Is WordPress Really That Bad? (9 Things You Should Know)

Sometimes a misinformed tech consultant, or a paid YouTube influencer for a competing brand might say things like WordPress is BAD!

This can be confusing for beginners to see conflicting opinions about whether WordPress is a bad content management system. The question any rational person should ask is: if WordPress is really that bad, then why is it so popular, and why do nearly half of all websites on the internet use it?

In this article, we will discuss whether WordPress is bad and what things you should know before using it.

Is WordPress Really Bad?

The short answer is ‘No.’ It’s not.

WordPress is the world’s most popular website builder. At the time of writing this article, over 43% of all websites on the internet use WordPress according to the marketshare report.

This also include big-name brands like Sony, CNN, Time Magazine, Disney, and many others.

If WordPress was that bad, then it wouldn’t be so immensely popular among users and some of the largest companies in the world.

People who consider WordPress a bad option usually give the same reasons to make their argument.

Many of their argument are often developer-centric and often beyond the purpose and scope of WordPress.

That being said, let’s take a look at some of the reasons they give when claiming that WordPress is not good.

• WordPress is Not Secure
• WordPress is Only Good for Blogging
• WordPress Code is Sub-standard and Outdated
• WordPress is Used by Amateurs
• WordPress is Not Scalable
• WordPress is not Beginner Friendly
• There is Limited Support Available for WordPress
• WordPress is not Suitable for Ecommerce
• Future of WordPress is Unclear Because it is Free
• Getting Started with WordPress

1. WordPress is Not Secure

One of the most common arguments some developers present is that WordPress is not a secure platform for building mission-critical websites.

This is a myth.

Contrary to these claims, WordPress is actually a very secure and transparent platform.

As open-source software, WordPress code is always available for anyone to study and find security issues.

Because it is monitored by security experts from all over the world for vulnerabilities, this code is one of the most thoroughly scrutinized in the world.

Thousands of developers from hundreds of countries contribute to the WordPress code, and the software is deeply tested for security issues.

As an open-source platform, WordPress is open to any customization. This allows individual website owners, agencies, and developers to make their websites even more secure.

This can be done by installing a security plugin or by using a WordPress firewall. These block the most common threats and make your website more secure.

Third-party developers maintain WordPress themes and plugins. Many premium WordPress plugins and theme companies pay security experts to audit their code.

If a security vulnerability is found in a popular WordPress plugin or theme, it is often patched very quickly, and depending on the severity, WordPress team even pushes automatic security update where applicable.

For more details, see our WordPress security guide which shows how to properly make your WordPress website even more secure.

2. WordPress is Only Good for Blogging

WordPress is by far the best blogging platform on the market. It started out primarily as a blogging tool and still makes it super easy to start a blog.

However, over the years, WordPress has grown into a CMS (content management system) and a powerful platform for building almost any type of website.

WordPress is the go-to software for small business websites.

WooCommerce a WordPress plugin is the #1 eCommerce platform to build an online store, even over popular competitors like Shopify or BigCommerce.

Plus, you can make membership websites, sell online courses, run an online marketplace, and much more.

These days developers are using WordPress as the operating system for the web and even building SaaS applications like OptinMonster, mortgage calculator apps, auction websites like eBay, multivendor marketplace sites like Etsy, and more.

3. WordPress Code is Sub-standard and Outdated

Another argument commonly used is that WordPress coding standards are not that good and that they are outdated.

This reason is commonly given by those developers who usually don’t work with WordPress websites that often.

WordPress software code is simple by design to allow for wide adaption. That isn’t an issue but rather a very intentional feature. This simplicity provides more users with an easy point of entry.

Over the years, WordPress has gotten so easy that even non-techy users can build websites without knowing any code. This has put some developers out of business, so it’s in their interest to bad mouth WordPress, so they can sell you more complicated services that you don’t need.

We believe that WordPress code is standardized, robust, and provides a solid foundation without getting overly complicated.

It offers robust APIs allowing developers to build their own applications and solutions on top of WordPress.

4. WordPress is Used by Amateurs

Again, this reason is given by people who don’t know the scope of the platform and are unfamiliar with the history of WordPress.

The WordPress mission is to democratize publishing and allow more people to easily make websites.

