed tests every year so I can recommend the best plugins, themes, and even hosting for you to use.

I’ve got the data.

Block Based Themes Proposal

If you’re a designer, you most definitely need to read this article on WPTavern about the new proposal for Gutenberg to support block-based themes.

Even though this is still on the drawing board right now, I don’t think it will stay that way long, especially with the rapid progress being made on Phase 2 of Gutenberg now.

In fact, I predict that 3rd party theme devs will jump the gun and make totally block-based themes available by this summer.

I base that prediction on how incredibly close we are to it now.

Yes, these first themes will be rudimentary, but I think they will be here sooner than expected by most.

I wouldn’t suggest that any of my clients start using them because the underlying foundation is likely to change too much by 2021, but I do suggest that all designers start playing with them so you can grasp what’s going on while it’s still easy to learn, and start seeing how your design biz is going to change over the next 2 years.

You’re Dead Wrong About What Gutenberg Can’t Do

The folks at Epitrove put out a post that points out everything they think can’t be done with Gutenberg yet, and advising folks stick with theme builders.

I could not disagree with this article more. 

99% of the Gutenberg shortcomings pointed out have been entirely overcome by several of the block suite plugins. All of the ones I cover in my course can do these things.

And just like the builders, some add weight and bloat and others don’t.

Right now I’m building amazing landing pages that emulate everything the current page builders can do.

I’ve only run into one thing that requires a designer to add a little extra CSS to achieve.

In the group where I first saw this post, I saw a comment from a designer who said that page builders will not die off soon because designers will continue to use what they know. 

I 100% agree with that assessment.

But end users have no such allegiance. 

My course peeps are thrilled with how much they can do on their own and are saving 80% on their design costs because of it. 

And the designers I’m sending them to for small tweaks know Gutenberg deeply. And those are the designers that I think will still have a thriving business a couple of years from now while all of the folks who stuck with builders will be playing catch up big time.

Don’t listen to folks who have not taken a deep dive into Gutenberg yet. They have no idea how powerful it is. And I think many of them are simply digging in their heels and trying to justify staying with what they know.

I think they’re going to be sorry they did that.

Gutenberg is the future of WordPress. And it’s plenty functional enough to ditch your page builder today.

Then before we know it, Gute will take over the core of theme building functions too.

I’m not saying that we won’t be getting starter themes in the future – far from it. But the ones we’ll be getting will look and function very differently than they do today, and we’ll have a LOT more control over the look than we do now.

And all without bulky page builders.

Hosting Tips

NameHero ranked #1 host for 2020

I was thrilled to see this independent case study that ranked NameHero the top host for 2020!

Last year I knew I needed to leave A2 Hosting, as they were just tanking and I interviewed 12 new hosts and decided to go with NameHero. 

And I’m so glad I did!!!!!

They are fast and the support is stellar.

All of my clients are coming off A2 or SiteGround as their renewals come up and are moving to NameHero too.

If you’re ready for superior hosting and ready to move, check out my Migration Checklist. 

If you want help with it, especially with removing the 30 things that need to come out if you’re moving from SiteGround, contact me at least 2 months prior to your renewal date, as my wait list is 4-6 weeks out, and we’ll get you on the schedule.

Site Tips

Why you must get your own backups

The host of one of my clients moved her account to a new server. She had multiple sites.

Because she was busy working on the main money-making sites, she didn’t notice right away that three of the other sites got toasted in the move.

And her host did not have a good backup for any of them.

So they’re gone – just gone.

Folks, this is why you must get your own, full backups and store them off your hosting.

Host backups are not guaranteed, even if you pay extra for them.

READ: Backup Checklist to ensure you are getting everything you need in your backup and that you are positive you have a way to restore your site if it gets completely toasted. You most definitely want to ensure you avoid the heartache of losing everything.

SEO Tips

How Important Are Headings for SEO?

The folks at Foo Plugins can tell you!!!!

Not having an H1 heading on one of their pages, and using the H2 Heading block in Gutenberg instead, cost them 10% of their revenue one month!!!!!

You can read their post for more details.

On-page SEO is a big deal. And you need to know what you’re doing with it – that’s all 14 SEO elements on every page and post you create.

And that’s what I teach in my DIY SEO course. 

In fact there are 4 workshops devoted to it!!!!

So, if you can’t come up with 14 unique elements to do SEO on for every post and page you create, you need this course because you’re missing opportunities for Google to give you more love.

Wrap Up

That’s a wrap for this week’s Tips Tuesday.

Gimme some love!!

Share this post with all your blogger buddies to support all the free info and help you get on BlogAid – and help your buddies too!!

Get the BlogAid Tips Tuesday Podcast on iTunes or Stitcher

Subscribe to all BlogAid Posts via email so you never miss anything!

Be sure to visit BlogAid.net for more tips and resources and I’ll see you online.