How to Harden WordPress and Keep Your Site Secure

Do you want to upgrade your WordPress website’s security?

WordPress is among the most popular content management systems today, with over 27 million live websites under its name. People create their websites with WordPress because of the features and templates it has. Their platform also provides near-unlimited customization options with the themes available to choose from.

The only flaw with WordPress is that by default it has poor security measures. This shouldn’t discourage you from using WordPress, though.

Instead of turning away, learn how to harden WordPress websites. This will help you create an amazing website filled with strong security features. Read on to learn how you can keep your WordPress website secure.


1. Keep Your Website Updated

Learning how to harden WordPress websites means that you need to pay attention to the latest updates. This is important because most updates change the different aspects of WordPress. This often affects your security by changing how WordPress interacts with the different installed software.

Older versions of WordPress are also easier to hack. This is because WordPress releases a list of the bug fixes they made in the previous version. There may be exploits that allow hackers to get into your website with ease.


2. Install Security Plugins

Many plugins are available to use for WordPress websites. Among them are security plugins that can help you strengthen your WordPress website’s security. You can do this in different ways with the different plugins that you can get.

Check the features of each plugin and go for the one that gives you what you need. Some plugins can be well-rounded but will interfere with your website’s features. Look for another plugin that provides the specific security feature that doesn’t mess with your website.

You must also consider where you’re getting your plugins from. Downloading from suspicious websites can be a way for your website to get malware. Choose reputable sites instead to ensure a safe download.


3. Enable Firewalls on Your Website

This is the simplest way to protect your WordPress website. Most hackers on the Internet go website hopping to look for sites to hack with ease. Some send bots across the Internet to check the integrity of different websites.

Enabling a firewall on your website is a great way to deter them. They will block them even before they can enter your website.

There are 2 firewall types for you to apply on your website. The first one is a DNS level website firewall that routes traffic to proxy servers. These servers verify which ones are genuine users before they direct them to your website.

Application-level firewalls examine the traffic once they reach your server. The only thing keeping them from affecting your website is the fact that it does this before loading any scripts from your WordPress website.


4. Move Your Website to a More Secure Domain

Most people will notice that the first part of the site’s URL is HTTP. This is your host’s domain name, and it reflects the security of your website. This will tell people that your website is insecure, causing them to avoid it.

Move your website to a more secure domain to make it more appealing. Secure domains provide a significant increase in your security. This is because they check their domain for suspicious activity on the regular.

It can be a hassle to move domains, though. You can enable SSL instead to get the same effect of moving domains.

This will make your domain name HTTPS instead of HTTP. It will let people know that you’re a secure website.


5. Use Two-Factor Authentication on Your Website

Two-factor authentication is a great way to prevent would-be hackers from entering your website. It’s a great way to keep your website secure if you have many registered users.

Most hackers look into the accounts of your regulars. They then access your website through the weaker accounts.

Enabling two-factor authentication will make it harder for them to enter your websites. This will activate when someone logs in an account using an unfamiliar device. It will ask them to verify their identity through pre-set methods.

This system leaves enough time for the original user to know about the login attempt. They can then alert the system about the attempted break-in and will disable the account.


6. Disable File Editing

WordPress boasts amazing customizability for the users of the platform. This is because of the built-in code editor that makes it easier to edit the themes of your website. This is often only accessible for the admin.

Sometimes, someone else can get their hands on this feature. This can spell disaster if they know how to use it to take sensitive information from your website.

What’s great is that you can disable this feature after you’re done editing. Disabling this ensures that no one will tear your website apart.


7. Set Up an Emergency Lockdown Feature

These security measures aren’t 100% effective. Hackers will find new ways to enter secured websites whenever there’s a new security update. This is because they see this as a challenge to their hacking skills.

They will find a way into your website if you give them enough time. When this happens, you want to have a plan to protect your data. A great way to do this is to set up a lockdown feature on your website.

Some plugins allow you to do drastic measures as a lockdown feature. This includes logging out all the online users the moment you start the lockdown.

Addressing this sudden lockdown is important for registered members. They will not quarrel with you if you provide a good explanation.


8. Use a Strong Password

The easiest way to increase your security is to use a strong password. Simple passwords like your birthday are easy to figure out. Using a mix of capitalization, letters, and numbers will make it harder to access your account.

This is for the people who don’t have the time to put the previous security measures in place. If you’re one of these people, then it’s best to leave this to the professionals.


Harden WordPress Websites Today

WordPress can help you make the best-looking website or blog. The only problem is the security the platform lacks. Learn how to harden WordPress websites here and increase your security today!

