4 Insights from WordCamp Boston 2018

WordCamp conferences are always wonderful learning hubs for all types of WordPress users. These conferences are held worldwide and are purely community-organized. Anyone from new website owners to the most seasoned core developers engages in sharing at least one facet of their WordPress experience, which in turn benefits everyone!

Our very own Corina Pfeffer, Website Designer & Developer, attended WordCamp Boston this summer. She left the conference with some excellent, high-level insight on WordPress updates as well as on some of the best, most-up-to-date website development practices. Read on for four of the best insights from WordCamp Boston 2018.

The New WordPress Editor is Built for User-Friendliness

The latest WordPress editor is named Gutenberg, like Johannes Gutenberg, who helped usher the democratization of knowledge! It was built with the intention to provide users of all levels of skill the ability to publish anything they’d like to their website. Inexperienced website builders should test the Gutenberg update with good, exciting, and media-rich results.

Be Sure to Test Gutenberg First

Website owners and developers must acknowledge that Gutenberg still needs testing. Gutenberg is available with the latest WordPress update along with the option to use the classic editor. We recommend making a backup of your website to a WP Engine staging site and then installing the Gutenberg editor with the backup. WP Engine works as an excellently safe place to test Gutenberg, allowing you to comfortably and safely test just how your site works with both the new and old WordPress editors.

Gutenberg should be working well for you regardless of the theme, plugins, or coding your site has. Regardless, if something breaks with Gutenberg, you should report it immediately.

Websites Must Be User-Friendly for Its Visitors as Well, & Gutenberg Makes That Happen

Website accessibility is an important facet of website user-friendliness, and it is essential on all levels. Gutenberg has very neat additions to flag poor accessibility on-the-spot.

With an accessible site, you are accessing 1/5 more of the population than you would if your website were inaccessible. If you are a business owner marketing your products or services, you have to make sure that your website is accessible or else you are missing out on a big chunk of the market.

Gutenberg is a Powerful Tool

The most prevalent insight that was taken from WordCamp Boston 2018 was to embrace Gutenberg. It may be a little different than the editor that you are used to, but because it truly is a very powerful tool worth working with.

For further insight, you can contact us today to sign up for our one-on-one WordPress Coaching sessions or our monthly WordPress Workshops.