Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
The WP Minute brings you news about WordPress in under 5 minutes -- every week! Follow The WP Minute for the WordPress headlines before you get lost in the headlines. Hosted by Matt Medeiros, host of The Matt Report podcast.
Eric Karkovack: Hello, everyone,
and welcome to the WP Minute.
I'm your host, Eric Karkovac.
Today's topic is managing technical
debt as a WordPress freelancer.
Longevity is a sign of success.
For freelancers working with WordPress,
that means witnessing different eras
of the software and its ecosystem.
It shows you can adapt to
change and learn as you go.
That's a great accomplishment.
However, technical debt is
the less appealing side effect
of being around for a while.
It's a disruptive force that
can weigh on your business,
not to mention your clients.
Technical debt comes in many forms.
A website you built
years ago is an example.
The decisions you made back then
could still impact you today.
The tools and services
we use also play a role.
An overmatched hosting account
or third party dependency
can come back to haunt you.
Even legacy accounting and productivity
apps may get in the way of progress.
The longer you're in business, the
more technical debt you'll accrue.
Perhaps it sounds scary, but
it's the reality of working
in an ever changing industry.
Accepting that reality is the
first step toward keeping your
business focused on the future
without getting stuck in the past.
With that in mind, let's look at
ways to manage your technical debt.
Create a maintenance plan
for the site you manage.
That website you built 10 years ago was
probably cutting edge back in the day.
These days, not so much.
Technology evolves, but websites
don't always follow suit.
There are a multitude of ways a site
can stagnate, including using themes
or plugins that aren't compatible with
the latest versions of PHP, using an
abandoned plugin or one that's no longer
the best option for a given feature,
Relying on an outdated API or script
library, not keeping up with routine
software updates, or customizations that
don't follow current best practices.
None of this is news to web developers,
but it often occurs because we
aren't actively involved with a site
after launch, or we know something
needs fixing but procrastinate
until it's no longer avoidable.
Planning is stagnation.
So, schedule maintenance checks
for each site you manage.
Use that time to identify potential
issues before they become problematic.
From there, you can discuss any issues
with your client to get them fixed.
That keeps the site healthy and
can also boost your bottom line.
Better yet, you'll have the
peace of mind of knowing the
site isn't weighing you down.
How often should you check your sites?
Software updates should be
completed several times per month.
That's essential for
security and performance.
So, keep an eye out for new
versions and act accordingly.
You can perform a yearly audit
to uncover any deeper issues.
You might also look for specific concerns
such as testing PHP compatibility
when a new version is available.
The idea is to keep a
watchful eye on each website.
It's the best way to stay on top
of a changing technical stack.
Consider the third party
services your websites rely on.
The technology surrounding our
websites doesn't always age gracefully.
They can be just as problematic
as an ancient theme or plugin.
These third party services often add
crucial features to the sites we build.
Examples include payment
gateways, authentication
apps, and code repositories.
Any downtime or outdated
implementations could be costly.
Then there is the myriad
of APIs we interact with.
Things like social media feeds
and Google Maps come to mind.
Entire apps might be built around them.
However, these items are known
to undergo significant changes.
Legacy code is often supported
for a short period, but eventually
they'll require some refactoring.
If you built a custom solution, you're on
the hook to make the necessary changes.
One way to minimize technical debt
is to choose reputable providers.
Any changes will likely be documented
and you'll have advance notice.
For example, Google often announces
API changes well ahead of their launch.
That gives you time to
prepare and implement them.
The reality is that these
services will change.
Some will go away.
So, put yourself in a position.
to lessen their impact on your projects.
Review your business tools and processes.
The way you run your business
can also create technical debt.
Take billing as an example.
An outdated process for
sending invoices and collecting
payments will slow you down.
It can also mean breaking into a cold
sweat while waiting for money to arrive.
The same applies to any tool
you're using to get things done.
An older code editor may not reflect
modern practices, and it isn't likely to
integrate with artificial intelligence.
Meanwhile, keeping your client
contacts in your email client may
not be as flexible as a CRM app.
They may seem like little things on
the surface, but each can hold you back
as you attempt to scale your business.
Therefore, review each tool and process
to ensure you're on the best path.
Do they fit with current best practices?
Are you wasting valuable time using them?
The good news is that there are
almost always better alternatives.
Look for tools and techniques.
that cover your pain points
and increase efficiency.
Ideally, you'll find options
that help you now and into the
next phase of your business.
Switching to a new app or changing how
you do things isn't easy, mind you.
There's a learning curve and
some initial inconvenience.
However, a little work now
can pay off in the long term.
Think about the impact of your decisions.
Some level of technical
debt is unavoidable.
Thus, it's all about taking
steps to manage and minimize it.
A proactive approach to managing
it lets you deal with the issues
before they become too cumbersome.
In other words, don't wait
until something breaks.
It's better to update your theme's
code while it still works, right?
Thinking ahead is also a
great way to avoid issues.
Consider the future impact of Each
decision you make, it's something you can
apply to every aspect of your business.
In practice, that means choosing
stability over what's new,
but it's also in preparing for
change and adapting as needed.
Remember, nothing on
the web lasts forever.
Perhaps we can't rid ourselves
of all technical debt, but we
can keep it from slowing us down.