Want to learn more ways to increase your security? Discover all the tips and tricks you need by reading more of our posts right here on the Frugal Finance Blog! Visit our Tech and SEO blog sections right now.

8 Top WordPress Plugins for Gym Websites

Health and Fitness is a $30 billion industry is on the rise. on the rise. This is a great time to be in the business as you can find unique ways to optimize your website by adding easy-to-use widgets so your company stands out.

Not sure how to create one of the best gym websites? Here are the top 8 WordPress widgets to add to your site.


1. Premium BMI Calculator

Body Mass Index is an easy-to-calculate way to measure obesity based on the ratio of your weight and height. This is a handy widget to add to your gym website, which comes with built-in options for colors, fonts, and styles. It is also mobile responsive and easy to incorporate to your site.

This calculator features fields for height (in both meters or inches) and weight (in kilos or pounds) and tells you whether your results fall in the “underweight”, “normal” or “obese” category. 


2. Meal Planner Pro Recipes Free Plugin

Enjoy publishing healthy recipes? Then use this widget so you can regularly publish new posts in an appealing way. You’ll also be giving readers nutritional value and the chance to print them.

This plugin is responsive and comes with built-in Scheme information so your recipes are automatically optimized for search engines. You can also add ingredients that can be bought from affiliate links, insert notes and photos within instructions.


3. WPGYM - WordPress Gym Management System

If you need help streamlining your gym admin, try WPGYM. First, create your own gym membership plans and accept payments via PayPal so your gym members can pay online instead.

This WordPress management system gives you stats on members so they can log in to track their own nutrition, body measurements, and workout schedules. You can also add trainers as WordPress users so you can message easily and they can add their own workout plans. Further, members can use this as a workout calendar tracker so customers can monitor their process.

Further, you can manage fitness class schedules and track attendance for each class so you know which ones need filling. This is the perfect plugin for those who are developing a gym website as it keeps you organized.  


4. CF Whiteboard - Full Crossfit Workout Tracker Plugin 

If you’re a hardcore Crossfit fan then CF Whiteboard is the best fitness gym widget for you. It lets you add social workout tracking to your site so athletes can monitor their workouts, attendance, and results before comparing PRs and Benchmarks. 

It also comes with workouts and movements so you need not build exercises from scratch.

Further, you can track unlimited users and search for their results.

Before you sign-up though, remember that Whiteboard offers a 30-day free trial before you’re charged a monthly fee.


5. Gym Studio Membership Management

This widget is like WPGYM as you can manage member information and payments. You can also set up automatic recurring payments and track all transactions from your members.

Further, you can add a class schedule and newsletter to your site to keep your clients updated. The most unique feature is that the plugin generates a QR code for each member that signs up. Scan this QR code via an iPhone or Android app to check members in a quick and easy way.

Although this is the best fitness website widget, the default design is outdated so use CSS to customize the plugin so it stands out on your site.  


6. Weight Loss Tracker

This weight loss widget lets members monitor their height and weight. You can track these changes over time so users can see their progress.

If you choose the Pro version of the plugin, you can also track the measurements of your:

• Biceps
• Waist
• Glutes

You’ll also have access to community stats and extra shortcodes. If you run a fitness membership site, your customers can track their own stats and become part of your community.    


7. Free Keto Calculator WordPress Plugin

The ketogenic diet (or keto diet) is a low-carb, high-fat diet that has many health benefits. Over 20 studies show that this diet can help you shed weight and improve your health.

Use one of these imperial plugins to measure your nutritional needs to reach your desired weight loss and performance goals. It’s easy-to-use by adding the shortcode to any post or page on your site.

Once you enter your details, you can create charts and tables and offer visitors a weight loss and weight gain diet plan. You can also generate PDF reports using this data.


8. Build A Meal - WordPress Nutrition Calculator Plugin

This is a nifty plugin as it lets you add nutrition functionality to your WordPress website. You can easily build a meal and calculate how many calories it contains and the nutritional value.

The plugin lets you add unlimited ingredients and sort them into categories. Also, the widget lets customers share their specific meals which is a great way to boost traffic.

You can also track and share your own nutrition information, great for your fitness diary or personal trainer website.


Now You Know How to Create Great Gym Websites

When you’re in the gym business, you must find engaging ways to communicate with your clients and try to boost website traffic. Gym websites are booming in popularity so keep yours updated with fitness-related widgets and WP plugins to help your website stand out. Good luck!

Did you find this article on the top WP plugins for gym websites to be helpful? Check us out for more fitness-related content and business-related content that you’ll love.