How To Use WordPress Better Than 99% of People
Mikey Website · 2026-05-16
💡 Quick Take
1. Treat WordPress as a connected system, not a collection of disconnected tools.
2. Prioritize strategic site architecture from the start.
3. Implement content intelligence and automation for maximum reach.
4. Build a conversion architecture to guide visitors towards action.
5. Ensure performance and technical excellence are foundational.
6. Integrate business systems and automate processes for efficiency.
7. Use block patterns for flexible and theme-independent layouts.
8. Separate different content types using custom post types and fields.
9. Automate content distribution to multiple platforms upon publishing.
10. Build SEO into the site structure from the beginning.
11. Design pages with clear conversion paths and calls to action.
12. Focus on lightweight assets and efficient code for speed.
13. Implement robust security measures and automatic backups.
14. Integrate WordPress with CRMs and other business tools.
15. Start with a clean and stable hosting and WordPress dashboard setup.
16. Use lightweight themes like Astra or Cadence.
17. Install only essential core plugins for a streamlined foundation.
18. Automate content publishing to social media and email newsletters.
19. Set up your homepage as a dedicated landing page for conversion.
20. Test and optimize landing pages using A/B testing.
21. Automate notifications for key user actions like logins.
22. Automate customer lifecycle steps, like redirecting form submissions to a thank you page.
23. Ensure search engines can index your site properly.
24. Integrate Google SiteKit for direct performance tracking.
25. Avoid plugin overload; each plugin should have a specific, essential role.
26. Avoid switching themes after a site is live to prevent rebuilding.
27. Regularly clean up unused plugins and files to prevent technical debt.
28. Automate repetitive manual tasks to save time and improve efficiency.
29. Use code snippets for small custom features instead of extra plugins.
30. Manage multiple sites from a single dashboard for efficiency.
31. Link WordPress to accounting, shipping, and other business platforms.
32. White-label the WordPress dashboard for a professional client experience.
📊 Detailed Explanation
1. Treat WordPress as a connected system, not a collection of disconnected tools. The transcript highlights a massive gap: 73% of WordPress users treat it like a basic website builder, while the top 1% use it as a complete business automation system. This difference stems from the approach. Most setups become a jumble of themes and plugins that work in isolation, leading to management headaches, slow performance, and scaling issues. The top 1%, however, view WordPress as interconnected systems managing data, traffic, and sales seamlessly, minimizing manual intervention.
2. Prioritize strategic site architecture from the start. This is the absolute foundation. It's not about how the site looks initially, but how it's structured. Instead of relying heavily on themes, the top 1% build layouts using block patterns, ensuring design consistency even if the theme changes. Content is organized into clear sections, making navigation intuitive for users and understandable for search engines. Crucially, different data types like services or testimonials are separated using custom post types and fields, keeping the database clean and the site manageable as it grows.
3. Implement content intelligence and automation for maximum reach. Publishing content is just the beginning! The real magic happens afterward. The top 1% set up workflows so that new content automatically gets pushed to platforms like LinkedIn or email newsletters. This means every piece of content reaches a wider audience without extra manual effort. SEO is also integrated from the start, making it easier for search engines to crawl and index. Plus, high-performing content is repurposed, saving time and maintaining consistency across platforms. Analytics are key here, providing insights into what's actually working.
4. Build a conversion architecture to guide visitors towards action. Traffic is useless without direction. A conversion architecture means intentionally designing the user journey. Each page is crafted to flow logically into the next, supporting a specific outcome. Every element, from buttons to sections, is placed to guide attention and make the next step obvious. Calls to action are strategically positioned. Importantly, lead capture (forms, opt-ins) is seamlessly integrated into this flow, turning visitors into leads for future follow-up.
5. Ensure performance and technical excellence are foundational. A site needs to be fast and stable, especially as it grows. This involves keeping assets lightweight, avoiding unnecessary elements, and structuring pages for quick loading. Security is paramount, with protection built in from the start to block threats. Automatic backups and recovery systems are essential for stability. And with mobile traffic dominating, sites are optimized for smaller screens first, ensuring a consistent user experience across all devices.
6. Integrate business systems and automate processes for efficiency. Everything on your site should connect to something beyond it. When a form is submitted, that data should flow directly into a CRM for organized client management. Actions on the site should trigger automated emails. Sales processes, including orders and follow-ups, should be tracked and managed through simple workflows. This interconnectedness provides clear tracking, revealing where things slow down and where improvements can be made, transforming the site into a background business support system.