This is again by design and a conscious decision to make WordPress easy for as many people as possible.

The WordPress community is massive and consists of all levels of users, from first-time site owners to large corporations, government agencies, non-profits, developers, and business users.

The project prides itself to be the software of choice for millions of small businesses, hobbyists, independent publishers, bloggers, and more. It should not be seen as a concern that amateurs use WordPress. The platform is built for that.

But it’s also used by large brands and even big governments. For example, Whitehouse.gov (United States government website) is built with WordPress.

5. WordPress is Not Scalable

Scaling is the term used for managing a large volume of traffic as a website grows.

Some developers believe that a WordPress website is harder to scale. We have found this argument to be untrue.

Here is our case study of how we made WordPress faster than static site generators.

A WordPress website needs web hosting just like any other website.

As your website grows, you need more server resources to handle the traffic. This is the case for all website builders and not just WordPress.

We have seen WordPress websites on low-cost shared hosting servers handling very hefty traffic volume effortlessly.

With WordPress, you get the ability to utilize your server resources much more efficiently than any other website builder and even custom-coded websites.

WordPress can utilize your hosting server’s built-in caching mechanisms. Even a beginner-level WordPress user can install a caching plugin to immediately reduce server load.

Plus, you can easily offload your static files and media to a CDN network. You can even go further and offload services like email to SMTP services.

There are thousands of WordPress websites with very high traffic volumes, and they perform exceptionally well.

The best part is that even beginner-level users can do these enhancements to scale their websites as their traffic grows. See our complete WordPress performance & speed handbook for practical, step-by-step instructions for beginners.

Anyone that claims WordPress is not scalable simply doesn’t have the technical experience. We scale billions of impressions each month across our WordPress platform.

6. WordPress is not Beginner Friendly

Some people claim that WordPress is bad because it is not beginner friendly.

This argument can be used against any software or tool.

WordPress comes with a slight learning curve just like any other software you would use. You’ll need to spend some time to find your way around.

If the popularity of WordPress is to be taken as an indicator, we don’t think WordPress would have been the most used website builder if it wasn’t beginner friendly.

Many major updates to the WordPress core files are aimed at making the platform more user-friendly as time moves on.

For example, introducing the block-based content and site editor that works similarly to many popular site builders like Wix or Squarespace.

Tip: You can try it yourself by following our learn WordPress in a week roadmap for beginners.

At WPBeginner, we write about WordPress for beginner-level users and have been doing that for more than a decade now.

In our experience, WordPress beginners quickly get over that initial learning curve and become quite good in just a few weeks.

There are also numerous WordPress page builder plugins available like SeedProd that makes it easy for you to build any type of website without writing any code.

WordPress also has over 60,000+ free plugins that allows you to add all types of functionality to your website such as contact form, analytics, eCommerce, and more without any code.

There are even no-code workflow automation plugins like Uncanny Automator that helps you save time when managing your WordPress site.

You may want to see our expert pick of the must have WordPress plugins for all websites.

7. There is Limited Support Available for WordPress

Another argument that we come across is that WordPress is bad because there is limited support available.

This argument comes when users don’t know how to get WordPress support.

As free software, WordPress is available and maintained by a community. The support is also community driven.

There are the official WordPress.org support forums where you can get support from other users.

Then there are WordPress resource sites like WPBeginner that publish a ton of WordPress resources to help beginners.

There are also free Facebook groups like WPBeginner Engage, where you can post your questions and get free help from moderators and other users. The group has over 80,000+ users.

Because WordPress is so big, there are dedicated WordPress sections and groups on all popular online communities like StackExchange, Reddit, LinkedIn, and more.

Not looking for community options?

There are thousands of WordPress developers that you can hire on platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, Codeable, Toptal, and more. There, you’ll find expert WordPress support on hourly rates or fixed-price gigs.

8. WordPress is not Suitable for Ecommerce

By default, it’s true that WordPress does not come with a built-in shopping cart or eCommerce features. You’ll need a plugin to make an eCommerce website with WordPress.

However, saying that WordPress is not suitable for eCommerce is unfair. Especially when WooCommerce (a WordPress plugin) is the most used eCommerce platform in the world.

It is used by more online stores than Shopify, Magento, OpenCart, and PrestaShop combined.

