Web Development Blog
Latest Magento, WordPress and general web development news
2024
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... Continue reading "What's going on between WordPress and WP Engine?"
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... Continue reading "Switching from WordPress to ClassicPress "
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... Continue reading "Guide to writing a good cookie policy (UK)"
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... Continue reading "Bitnami WordPress on AWS Lightsail "
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... Continue reading "Popular PHP frameworks"
May 2024
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... Continue reading "Email and newsletter deliverability best practice"
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... Continue reading "ClassicPress vs. WordPress "
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... Continue reading "PHP Security in 2024: navigating the evolving landscape"
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... Continue reading "Shopify: Set sales prices"
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... Continue reading "Animated SVGs (Scalable Vector Graphics)"
January 2024
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... Continue reading "Using Magento to get small businesses online"
January 2024
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... Continue reading "Creating a brand-promoting brochure website with WordPress "
2023
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... Continue reading "Using Scalable Vector Graphics (SVGs)"
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... Continue reading "WordPress for charities and donation websites "
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... Continue reading "Magento database structure"
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... Continue reading "Designing websites for accessibility"
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... Continue reading "Accessibility in ecommerce websites "
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.... Continue reading "How to secure WordPress in 2023? "
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... Continue reading "How can I speed-up my Magento website?"
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... Continue reading ".htaccess: Enable GZIP Compression for Magento"
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... Continue reading "Project Management Methodologies"
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... Continue reading "Popular Payment Gateways"
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.... Continue reading "Latest web image formats"
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... Continue reading "Using OpenAI tools in ecommerce environments"
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... Continue reading "Why is WordPress still so popular? "
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... Continue reading "Mobile-first Web Design"
2022
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... Continue reading "Web development in Northern Ireland"
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... Continue reading "Getting Started with Magento Open Source"
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... Continue reading "Redirects"
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... Continue reading "WordPress - WebP and AVIF Image Formats"
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... Continue reading "Magento - WebP Image Format Conversion"
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... Continue reading "WordPress CLI Commands"
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... Continue reading "Lighthouse and Google Fonts"
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... Continue reading "Why WordPress?"
June 2022
Mortgage IQ
Mortgage IQ know the mortgage journey can be stressful. Their dedicated team go the extra mile to ensure your complete satisfaction, from your application to... Continue reading "Mortgage IQ"
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... Continue reading "Cookie Script and GDPR"
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... Continue reading "Set-up a Rackspace CDN service"
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... Continue reading " Web Image Formats"
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... Continue reading "Aheadworks switch to subscription model"
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... Continue reading "ProtonMail secure 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... Continue reading "Magento Store Hierarchy"
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... Continue reading "WordPress Development Belfast, Northern Ireland"
2021
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... Continue reading "Shopify: Add Breadcrumbs to Liquid Templates"
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... Continue reading "Optimising Magento 2 in Easy Steps"
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... Continue reading "The Future of Magento"
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... Continue reading "Google Sheets to PHP Array"
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... Continue reading "Apache VirtualHost with Reverse Proxy"
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... Continue reading "Magento 2 Blog Extensions"
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... Continue reading "AOS: The Animate On Scroll Library"
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... Continue reading "Upcoming changes to eBay's PayPal Payments"
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... Continue reading "What does Shopify do? "
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.... Continue reading "Choose a better browser"
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... Continue reading "Notes: Magento 2 Directory Structure"
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... Continue reading "Magento 2.4.2"
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... Continue reading "PHP cURL Requests with JSON or XML"
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... Continue reading "Global Payments: Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) and 3D Secure 2"
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... Continue reading "Shopify: Create a Discount Code"
2020
November 2020
What is Magento Open Source?
Previously known as Magento Community Edition, Magento Open Source is the ecommerce platform. Adobe which acquired Magento in 2018 has confirmed the open source edition... Continue reading "What is Magento Open Source?"
October 2020
WordPress - Rename the Posts section in Admin
The PHP script below can be added to the WordPress Theme functions.php file. It will rename the standard “posts” section to “stories”. Replace ‘stories’/’story’ with... Continue reading "WordPress - Rename the Posts section in Admin"
September 2020
Moving on from Magento: OpenMage and Mage One
While many companies have already upgraded to Magento 2 or moved on to alternative ecommerce platforms like Shopify, many smaller companies or larger companies with... Continue reading "Moving on from Magento: OpenMage and Mage One"
August 2020
Notes on Transferring a WordPress site to AWS
There's a newer version of this post: Bitnami WordPress: Reset file permissions on AWS Lightsail Some notes on transferring an existing WordPress site to Amazon... Continue reading "Notes on Transferring a WordPress site to AWS"
July 2020
Install XAMPP on Ubuntu using Terminal
To install XAMPP on Ubuntu, you can follow these steps: Download XAMPP: Visit the official XAMPP website and download the Linux version of XAMPP. Choose... Continue reading "Install XAMPP on Ubuntu using Terminal"
June 2020
Who should use WooCommerce?
In the dynamic realm of e-commerce, choosing the right platform is pivotal to the success of any online venture. For businesses seeking a reliable and... Continue reading "Who should use WooCommerce?"