7. Use block patterns for flexible and theme-independent layouts. This is a game-changer for design flexibility. Instead of being tied to a theme's specific layout options, using block patterns allows you to build reusable design components directly within the WordPress editor. This means your layouts remain intact even if you decide to switch themes down the line, saving a massive amount of rework and ensuring design consistency.
8. Separate different content types using custom post types and fields. WordPress's default "posts" and "pages" aren't always sufficient. For distinct content like services, portfolios, or testimonials, creating custom post types (like a "Services" post type) and custom fields (like "Service Description" or "Client Name") keeps everything super organized. This makes management easier, improves SEO by structuring content logically, and keeps your database tidy.
9. Automate content publishing to social media and email newsletters. Once a new blog post or service is published, it shouldn't require manual sharing. Setting up automation recipes (using plugins like Uncanny Automator) can trigger posts to LinkedIn, X, or email campaigns simultaneously. This ensures your content gets maximum exposure with zero extra effort after the initial setup.
10. Build SEO into the site structure from the beginning. Instead of optimizing each post individually, a well-structured site with proper custom post types and clear content organization makes it inherently easier for search engines to understand and index. Using SEO plugins like RankMath or Yoast and going through their setup wizards helps generate sitemaps and ensures fundamental SEO practices are in place from day one.
11. Design pages with clear conversion paths and calls to action. Every page should have a purpose. This means strategically placing buttons, forms, and content to guide visitors smoothly from interest to a desired action, whether that's signing up for a newsletter, requesting a quote, or making a purchase. The goal is to make the next step obvious and easy.
12. Focus on lightweight assets and efficient code for speed. Performance is crucial for user experience and SEO. This involves using optimized images, minimizing unnecessary JavaScript and CSS, and choosing efficient plugins. The transcript mentions using lightweight themes and avoiding bloat from too many plugins.
13. Implement robust security measures and automatic backups. Security shouldn't be an afterthought. Building protection in from the start helps prevent threats. Regular, automatic backups are non-negotiable, ensuring that if something goes wrong, you can restore your site quickly without losing significant work.
14. Integrate WordPress with CRMs and other business tools. This is where WordPress truly becomes a business system. Connecting your site to your CRM (like HubSpot, Salesforce) or other business platforms (accounting software, shipping providers) means data flows seamlessly, eliminating manual data entry and providing a unified view of your business operations.
15. Start with a clean and stable hosting and WordPress dashboard setup. Before diving into building, ensure your foundation is solid. This includes correctly pointing your DNS records and cleaning up your WordPress dashboard by removing unnecessary widgets and sections to create a focused workspace.
16. Use lightweight themes like Astra or Cadence. These themes are known for their speed and flexibility, providing a clean starting point that doesn't bog down your site. They are designed to work well with block editors and offer a solid base for building custom layouts.
17. Install only essential core plugins for a streamlined foundation. The transcript suggests a minimal set of core plugins for performance (Lightseed Cache), security (Wordfence), backups (UpdraftPlus), forms (WPForms), content structure (Advanced Custom Fields), and automation (Uncanny Automator). This approach prevents bloat and potential conflicts.
18. Automate content publishing to social media and email newsletters. As mentioned in point 9, this is about maximizing content reach. By setting up triggers, new content can automatically be shared across your chosen channels, saving time and ensuring consistent communication with your audience.
19. Set up your homepage as a dedicated landing page for conversion. Instead of a default blog feed, making your homepage a strategic landing page (like a "Special Offer" page) immediately guides visitors towards a specific goal, increasing the likelihood of conversion from the very first interaction.
20. Test and optimize landing pages using A/B testing. To ensure your landing pages are as effective as possible, A/B testing is crucial. By creating variations of a page with a single change (e.g., headline color, button text) and tracking which performs better, you can systematically improve conversion rates.
21. Automate notifications for key user actions like logins. This is about staying informed without constant manual checks. For example, when a new user logs in, an automatic notification can be sent to the administrator, keeping them updated on site activity.
22. Automate customer lifecycle steps, like redirecting form submissions to a thank you page. This creates a smooth transition for users. After submitting a form, they are automatically redirected to a "Thank You" page with clear next steps, moving them from a visitor to a more engaged lead.
23. Ensure search engines can index your site properly. A simple but critical step: make sure the setting that discourages search engines from indexing your site is unchecked. Otherwise, your content will be invisible to search engines.