It is open-source like WordPress. However, unlike the WordPress core, it is run by a company that uses different ways to monetize the platform.

You can also extend your online store with thousands of available WooCommerce addons.

Aside from WooCommerce, there are several other eCommerce plugins for WordPress including:

• Easy Digital Downloads which makes it easy for you to sell digital files like eBooks, music, art, software, and others using WordPress.
• MemberPress makes it easy for you to sell premium content and courses in WordPress.
• WP Simple Pay makes it easy for you to accept payments on your WordPress site for any product or service without adding a full-blown cart.
• WP Charitable is a donation and crowdfunding platform that makes it easy for you to accept donations in WordPress.

9. The Future of WordPress is Unclear Because it is Free

Some believe that WordPress is bad because it is available for free. Those folks say that makes its future path unclear.

This argument is untrue and often given by people who don’t know why WordPress is free.

The trademark ‘WordPress’ is owned by the WordPress Foundation which is a non-profit organization. The foundation’s mission is to promote WordPress beyond contributors so that it remains available for everyone to use.

Apart from the non-profit foundation, there is also a multi-billion industry behind WordPress.

This includes many top WordPress companies, web development agencies, independent businesses, website owners, developers, designers, technicians, marketers, and more.

Even if development stops on WordPress, as open-source software it can be easily forked into another project and continue with a different name.

We do not believe that this is going to happen, however.

But it can, which is why the future of WordPress is very promising, mainly because of the freedoms it offers.

Getting Started with WordPress

The easiest way to learn more about WordPress is by using it yourself.

While you can install WordPress on your computer (Windows, Mac), the best way to experience it is by making a live website.

To get started, you’ll need a website hosting account and a domain name.

Now if you are worried about the costs, then you can take advantage of the special deal offered by Bluehost.

They are one of the biggest hosting companies in the world and an officially recommended WordPress hosting provider.

They are offering a generous discount to WPBeginner users with a free domain name and a free SSL certificate. Basically, you can get everything you need to get started with WordPress for just $2.75 per month.

→ Click Here to Claim This Exclusive Bluehost Offer ←

Aside from Bluehost, you can also use other hosting providers like Hostinger or SiteGround which also makes getting started easy.

For more details, see our complete guide on how to make a WordPress website which has step-by-step instructions for beginners.

We hope this article helped you make your own assessment of how good or bad WordPress really is. You may also want to see our complete WordPress review, or see our article discussing why you should use WordPress.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post Is WordPress Really That Bad? (9 Things You Should Know) first appeared on WPBeginner.

October 11, 2022 at 03:31PM

How to Track User Engagement in WordPress with Google Analytics

Are you properly tracking user engagement on your WordPress site?

User engagement is one of the most important metrics to track because it helps you better understand your audience and what they want. With Google Analytics, you can easily see how people interact with your website.

In this article, we will show you how to track user engagement in WordPress with Google Analytics.

Why Track User Engagement with Google Analytics

Generally, WordPress website owners consider traffic and pageviews to be the most important indicators of their website’s performance. They assume that higher traffic will result in more conversions and sales.

While that is true, you can get even better results by tracking and optimizing user engagement.

User engagement shows you what users do when they arrive on your website. It helps you identify patterns of highly engaged user behavior which leads to more conversions and sales.

For example, you may realize that users visiting a specific page are 10X more likely to make a purchase than any other visitor on your website. You can use this insight to redirect the user’s attention to that page.

Similarly, tracking user engagement can help you see which affiliate links or banner ads your visitors are clicking. Using this data, you’ll be able to optimize your content to get more clicks and boost conversions.

That said, let’s see how you can set up user engagement tracking in WordPress using Google Analytics.

Tracking User Engagement in WordPress using Google Analytics

The best way to set up user engagement tracking in WordPress is by using MonsterInsights. It’s the best Analytics plugin for WordPress and helps you configure Google Analytics without writing code.

MonsterInsights automatically sets up outbound link tracking, form conversion tracking, scroll depth, affiliate link clicks, and other advanced tracking features in Google Analytics out of the box.

It automates the process of pasting different analytics codes and event tracking in WordPress, so you don’t have to deal with the hassle of code and configuration.

For this tutorial, we’ll use the MonsterInsights Pro version because it includes advanced tracking features and more dashboard reports. However, there is also a MonsterInsights Lite version that you can use for free and get started with user engagement tracking.

