Last week was relatively quiet for us due to the bridge and public holidays. But we've still got the WP news for you: In addition to the new features of the Gutenberg Halloween update and the impending General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we also have something that is of great importance to the entire global WordPress community: the 2017 WordPress Survey.
WordPress users: Who are we actually?
Today we're starting with a question that has been on our minds since we first joined the WP community: What does the average WordPress user actually look like? Of course, as a hoster and former agency, we have gained some insights into the German and parts of the European community. But WordPress is a global phenomenon. And the weal and woe of our CMS (and for many of us, that means the weal and woe of our business), which powers 28 percent of the internet, is actually decided by a relatively small number of people. And in order for these few people to really make WordPress better, it is extremely important that there is at least reasonably reliable data about users and usage. That's why we're launching the 2017 WordPress Survey this week. The findings of this study can help to sharpen our understanding of the global community and have the potential to play a role in all important decisions. Of course, this only applies if enough users take part. So take part and put a face to the 99.9 percent of WP users!
Business
Project handover works with WP training
Every web designer and every agency knows the problem: even weeks after the project handover, questions from (former) customers keep coming up that can take hours, even entire working days. This costs time and nerves and, above all, slows down other WordPress projects. According to our colleagues at WPMU DEV, a one-hour WordPress training course for your customer can work wonders in terms of support effort. These are the 9 most important WordPress topics you should explain to your client.
How to optimize your customer support
When the support effort for one of their plugins was no longer manageable, the colleagues at RebelCode knew that something had to happen. After all, the quality of customer support has a direct impact on conversions: "Although many saw the value in our product over that of our competitors, some were looking for a quick solution and opted to go elsewhere because we didn't get back to them right away". Find out which specific measures you can use to optimize your customer support here.
Security
Are you ready for the General Data Protection Regulation?
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force in May 2018. It applies not only to all companies within the EU, but also to foreign companies that sell their products or services in EU countries. The aim of the legislation is to strengthen the rights of consumers with regard to the collection, use and storage of their data. Claire Brotherton explains how you can best prepare your online business for the GDPR.
WordPress sites exploited for cryptocurrency
Is cryptomining the new hacking trend? Security provider Wordfence is increasingly observing attempts to place Coinhive code on vulnerable WordPress sites. The cryptocurrency mined with the code then ends up in the attacker's account, of course. The owners of the hacked sites often only notice when considerable damage has already been done. This is because if the high CPU consumption caused by the hidden cryptominig annoys your site visitors, this is not only reflected in engagement but also in conversions and your turnover. Security provider Wordfence explains how to recognize such an attack and what you can do about it.
WordPress
Gutenberg's Halloween release
The update of the Gutenberg plugin to version 1.6 makes writing articles much more pleasant. This is because the toolbar is now fixed at the top of the screen and can no longer pop up unintentionally and block the view. The update also brings some improvements in terms of performance.
