Creating a WordPress website in 2025: 15 pitfalls and tips for getting started

Getting started on the web is a fabulous, exciting adventure, but it's also full of pitfalls. Especially when you don't know anything about it yet. Many people think that simply publishing a site will get you on the first page of Google, or that a few ads will be enough to get your business off the ground. In reality, success depends on a solid foundation: performance, security, independence and technical continuity.

Many people are also wondering how to choose an agency, and what the criteria are for a sustainable online business. In our opinion, terms of sale, commitment, data sovereignty and site design are the essential criteria to check.

As a WordPress web hosting specialist and a site designer following a strict code of ethics, LRob here shares his advice, which we believe is essential to get you started serenely, avoid the most common pitfalls, and ensure the sustainability of your project. Please note that this is just our opinion, but we hope it will help you make informed choices.

Classic mistakes to avoid right from the start

Don't spend your entire budget right from the start

Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of putting all their budget into the initial creation of the site. However, once it's online, you'll inevitably have new ideas: adding a feature, changing a layout, adjusting the order tunnel... It's also possible that the result won't suit you, or not quite. And modification has a cost.

So plan a budgetary margin for upgrades from the outset. Your site isn't set in stone; it's a living tool that needs to grow with your business. Anyone who spends all their budget at once will often find themselves blocked, frustrated, and having to wait months before being able to finance the necessary improvements.

WordPress Builders: a bad idea

Elementor, Divi, WPBakery... These "page builders" have seduced thousands of agencies and freelancers. Yet, in 2025, they've become a monumental mistake.

Why is that? Because they are :

• heavy: they generate overloaded code and severely slow down the site,
• Unreliable: updates regularly break sites,
• non-permanent: you're a prisoner of your builder, unable to go back without redoing all your pages,
• not environmentally friendly: their over-consumption of server resources results in a considerable carbon footprint.

➡️ All these points are detailed in a dedicated article: Should we still be using WordPress builders in 2025?

The conclusion is simple: in 90 % of cases, a native WordPress theme or an FSE (Full Site Editing) compatible theme does better, for less money, with better performance and simplified maintenance.

Some agencies with can do a fantastic job with builders, but if possible, prefer a native design.

Combining Builder and WooCommerce

WooCommerce is the e-commerce extension for WordPress. Very powerful, but also very heavy.
An e-commerce site has many dynamic elements (shopping cart, stock, customer accounts...), which cannot be cached. This means that every page must load fast, even without a cache. Caching is a method of pre-computing pages and saving loading time.

If you add a builder on top of WooCommerce, your site will simply run out of steam. Your customers won't have the patience to wait, and neither will you or your team.

Believing that a website instantly brings traffic and customers

Publishing your site doesn't mean "magically appearing" on the first page of Google or seeing orders pour in overnight. This is probably one of the biggest delusions of those just starting out.

A website is a window: it must first exist, be technically sound and offer a fluid experience. But for it to be seen, you then need to work on your natural search engine optimization (SEO), work on your marketing strategy, regularly publish relevant content, and in some sectors plan a recurring advertising budget (Google Ads, social networks...).

The site is therefore an indispensable base, but it's only the beginning of the road. Success relies on a mix of visibility, communication and consistency of effort. To believe otherwise is to set yourself up for huge disappointment.

Choosing the wrong web host

The web host will host and distribute your site. Hosting is the foundation of your site. Choosing a traditional web host is like building a solid house... on sand.

A WordPress site shouldn't be hosted just anywhere. Many reflexively choose a "mainstream" web host: attractive pricing, standardized offerings... but with no WordPress-specific facilities, no enhanced security, no competent support and, above all, no performance optimization. Some agencies even host on this type of hosting, or on poorly managed in-house infrastructures.

As a result, you end up with a slow site, vulnerable to attacks, and an impersonal customer service department that refers you to the documentation at the slightest problem.

Conversely, a specialized WordPress hosting provider like LRob guarantees :

• high-performance, well-maintained servers,
• enhanced security against attacks on WordPress,
• competent, attentive human support,
• optimized performance, essential for a fast, pleasant site.

Believe that all functionality is easy to develop

WordPress is an extremely flexible tool, but that doesn't mean that everything is "plug and play". Many imagine that it's enough to "install a little plugin" or that a developer can work miracles in 5 minutes to add any functionality: a complex product configurator, an advanced booking system, a marketplace... In reality, these features often require significant development work, careful integration and regular technical monitoring.

If you underestimate this complexity, you run the risk of blowing your budget or obtaining a cobbled-together solution that weakens your entire site. Before validating a feature, take the time to check :

• if it already exists via a reliable and well-maintained plugin,
• what is its actual cost (purchase, maintenance, integration time),
• and whether it's compatible with your long-term project.

