Web Development Blog
Latest Magento, WordPress and general web development news
Latest Security Notes November 2024
Simple steps to protect your privacy online
In today’s digital world, protecting your privacy online has become essential. With personal data constantly being shared, stored, and potentially accessed by unauthorised parties, safeguarding your privacy can help you stay secure. Here are some straightforward steps to help you maintain your privacy...
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November 2024
Introduction to Bluesky
Making the most of Bluesky after coming from whatever Twitter (𝕏) has become involves exploring the platform's unique features, adapting to its smaller, community-driven culture,...
November 2024
Web application security testing
With the increasing dependency on web applications in daily operations, securing these applications is paramount to safeguarding data and protecting against breaches. This blog post...
October 2024
Cookieless website tracking and analytics
Cookieless website tracking is a method of collecting analytics data and monitoring website behaviour without the need for traditional browser cookies. Traditionally, cookies have been...
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October 2024
What's going on between WordPress and WP Engine?
The disagreement between WordPress and WP Engine has sparked considerable debate within the WordPress community and could have important implications for users of the WordPress...
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September 2024
Combining Laravel with WordPress
Combining Laravel with WordPress offers a unique and powerful approach to web development, blending the strengths of both platforms to create highly efficient, flexible, and...
September 2024
Switching from WordPress to ClassicPress
Switching a WordPress website over to ClassicPress can be done smoothly with minimal impact if approached carefully. The process involves a few key steps to...
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August 2024
Guide to writing a good cookie policy (UK)
A cookie policy informs website visitors about the cookies your website uses, why they are used, and how users can control them. The information on...
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July 2024
Bitnami WordPress on AWS Lightsail
The Bitnami package for WordPress provides a quick one-click install solution for WordPress. Once installed you’ll most likely need to replace the default install with...
July 2024
Install XAMPP on Ubuntu using Terminal
To use XAMPP on Ubuntu, begin by downloading the XAMPP installer for Linux from the Apache Friends website. Once downloaded, open a terminal, navigate to...
June 2024
Popular PHP frameworks
Here’s detailed look at some of the most popular PHP frameworks, each of which can help speed up development, improve code organisation, and enhance application...
June 2024
Start/stop XAMPP on Ubuntu using Terminal
XAMPP is a free and open-source software package that provides an easy way to set up and run a local web server environment on various...
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April 2024
ClassicPress vs. WordPress
ClassicPress is an open-source content management system (CMS) that originated as a fork of WordPress in 2018. It was developed as a response to the...
March 2024
PHP Security in 2024: navigating the evolving landscape
As PHP continues to evolve, so do the threats that target its vulnerabilities. Ensuring robust PHP security practices is paramount to safeguarding sensitive data and...
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February 2024
Shopify: Set sales prices
Setting sales prices in your Shopify store is a straightforward process that can help boost sales and attract customers. Follow these steps to effectively set...
February 2024
Animated SVGs (Scalable Vector Graphics)
Animated SVGs, Scalable Vector Graphics, are increasingly popular choices for adding dynamic elements to websites. Their scalability, lightweight nature, and flexibility make them attractive options...
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December 2023
Using Scalable Vector Graphics (SVGs)
Scalable Vector Graphics (SVGs) have revolutionised website design, offering unparalleled flexibility, scalability, and interactivity. As versatile graphic elements, SVGs can enhance the visual appeal and...
November 2023
Creating a brand-promoting brochure website with WordPress
In today's digital age, establishing an online presence is crucial for businesses looking to promote their brand effectively. One powerful tool for achieving this is...
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November 2023
WordPress for charities and donation websites
In an era where digital presence is paramount, charities are increasingly turning to online platforms to raise awareness and funds for their causes. WordPress, with...
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October 2023
Magento database structure
The database structure of Magento is designed to store and manage various aspects of an e-commerce website, including products, orders, customers, and more. Understanding the...
September 2023
Designing websites for accessibility
In the ever-evolving landscape of web design, the balancing act between accessibility and aesthetic appeal remains a crucial consideration. As the digital realm becomes increasingly...
August 2023
Accessibility in ecommerce websites
In the digital age, where online shopping has become an integral part of our lives, ecommerce websites hold the key to business success. Amidst the...
