Today’s users have more expectations than just functionality. They want safe, fast, simple to use plugins that work out of the box. And with so many other options, to build a thing that users will feel the need to use requires a thoughtful approach.
To support you in this journey, we have put together this list of 8 tips that will help make your venture on the road to modern WordPress plugin methodology.
1. Create a Well-Defined Strategy
While diving straight into coding is certainly tempting, even the most brilliant plugin needs a plan. Who is my audience? The goal is to see an actual pain point that is not being solved very well by existing tools.
A great plugin does one thing very well – no bloat. More importantly, what is it about your idea that makes it special? If you know what the unique selling points are from the start, they will help you make every decision as you build your plugin.
Your plan should also extend beyond the initial release. Think about how you will solicit initial user feedback for future improvements, and how you will continue to improve your plugin through updates. If you put just a little thought into your long-term vision, for example, support and marketing, you can be prepared for success well beyond the first release.
Many developers also lean on professional WordPress plugin development services at this stage, especially if they are struggling with market research, coding best practices, or creating a scalable plugin system.
2. Abide by WordPress Coding Standards
It also helps prevent errors and security issues by using WordPress’ reliable built-in features instead of creating your own. Plus, free tools can check your code to make sure you’re sticking to the rules.
Clean and standard code means your plugin is more portable and professional. It says to the community you care about quality and that your plugin is built to last.
3. Structure the WordPress Plugin Directory
Similar to how a clean workstation helps you find your tools, a clean plugin file structure follows the same benefits. Having a file structure, and clear pathways to locate files within your plugin directory makes finding what you need when you want to debug something or add a new feature much easier. It also saves you the headache of confusion later on.
An effective way to accomplish this is to group files together. You can have types of folders or groupings for your desired admin-facing code, public-facing code, other important functions, etc. And instead of having image, CSS, and JavaScript files floating around your main directory, you will want them all contained in their ‘assets’ folder to simplify the directory and make it easier for yourself to find those types of files.
If you are not comfortable grouping files properly, a credible WordPress plugin development company will help you develop a clean and usable plugin that not only works but also has a professional level of development from the start when looking to grow.
4. Prioritize Plugin Performance
In today’s internet culture, there is an expectation for websites to load instantly. If your plugin makes a site even slightly faster, the site owner will be in the market for a faster plugin. For that reason, probably one of the most important things you can do is create a light and efficient plugin.
There are a couple of ways to gain performance. Create well-written code that doesn’t request unnecessary requests from the database. Think about doing more with less. For anything labor-intensive, use caching to hold these results temporarily, so the server isn’t doing the same work over and over again.
It is also going to be important to test your plugin’s performance in real-world situations. Use free online tools for testing and measuring the impact of the plugin on a site’s loading time. Use what you find to enhance your code. A fast plugin is not just better performing; it also means a better experience for everybody and better for user happiness.
5. Implement Security Measures
When you build a plugin you’re not only building a feature but also putting yourself in a position of accountability for the security of every site that runs on your plugin. Considering WordPress’ wide adoption, the plugin aspect can be one of the biggest attack vectors for malicious actors. By considering security from the very beginning, you will lessen the chances of attacking our user base.
Essentially you must always treat anything a user puts in our back-end location as potentially dangerous. Always fully vet and sanitize any information a user puts into a form or any information that you receive. WordPress has functions built in to help you safely output data out to the browser to mitigate the most common vulnerabilities.
It’s worth finding a customer base as a trusted plugin developer and using security as part of your culture and development process shows users that you respect their safety and will do everything you can in order to protect them while interacting with their website. Security and consideration for the users will build loyal trust and most likely allow for continued product use.
6. Test and Debug Your Plugin
Test your plugin on different setups—just because it works for you doesn’t mean it will work for everyone. The only way to stop problems from happening before your users find them is to test it.
One way to test is to have a staging site, a private copy of a WordPress site, that you use to mess with the plugin freely without ruining anything public. Be sure to see how it acts in conjunction with other popular plugins, themes, etc. Also, see how it looks and acts on several phones, tablets, and web browsers.
WordPress has built-in debugging tools, which if done right, will help you catch errors or warnings that are not visible to normal users. Taking the time to thoroughly test your plugin will help you later, and keep you from negative license reviews and support nightmares. It shows your users that you care about quality and reliability.
7. Make Use of Auto Updates
It is vital that a plugin stays current with security and new features, and when a plugin is easy to forget, users may forget to update. Developers want to make sure the user has the simplest, most positive experience they can, and automatic updates are an excellent way to ensure that every user can access the improvements they have made.
It would be prudent for developers to let their users choose whether or not to update automatically or manually; developers can point out will be helpful reminders in their settings. For the users that opt in to auto-update, developers can give their users peace of mind that their site will always run the most secure and stable release.
If your plugin lives in the WP directory, you already have this functionality, it just needs to be activated by the user. For premium plugins, developers can build out a similar functionality. Giving users no-fuss updates shows an investments in their time and keeping their sites secure.
8. Write Clear and Concise Documentation
No matter how good your plugin is, it will be perplexing to users if they have no way of telling how to use it. Proper documentation is a great welcoming hand-off to your users, and it allows users to get the most from your tool, even showing them the answers to their questions before they ask!
You should start with simple instructions for downloading and installing the plugin, and set-up. Use simple language whenever possible, as you want your instructions to be easily understandable and not developer-speak. Think about the blunders your user might make and be sure to have a troubleshooting section to get them over the bumps as quickly as possible.
Having thoughtful guides shows that you care about your user experience. It decreases frustration, reduces support requests, and encourages users to feel more confident using your plugin. When users understand how to utilize your plugin to meet their needs, they are much more likely to be a happy long-term fan.
Conclusion
It’s about thinking ahead, being customer-centric and being methodical about the little things that give a plugin value.
By considering these nine contexts, you are not only building a plugin, but you are building something that will help people, work well on their sites, and provide utility as time progresses.
The WordPress community is built on well crafted tools. Always remain a student, listen to others and improve upon your work. If you apply yourself correctly, your plugin could be seen as the word around the world.