A good service provider will help you decide between your desires and what is technically reasonable. Sometimes, a simplified or progressive version is preferable to launch the site quickly and efficiently.

Forgetting about RGPD compliance and visitor privacy

In 2025, it's impossible to ignore personal data protection. Yet many sites continue to mindlessly load external resources: Google fonts, third-party scripts, marketing trackers, or the notorious Google reCAPTCHA... All of this sends your visitors' data to web giants, often without clear consent, and therefore in violation of the RGPD.

The problem is that these practices :

• weaken your legal compliance,
• undermine visitor confidence,
• unnecessarily weigh down your site (and therefore its carbon footprint).

Good practice is simple:

• favor local loading of your resources (fonts, scripts, videos...),
• use respectful alternatives to reCAPTCHA (e.g. hCaptcha, or server-side anti-robot systems),
• Use self-hosted statistics like Matomo,
• and keep external tools to an absolute minimum.

At LRob, all sites are designed to be RGPD-friendly by default, without relying on uncontrolled third-party scripts. It's more respectful, faster, and you sleep easy in case of an audit.

Neglecting site maintenance

A WordPress site isn't a finished product: it's living software, requiring regular updates, security monitoring and sometimes technical patches. Too many site owners forget this reality... until the day their site is hacked, becomes slow or crashes after an update. At LRob, repairing hacked WordPress sites brings us new customers, but even so, we wouldn't wish that on anyone.

Regular updating also generates fewer potential problems. So it's much more sustainable to update your site regularly. But it's much easier to delegate this task than to do it yourself, since any malfunctions require technical expertise.

If you don't want to spend your evenings dealing with bugs or searching forums for solutions, the best option is to leave this part to a specialist. With LRob WordPress webmastering offers, you benefit from:

• daily updates,
• enhanced safety,
• human and competent support,
• and personalized support to help you evolve serenely.

In short: you stay focused on your business, and your site stays fast, secure and operational, whatever happens.

Best practices for a sustainable WordPress site

Provide clear specifications

The success of a web project depends largely on the clarity of your vision. Without specifications, you leave your agency or service provider guessing about your needs. The result: misunderstandings, frustrations, and sometimes a site that doesn't live up to your expectations. Yet the vast majority of people and companies who want to create a site do so without specifications. Fear of complexity, no doubt.

But a specification document doesn't have to be technical. What counts is to list your objectives, expected functionalities, constraints and priorities. Take the time to invest in this reflection: turn your project upside down, put your ideas on paper, and arrive at your site designer with a clear vision.

A specification is your compass. It eliminates guesswork and enables your service provider to work efficiently, by aligning his choices with your real needs.

Check the type of theme used

Always ask your provider what type of theme they use. If you're doing e-commerce, make sure it's native or ESF-compatible. Today, this is the only approach that guarantees flexibility, stability and lightness. When it comes to editing your own pages, you'll generally find it easier to master the native editor than a third-party solution.

Simply assess the relevance of technical choices

You don't need to be a technician: the aim is to check that the decisions made are simple, sustainable and reversible. In concrete terms, ask your service provider:

• Why this choice? (native theme/FSE preferred, few plugins).
• Is it popular and sustainable? (many users, good ratings, recent updates).
• How much will it cost in 2 years? (licenses, hosting, maintenance).
• What if we remove this plugin? (the site remains legible = no enclosure).
• Impact perf & RGPD? (fast loading, local resources rather than third-party scripts).

If the answers are clear, measured and there's a simple Plan B, you're on sound footing. If not, prefer a more national/native, lightweight and proven option where possible. Of course, the more niche the functionality you're looking for, the fewer alternatives you'll have... That's also the game, but you need to be aware of the implications of the various technical choices from the outset.

Upgrade your skills to master your site in-house

To be free (and we have good reason to think this is important), you need to master the essentials of using your site. Don't let your site be a black box.

You don't need to be a developer, but you should ideally know :

• edit a page or article,
• add or modify a product,
• manage orders and their status,
• manage comments,
• create a promotion...

Practice makes perfect. A good approach is to start with a video/screen-sharing guide, then explore and get the hang of it little by little.

Without needing to be an expert, it's more than reassuring to have at least one or two people in-house with a minimum command of the tools.

Sovereignty and safeguards

Your site is the heart of your business. It must be entirely yours. This means:

• be the owner of the domain name,
• have all keys (admin access, FTP, database),
• have automated backup on your side.

Automated backup costs between €4 and €10 per month for an external backup server. A small price for a good night's sleep. Here's our guide to the subject: Perpetuate my data.

If your web designer really ensures your freedom and you enjoy what you are reading, you can choose and will certainly love our ultra fast, simple and secure web hosting for WordPress, with a really human support that takes care of you !