August 2023
How to update your hosts file.
Every computer has a file on it which allows the owner to specify where a website is loaded from. A hosts file is a simple...
August 2023
Using Magento to get small businesses online
For small businesses aiming to establish a formidable online presence and drive sales, Magento emerges as a powerful e-commerce platform offering a suite of features...
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July 2023
How to secure WordPress in 2023?
Securing a WordPress website involves a combination of practices, including using secure hosting configurations, regularly updating WordPress and its plugins/themes, and implementing strong security measures....
July 2023
How can I speed-up my Magento website?
Speed optimisation is crucial for a Magento website as it directly impacts user experience, conversions, and search engine rankings. You should prepare your server so...
June 2023
.htaccess: Enable GZIP Compression for Magento
Enable Gzip compression on your server to compress your website's files before sending them to the visitor's browser. This significantly reduces the file size, resulting...
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June 2023
Email and newsletter deliverability best practice
Email deliverability refers to the ability of an email to successfully reach the recipient's inbox, rather than being marked as spam or bouncing back. High...
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May 2023
Project Management Methodologies
Agile, Scrum, and Waterfall are three of the most popular project management methodologies used in software development. Each of these methodologies has its own advantages...
April 2023
Popular Payment Gateways
Ecommerce payment gateways are critical components of any online store, as they enable merchants to accept payments from customers securely and conveniently. There are many...
April 2023
Create a plain text file on Windows
Quick guide to creating simple plain text (.txt) files on Microsoft Windows, Apple MacOS and Linux. Text files are useful for sending code or short...
April 2023
Create a plain text file on MacOS
Quick guide to creating simple plain text (.txt) files on Microsoft Windows, Apple MacOS and Linux. Text files are useful for sending code or short...
April 2023
Create a plain text file on Linux
Quick guide to creating simple plain text (.txt) files on Microsoft Windows, Apple MacOS and Linux. Text files are useful for sending code or short...
March 2023
Latest web image formats
There are a number of new image formats that have been developed in recent years to improve the performance and quality of images on websites....
February 2023
Using OpenAI tools in ecommerce environments
OpenAI is a leading artificial intelligence (AI) research organisation that has the potential to revolutionise the ecommerce industry. By leveraging OpenAI’s cutting-edge AI technologies, ecommerce...
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February 2023
Why is WordPress still so popular?
WordPress WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems (CMS) in the world, and there are several reasons why it is so widely...
January 2023
Mobile-first Web Design
Mobile-first web design Mobile-first web design is a design approach that prioritises mobile devices when designing a website. Instead of designing a website for desktop...
December 2022
Quick start guide for Laravel on a PHP server
Laravel is a powerful and popular PHP framework designed to make web development easier and more efficient. This quick start guide will help you set...
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December 2022
Web development in Northern Ireland
Web development in Northern Ireland is a thriving industry, with many talented and skilled individuals and companies offering a range of services. Northern Ireland is...
November 2022
Getting started with Magento Open Source
Magento Northern Ireland Open Source allows you to build a unique online store from the ground up. Standard Features Magento Open Source includes everything you...
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October 2022
Redirects
Apache, Nginx, PHP, JavaScript and Meta redirects There are two main redirect options 301 for a permanent redirect. Use this when the redirect is pointing...
September 2022
WordPress - WebP and AVIF image formats
An introduction to image optimisation in WordPress Northern Ireland Image Optimisation is an increasingly important step improve page speed and search engine performance of your...
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September 2022
Magento - WebP image format conversion
An introduction to image optimisation in Magento Northern Ireland Image Optimisation is an increasingly important step improve page speed and search engine performance of your...
July 2022
WordPress CLI commands
WP-CLI is the official command line tool for interacting with and managing your WordPress Northern Ireland installation in command line. WP-CLI is the command-line interface...
July 2022
Lighthouse and Google Fonts
I recently had performance issues on Google Lighthouse due to the fonts used on the website. The Google Fonts I used were classified as a...
July 2022
Why WordPress?
WordPress is currently used by over seventy-five million websites worldwide. This is primarily thanks to its flexible, customisable and user-centred admin panel making it the...