May 2020
WooCommerce payment providers
Choosing the best payment gateways for WooCommerce depends on factors such as your location, target market, and specific business needs. Several payment gateways are widely... Continue reading "WooCommerce payment providers"
April 2020
Coronavirus: Ecommerce in a Pandemic
Online sellers need to keep on top of the impact COVID—19 is and will continue to have on retailers. The links below are some thoughts... Continue reading "Coronavirus: Ecommerce in a Pandemic"
March 2020
Coronavirus: Managing your Magento ecommerce store in Lockdown
The UK has now entered lockdown with everyone being told to stay at home. The spread of coronavirus (COVID—19) continues to increase day by day... Continue reading "Coronavirus: Managing your Magento ecommerce store in Lockdown"
March 2020
Magento 2: Show address fields on the user registration form
This post shows you how to add the customer address fields to the customer registration page. It uses the existing setShowAddressFields method for displaying the... Continue reading "Magento 2: Show address fields on the user registration form"
February 2020
Security: DNS over HTTPS
Whenever you visit a website, even if you are using a site with SSL, the DNS query that converts the web address into an IP... Continue reading "Security: DNS over HTTPS"
February 2020
Website Optimisation with Pingdom Speed Test
There are plenty of website speed tests out there, some are better than others. Pingdom is one of these tools, this post explains how to... Continue reading "Website Optimisation with Pingdom Speed Test"
February 2020
Choose Magento ecommerce in Belfast, Northern Ireland
If you are a business in Belfast or Northern Ireland who is looking to expand your presence online, Magento is a great platform to take... Continue reading "Choose Magento ecommerce in Belfast, Northern Ireland"
January 2020
Best web browsers for security and privacy
A few alternative browser options for those looking to protect themselves against analytics, tracking, surveillance, and even censorship. Mozilla Firefox Iridium Ungoogled Chrome Tor Browser... Continue reading "Best web browsers for security and privacy"
2019
November 2019
WordPress Security - Nginx Hardening
Techniques for hardening WordPress Sites running on an Nginx server to enhance security. Limit Access to Admin Panel Limit XMLRPC Access This will lock down... Continue reading "WordPress Security - Nginx Hardening"
November 2019
WordPress Security - Hardening Introduction and Plugins
This post is from 2019, it may be out-of-date. For up-to-date information try: How to secure WordPress This post is designed to give an overview... Continue reading "WordPress Security - Hardening Introduction and Plugins"
November 2019
Simple jQuery Cookie Pop-up
This is a simple EU cookie notification pop-up for legacy websites. All that’s required is jQuery. Add the following HTML, jQuery script and apply some... Continue reading "Simple jQuery Cookie Pop-up"
November 2019
Automatically Deploy website from Github
This walk through will allow you to set-up a website to automatically deploy on a remote server whenever updates are pushed to the GitHub repository.... Continue reading "Automatically Deploy website from Github"
October 2019
Magento 2.3.3
The latest version of Magento has been released - Magento version 2.3.3 is all about security and performance. Security Support has been added to Magento... Continue reading "Magento 2.3.3"
October 2019
Setting up WordPress on Amazon Web Services (AWS) EC2
Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) is a web service that provides secure, resizable compute capacity in the cloud. It is designed to make web-scale... Continue reading "Setting up WordPress on Amazon Web Services (AWS) EC2"
October 2019
Choosing the right ecommerce platform
Choosing the right ecommerce platform is an important decision for any business looking to sell their products online. The three options below are tried-and-tested ecommerce... Continue reading "Choosing the right ecommerce platform"
October 2019
Jekyll: Post Loop in Liquid Templates
Jekyll uses the Liquid templating language to process templates. This post provides a basic example to show the five latest blog posts and highlight the... Continue reading "Jekyll: Post Loop in Liquid Templates "
October 2019
[Notes] WordPress + React Docker Starter Kit
I’ve been experimenting with a Headless WordPress + React Starter Kit from Postlight. It’s an automated toolset to create a powerful web publishing tool. Headerless... Continue reading "[Notes] WordPress + React Docker Starter Kit"
June 2019
Remove outdated content from Google Search Results
From time to time unwanted pages can appear in Google Search Results. Could be a temporary page, old content or even a test page that’s... Continue reading "Remove outdated content from Google Search Results"
May 2019
Magento 1: End of life
Magento 1’s expected end of life is fast approaching. Many, many merchants are still up and running on the system need to think about what... Continue reading "Magento 1: End of life"
April 2019
Magento 2 Configurable Product Import
Magento 2 allows configurable products to be imported through the CMS. Unlike Magento 1 where Magmi generally did all the hard work when it came... Continue reading "Magento 2 Configurable Product Import"
April 2019
Magento Code: Magento 2 Cache Refresh Script
This is a stand alone script which can be called to refresh the cache in Magento 2 The script hooks into Bootstrap to generate a... Continue reading "Magento Code: Magento 2 Cache Refresh Script"
April 2019
Magento Code: Magento 2 Indexer Script
This is a stand alone script which can be called to reindex a Magento 2 Site The script will create a unique instance of the... Continue reading "Magento Code: Magento 2 Indexer Script"
March 2019
Magento 1 to Magento 2 Migration Process (Part 1)
While the Magento 1 platform is still active and supported there’s less urgency to switch-up to Magento 2. There are benefits to upgrading to Magento... Continue reading "Magento 1 to Magento 2 Migration Process (Part 1)"
March 2019
Magento 1 Ongoing Support and End of life
Some thoughts on the expected demise of Magento 1. Magento 1 - Official End Date The official end date of the Magento 1 project was... Continue reading "Magento 1 Ongoing Support and End of life"
January 2019
Introduction to Ubuntu MATE
This article was written in 2019, it provides a general overview of Ubuntu MATE, highlighting its key features and benefits, and why I decided to... Continue reading "Introduction to Ubuntu MATE"