Building a Robust System for WordPress Development: A Guide to Streamlining Your Workflow

At FunkPd, we strive to deliver high-quality WordPress websites to our clients. In order to do so, it’s important to have a well-defined System for WordPress in place for our development process.

In this guide, we’ll go over the steps you should take to build a system for WordPress development at FunkPd, including defining our development process, choosing the right tools, establishing a workflow, documenting our process, automating repetitive tasks, and continuously improving our process.

By following these steps, we’ll be able to streamline our workflow, improve the quality of our work, and increase our efficiency. Let’s get started!

Define Your Development Process

If you’re reading this you’re likely in the “Production” stage of our 8Ps framework. During this stage, we focus on setting up the technical infrastructure for the WordPress website and installing the necessary software.

Here is the process we follow for producing a WordPress site:

1. Server Setup: We set up a server for the website, ensuring that it has the necessary resources and is configured to meet the client’s requirements. This might be on a local server or on a live server with a staging domain.
2. WordPress and Database Installation: We install the latest version of WordPress on the server and create a database to store the website’s data. We’ll usually run a ‘newsite.sh’ script, ask Nolan if you don’t know how to use it.
3. Theme and Plugin Installation: We install the theme and plugins that have been approved by the client during the design stage. If it’s a template we’re likely using wpastra, if it’s a custom we’re likely using hello-elementor and a child theme named hello-{brand}
4. Custom Code Integration: We integrate any custom code that is required to meet the client’s specific needs. We’ll usually name the plugin “Fp-Codes’ or change the prefix to the clients initials. Text-domain is usually ‘fp-codes’.
5. Content Migration: If the client already has an existing website, we migrate their content to the new WordPress site. This is done in a number of ways, if they’re on wordpress we can often get lucky with an export, otherwise it’s sometimes easier to build a little webscraper with python.

By following this process, we can ensure that the technical infrastructure of the WordPress website is set up correctly and that the necessary software is installed and configured properly. This lays the foundation for the final stages of our 8Ps framework.

Choose the Right Tools for WordPress Development

When it comes to building a successful WordPress website, choosing the right tools is just as important as having a well-defined development process. There are several tools that can help you streamline your workflow, improve the quality of your work, and increase your efficiency.

Here are some of the key tools you should consider using:

1. Code editor: A code editor is a crucial tool for WordPress development. Choose a code editor that supports syntax highlighting and code completion, and that has a user-friendly interface.
2. Version control system: A version control system helps you keep track of changes to your code and collaborate with your team. Consider using Git for version control.
3. Project management tool: A project management tool helps you keep track of tasks, deadlines, and team members. Consider using Trello or Monday.
4. Testing tool: A testing tool helps you identify and fix bugs before deploying your website. Consider using tools such as Query Monitor. And google devtools lighthouse is of course necessary. Firefox is better if you’re working with CSS.

By using these tools, you’ll be able to streamline your workflow, improve the quality of your work, and increase your efficiency. Make sure to choose the tools that best fit your development process and the needs of your projects.

Document Bugs and Issues in the Development Process

As a FunkPd employee, it is important to keep track of bugs and issues that arise during the development process in order to ensure that they are addressed promptly and effectively. In this section, we will go over the steps for documenting bugs and issues.

Step 1: Create a Centralized Location for Documentation

The first step in documenting bugs and issues is to create a centralized location for documentation. This could be a Google Doc, a Trello board, or a dedicated section in Monday, for example. The important thing is that it’s accessible to everyone on the team and that it’s easy to add and update information.

Step 2: Log Bugs and Issues as They Arise

As bugs and issues arise during the development process, log them in the centralized location for documentation. Make sure to include a description of the issue, the steps taken to reproduce it, and any relevant screenshots or code snippets.

Step 3: Assign Tasks to Team Members

Once a bug or issue has been documented, assign a team member to address it. Make sure to include a due date for the task, and use Monday or Trello to track progress and ensure that the task is completed on time.

Step 4: Update the Documentation

Once the bug or issue has been addressed, make sure to update the documentation to reflect the outcome. This could include a description of the solution, the code changes made, and any relevant screenshots or code snippets.

Step 5: Regularly Review the Documentation

Finally, make sure to regularly review the documentation to ensure that all bugs and issues are being addressed promptly and effectively. This will help ensure that your development process is running smoothly and that the final product meets the client’s expectations.

By documenting bugs and issues in a centralized location and regularly reviewing the documentation, you will be able to improve the quality of your work and ensure that each WordPress development project is completed efficiently and effectively.

Establish a workflow

As a FunkPd employee, it is important to have a workflow process for each WordPress project to ensure consistency and quality in your work. In this section, we will go over the steps for establishing your workflow.

Step 1: Define Project Goals and Expectations

Before starting any development work, it is important to define the project goals and expectations with the client. This will ensure that everyone is on the same page and that the final product meets the client’s expectations.

Step 2: Assign Roles to Team Members

Once the project goals and expectations have been defined, it is time to assign roles to team members, including designers, developers, and copywriters. Make sure to take into account each team member’s strengths and expertise to ensure that the project is completed efficiently and effectively.