June 2022
Cookie Script and GDPR
Quick guide to using Cookie Script for GDPR and cookie tracking. Cookie Script is a tool that helps website owners comply with cookie consent requirements...
May 2022
Set-up a Rackspace CDN service
Quick guide for setting-up a CDN on Rackspace. CDN Set-up Log into your Rackspace MyCloud account. Click into Storage > CDN then “Create Service”. In...
April 2022
Web image formats
The image file formats that are most commonly used on the web are listed below. Classic image formats These are the classic image formats universally...
March 2022
Aheadworks switch to subscription model
Aheadworks will be removing Composer keys and download access for existing customers and switching entirely to a subscription model. From February 2022 Aheadworks announced it...
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February 2022
ProtonMail secure email
ProtonMail is an encrypted email service that takes a radically different approach to email security. In 2014 the Swiss company ProtonMail became the first email...
February 2022
Magento store hierarchy
Before you start building-out your Magento website you must first plan your store hierarchy. Magento’s hierarchy is referred to throughout your store’s configuration. Each store...
January 2022
WordPress development Belfast, Northern Ireland
If you are a business in Belfast or Northern Ireland who is looking to expand your presence online, WordPress Northern Ireland is a great platform...
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December 2021
Shopify: Add breadcrumbs to Liquid templates
How to add breadcrumbs to your Shopify Northern Ireland liquid templates Breadcrumbs are a secondary navigation aid that helps users easily understand the relation between...
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December 2021
Optimising Magento 2 in easy steps
Some (fairly) simple step-by-step instructions to ensure your Magento Belfast 2 store is running the best it can. While most of these options should only...
October 2021
What is Laravel?
Laravel is an open-source web application framework written in PHP, designed to make the development process faster, easier, and more streamlined. It follows the Model-View-Controller...
September 2021
The future of Magento
The Mage Open Source Community Alliance have published an open letter to the Magento community to announce a new initiative designed to focus on ensuring...
August 2021
Google Sheets to PHP array
This PHP function accepts a public Google Sheets URL and converts it into a PHP array. You can use the array to either display the...
August 2021
Apache VirtualHost with reverse proxy
This post documents the process of setting up a reverse proxy to load one (Origin) website in the subdirectory of another. During this process the...
July 2021
Magento 2 Blog Extensions
While Magento Belfast isn’t the go-to platform for blogs it can be useful for store owners to have a quick and easy way to post...
July 2021
AOS: The Animate On Scroll Library
AOS is a simple CSS/JS based animation on scroll library by Michał Sajnóg. Easy to install and highly configurable. This is a basic introduction, there...
June 2021
Upcoming changes to eBay's PayPal Payments
Over the course of 2021 eBay will be incrementally changing how it works with sellers. Changes include updates to the fee structure, how fees are...
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May 2021
What does Shopify do?
Shopify Belfast is an ecommerce platform that hosts your website for selling products and services. It helps organize the layout of your store's appearance through...
May 2021
Choose a better browser
A run down of the most popular web browsers including Firefox, Chrome, Edge and Opera as well some alternate options if you'd like something different....
April 2021
Notes: Magento 2 Directory Structure
Magento 1 A brief reminder of the Magento 1 folder structure: app/code followed by either /core for core files /community for third party extensions /local...
March 2021
Magento 2.4.2
The latest version of Magento Northern Ireland has been released - Magento version 2.4.2 is the usual mix of security updates, performance and some improvements...
March 2021
PHP cURL Requests with JSON or XML
The following post will explain how to use PHP/cURL to retrieve data in JSON or XML and process it for using in your PHP application...
March 2021
Upgrading WordPress
Keeping your WordPress website updated is crucial for maintaining its performance, security, and functionality. Whether you’re managing a personal blog, a business site, or an...
February 2021
Global Payments: Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) and 3D Secure 2
The roll out of 3D Secure 2 has been a long drawn-out process not helped by the COVID–19 pandemic. Part of the update has included...
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January 2021
Shopify: Create a Discount Code
A quick guide to help set-up a discount code in a Shopify Belfast store. First login to your Shopify store admin area and click on...