24. Integrate Google SiteKit for direct performance tracking. This plugin brings Google Analytics and Search Console data directly into your WordPress dashboard. This allows you to monitor traffic, performance, and user behavior without constantly switching between platforms.
25. Avoid plugin overload; each plugin should have a specific, essential role. Too many plugins, especially those without a clear purpose, add unnecessary code, slow down your site, and increase security risks. Be judicious and only install what you truly need.
26. Avoid switching themes after a site is already live to prevent rebuilding. Changing themes mid-project can be a nightmare, affecting layouts, menus, and design. It often leads to having to rebuild large portions of your site. It's best to choose a theme early and stick with it, or use theme-independent methods like block patterns.
27. Regularly clean up unused plugins and files to prevent technical debt. Deactivating a plugin doesn't always remove all its associated files. Over time, this can create security vulnerabilities and slow down your site. A monthly cleanup of unused plugins and code is recommended.
28. Automate repetitive manual tasks to save time and improve efficiency. If you find yourself doing the same task over and over, there's likely a way to automate it. Setting up simple workflows can free up significant time and keep your operations running smoothly.
29. Use code snippets for small custom features instead of extra plugins. For minor customizations that don't warrant a full plugin, using code snippets (often managed by a dedicated plugin) keeps your setup lighter while still allowing for flexibility.
30. Manage multiple sites from a single dashboard for efficiency. If you manage several websites, using a WordPress management tool or a well-structured setup allows you to oversee them all from one central dashboard, saving time and streamlining your workflow.
31. Link WordPress to accounting, shipping, and other business platforms. This extends the integration beyond CRMs. Connecting to your accounting software or shipping providers ensures that all aspects of your business operations are synchronized, creating a truly integrated ecosystem.
32. White-label the WordPress dashboard for a professional client experience. For agencies or freelancers, removing WordPress branding from the client dashboard and replacing it with your own brand creates a more professional and custom feel, enhancing the client experience.
🎯 Expert Opinion
This video nails it! The distinction between treating WordPress as a collection of tools versus a cohesive system is the absolute crux of the matter. We're seeing a massive divergence in how businesses leverage this platform, and the 73% vs. 1% statistic is a stark reminder of the untapped potential for most users. The core message about strategic architecture and interconnectedness is spot on. For years, I've seen businesses struggle with slow, unmanageable sites because they've just "bolted on" features without a plan.
The emphasis on block patterns for theme independence is particularly forward-thinking. This is the future of flexible WordPress development, moving away from theme lock-in and towards reusable components that can adapt to future design trends or even theme changes without a complete overhaul. This is a huge efficiency gain and a significant reduction in technical debt.
The concept of "content intelligence and automation" is where the real business growth happens. It's not just about creating content; it's about ensuring that content works for you tirelessly. The automated distribution to multiple channels is a must-have in today's multi-platform world. I predict that businesses that don't automate their content distribution will fall behind significantly in terms of reach and engagement. The transcript's focus on building SEO into the structure from the start is also critical. It's far more effective and sustainable than trying to retrofit SEO onto a poorly structured site.
The "conversion architecture" segment is pure gold. This is where the rubber meets the road for revenue generation. Designing intentional user journeys, clear calls to action, and seamless lead capture are not optional; they are essential for any business looking to grow online. The A/B testing recommendation is a professional standard for a reason – it removes guesswork and ensures data-driven decisions. I've seen clients double their conversion rates simply by optimizing their landing page CTAs based on A/B test results.
The technical excellence and performance section is often overlooked but is foundational. A slow or insecure site will repel visitors and damage reputation. The emphasis on lightweight assets, security-by-design, and robust backups is a testament to a mature approach to web development. In the current landscape, where user patience is thin and cyber threats are ever-present, these aspects are non-negotiable.
Finally, the "business integration and automation" is the ultimate evolution. This transforms WordPress from a website into a true business operating system. Integrating with CRMs, accounting software, and other platforms creates a seamless flow of information, enabling smarter decision-making and more efficient operations. I anticipate a significant trend towards businesses looking for "headless" or API-first WordPress solutions to facilitate these deeper integrations. The white-labeling aspect is also a smart move for agencies looking to build stronger client relationships and offer a more branded, professional service.
Overall, this video provides a blueprint for building scalable, automated, and revenue-generating websites with WordPress. It's a paradigm shift from the traditional approach, and those who adopt these principles will undoubtedly gain a significant competitive advantage.
Kanal: Mikey Website