Step 3: Use Monday or Trello for Project Management

Use Monday or Trello for project management and collaboration. These tools will help you track progress and deadlines, and will make it easy for everyone on the team to stay on the same page.

Step 4: Allow for Revisions

During the development process, it is important to allow for revisions. At FunkPd, we allow for up to three revisions. After each revision, the developer should update the project manager for quality control review.

Step 5: Communicate with the Client

Regular communication with the client is essential for a successful project outcome. Schedule regular meetings and use email and Monday/Trello to communicate with the client throughout the development process.

Step 6: Thorough Testing and Quality Assurance

A thorough testing and quality assurance process is critical to ensuring that the final product meets the client’s expectations. Make sure to have a robust testing process in place, and involve the client in the testing and review process.

Step 7: Plan for Deployment

Once the development and testing stages are complete, it’s time to deploy the final product to live servers. Make sure to have a plan in place for deployment, including any necessary steps for backup and security.

Step 8: Ongoing Maintenance and Updates

Finally, establish a process for ongoing maintenance and updates to the final product. This will help ensure that the website remains up-to-date and functional for the client.

By following these steps, you will be able to ensure that each WordPress development project is completed efficiently, effectively, and to the satisfaction of the client.

Automate Repetitive Tasks

At FunkPd, we believe in using technology to streamline our workflow and increase efficiency. One way to do this is by automating repetitive tasks in the WordPress development process.

By automating tasks such as setting up a development environment, deploying code, and testing, we can save time and reduce the risk of errors. This allows us to focus on more important and creative tasks, and ultimately deliver higher quality work to our clients.

When starting a new WordPress development project, it’s important to identify the tasks that can be automated and implement tools and processes to do so. This could include using scripts or plugins to automate certain steps, or using a continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) pipeline to automate the deployment process.

Here are a few examples of automatons you can do as a WordPress developer:

1. Installing and configuring plugins: You can automate the process of installing and configuring plugins by using a tool like WP-CLI, which allows you to install and activate plugins from the command line, and automate the process of setting up plugin options and configurations.
2. Creating and importing content: You can automate the process of creating and importing content by using a plugin like WP All Import, which allows you to import posts, pages, and other content from a CSV or XML file into your WordPress site.
3. Installing and Activating Plugins & Themes: Installing and activating plugins and themes is a common task in WordPress development. You can automate this process by using a tool like WP-CLI, which allows you to install and activate plugins and themes from the command line. This saves time and reduces the risk of errors, as you can automate the process of installing and activating multiple plugins and themes in one go. eg “wp plugin install <plugin-name> –activate”
4. Debugging and troubleshooting: You can automate the process of debugging and troubleshooting by using a plugin like Query Monitor, which allows you to see a detailed breakdown of the WordPress queries and actions that are being performed on your site, and identify any performance or compatibility issues.
5. Creating backups and exports: You can automate the process of creating backups and exports by using a plugin like UpdraftPlus, which allows you to schedule regular backups of your WordPress site, and export your site’s content, settings, and plugins to another environment.

Remember, the goal of automation is to save time and improve efficiency, so it’s important to continuously evaluate and improve our automation processes as needed.

In summary, automating repetitive tasks is a crucial aspect of building a robust system for WordPress development at FunkPd. By doing so, we can streamline our workflow, improve the quality of our work, and deliver the best possible results to our clients.

Continuously Improve Your Process

At FunkPd, we believe in always striving for excellence and continuous improvement in everything we do. This applies to our WordPress development process as well. Here are some steps that you can take to ensure that your process remains effective, efficient, and relevant:

1. Seek feedback: Encourage feedback from your team and clients on the process. Ask for their thoughts on what could be improved, what was efficient, and what was not.
2. Review regularly: Set aside time regularly to review your process and see what can be improved. Consider areas where you can streamline your workflow, optimize your tools, and simplify your documentation.
3. Stay updated: Stay up-to-date with the latest WordPress development trends, tools, and best practices. This will help you stay ahead of the curve and incorporate the latest techniques into your process.
4. Experiment: Don’t be afraid to experiment with new tools, techniques, and approaches. Sometimes taking a chance on a new idea can lead to significant improvements in your process.

By continuously reviewing and improving your process, you can ensure that you are delivering high-quality work and providing the best possible experience for your clients. Remember, your process should evolve as you grow and learn, and the goal is to always find new and better ways of doing things.

tl;dr:

Building a system for WordPress development is essential for streamlining your workflow, improving the quality of your work, and increasing your efficiency. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can establish a clear and consistent development process, choose the right tools, document your process, automate repetitive tasks, and continuously improve your workflow.

At FunkPd, we believe that having a systematic approach to WordPress development is crucial for delivering high-quality work and providing our clients with the best possible experience. We encourage all of our employees to follow these steps and to continuously review and improve their workflow as they gain experience and learn new techniques.

By implementing a strong system for WordPress development, we can ensure that each project runs smoothly and efficiently, and that we consistently deliver top-notch work to our clients.