Ask an AI for advice too

Today, there are tools like ChatGPT or Claude that can help you understand the technical aspects of your site. They have no commercial intent or ulterior motive, but have strong foundations, infinite patience and are able to give you clear, fast explanations on almost any subject.

Whether you want to compare two plugins, understand how caching works, or learn the basics of SEO, asking an AI for advice is often a great way to get an unbiased first analysis. Of course, it's no substitute for professional guidance, but it's a formidable fulcrum for educating yourself and making better decisions.

Security and access management

Protect your critical accesses with a shared password manager. Don't leave them to Google Chrome or any other browser. Always have a spare

• My preference: KeePassXC, free and self-hosted, backed up on Nextcloud (also self-hosted). All these are services offered by LRob and the workings of KeePass + Nextcloud are detailed here.
• Alternatives: LastPass and others, but personally I don't trust the idea of entrusting my passwords to an opaque third party.

At least two trusted people must have access to key identifiers.

Creative ethics made in LRob

After more than 10 years, designing WordPress websites, LRob has established a WordPress website design charter that guarantees performance, security and durability and that can be summarized as follows:

1. Less is more: a site should be as simple as possible, technically.
2. Security: HTTPS mandatory, no uncontrolled external resources.
3. Zero builder: we remain 100 native %.
4. High-end hosting: latest versions of PHP, firewall, anti-bruteforce, server-level WordPress security.
5. Sustainability: plugins that are maintained, supported and reliable.
6. Speed: performance is managed at source, not with cache patches.
7. Free: avoid paid and closed dependencies as much as possible.
8. Anti-spam: native and server protection, not just plugins.
9. Secure e-mail: sent via authenticated SMTP.
10. Sovereignty: customers own their site, files and data.

Whether you choose LRob or any other service provider, make sure they comply with all these standards and tips, which we believe are essential.

Beware of contracts and hidden costs

Another point of vigilance concerns contracts and long-term financial commitment. Do you really want to take on 5 years of financing and not be able to entrust your site to someone else in case of problems?

Also, a WordPress site can quickly become a subscription machine if you're not careful: paid themes, premium plugins, third-party services, hosting + maintenance at prohibitive rates imposed by the agency, all this can drive up the bill without you realizing it.

Before signing anything, ask :

• what is the duration of the commitment,
• what is the actual cost of each plugin used (and whether free alternatives exist),
• whether maintenance is mandatory or optional, and what it actually covers,
• what are the costs associated with hosting and annual renewals,

In short: always anticipate the total cost of ownership of your site, not just its starting price, and check that your freedom is assured. This will help you avoid unpleasant surprises and guarantee a clear vision of your project's profitability.

Recommended service providers

If you're not sure where to start, we've got some solid advice on how to avoid the pitfalls.

Our trusted dealers

LRob are also web agencies hosted on our servers. When you call on these agencies, you get top-notch hosting and dual expertise: if even the agency gets stuck on a concern, it benefits from an extra level of support to help with WordPress: LRob support, which helps even the most expert!

We recommend the following agencies and designers without hesitation:

• Labographic (they trusted us from the start, and we've vouched for their reliability over the years)
• Steven Diai (a service provider so rigorous and technical that it has helped us to further improve LRob services)
• Site Captain (a designer who has been combining creativity, rigor and human quality for years)

Note: These are human-scale agencies, with whom you can talk to avoid using a builder.

Our trusted SEO service providers

A site's success often depends on its SEO, so don't neglect your site's SEO. And it's a complex business in its own right.

At LRob, we use LumiSEO for our SEO: Valérie does a fantastic job in the highly competitive web hosting sector.

A native of Orléans (like us) also inspires us with great confidence: Alan Chevereau, whom we've met and whose excellent work we've been following for years.

LRob: more than a hosting provider, a WordPress partner

Conclusion: take the time to get off to a good start

A well-designed WordPress site is a :

• fast (efficient even without cache),
• secure (protected against vulnerabilities and attacks),
• independent (you retain full ownership),
• and above all permanent (easy to maintain and upgrade).

Don't give in to the temptation of builders or "turnkey" solutions that lock you into cumbersome and costly technical choices. Your project's success depends on a solid foundation: a specialized hosting provider, simple, sustainable choices, a minimum of in-house expertise, and vigilance in the face of classic pitfalls (contracts, maintenance, poorly chosen plugins, RGPD, etc.).

With a little common sense and a reliable partner, you can get started with peace of mind and build an online presence that will stand the test of time.

👉 Discover the LRob WordPress web hosting and the webmastering WordPress offers to benefit from technical, human and secure support, or call on one of our partners. Need help designing or hosting your WordPress site? Contact us now.