First, you will need to install and activate the MonsterInsights plugin. If you need help, then please see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you’ll see the MonsterInsights welcome screen. Go ahead and click the ‘Launch the Wizard’ button.

For more details, please see our guide on how to install Google Analytics in WordPress.

MonsterInsights also helps set up Google Analytics 4 (GA4) in WordPress with its dual tracking feature. This allows you to use Universal Analytics and GA4 together.

Google Analytics 4 is the latest version of Analytics, and it will replace Universal Analytics on July 1, 2023. After this date, you won’t be able to track data in Universal Data. To protect your tracking data, we highly recommend creating a GA4 property.

If you need help, then refer to our tutorial on how to switch to Google Analytics 4 in WordPress.

Now that you have Google Analytics with MonsterInsights ready to go, let’s take a look at what user engagement metrics are best to track and how you can track them.

These aren’t all of the metrics you can track with MonsterInsights and Google Analytics, but they are the most important ones to start with. You can click the links below to jump ahead to any section:

• Tracking Your Most Popular Content
• Tracking How Users Engage with Forms on Your Website
• Tracking Ecommerce Stores Performance in Google Analytics
• Tracking Who’s Clicking on Your AdSense Ads
• Tracking How Far People Scroll Your Website
• Tracking Your Affiliate Links in Google Analytics
• Tracking Bounce Rate in Google Analytics
• Tracking Time Spent on Your Website
• Tracking Pageviews Per Visit with Google Analytics

1. Tracking Your Most Popular Content

The first thing you want to figure out is which posts and pages on your WordPress blog are popular amongst your users. These important pages and posts on your website get the most traffic.

Figuring out what your users like on your site can help you plan a content strategy that expands on what’s already working.

MonsterInsights makes it really simple. You just need to visit the Insights » Reports page in your WordPress admin area and go to the ‘Overview’ report.

After that, you can scroll down to see other reports with different data.

You will find your most popular content under the ‘Top Posts/Pages’ section.

On most websites, 90% of their traffic goes to 10% of the top pages.

Once you find these top pages, you can optimize them for maximum conversions by adding content upgrades or targeted lead magnets on these posts.

2. Tracking How Users Engage with Forms on Your Website

Most websites rely on contact forms to collect user leads and feedback. Sadly, most WordPress contact form plugins don’t give you accurate tracking and conversion data.

MonsterInsights lets you leverage the events tracking feature in Google Analytics to see how many times your forms are viewed and submitted.

To enable form tracking, you need to visit the Insights » Addons page. On this page, you will need to install and activate the Forms addon.

Once you have activated the addon, MonsterInsights will automatically start tracking all forms on your website.

It works with popular contact form plugins like WPForms, Formidable Forms, and others. MonsterInsights also track your website comment form, user registration forms, and more.

You can check the settings by going to Insights » Settings from your WordPress dashboard and then clicking on the ‘Conversions’ tab.

Next, MonsterInsights shows the performance of your WordPress forms inside your dashboard.

Simply go to Insights » Reports from the admin panel and click on the ‘Forms’ tab. The report shows the number of impressions and conversions, as well as the conversion rate for your different WordPress forms.

For more details, please see our guide on how to track form conversions in WordPress.

3. Tracking Ecommerce Stores Performance in Google Analytics

Google Analytics offers many features specifically for eCommerce websites. However, these features are not turned on by default in Google Analytics, and most users don’t even know that they exist.

Ecommerce tracking lets you see shopping behavior, checkout behavior, product performance, sales performance, and so much more. The best part is that you can combine this data with your overall website traffic to gather better insights.

With MonsterInsights, you can easily set up Enhanced eCommerce on your website without editing code. It seamlessly works with popular plugins like WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, MemberPress, GiveWP, and more.

You can see our guide on how to set up eCommerce tracking in WordPress for more information.

Once you’ve configured tracking, you can head to Insights » Reports from your WordPress admin menu and click on the ‘eCommerce’ report.

Using the report, you can quickly see how your online store is performing. It shows stats like conversion rate, number of transactions, revenue, and average order value.

It also helps identify products that users engage with the most and where they’re coming from.

You can also view the eCommerce report in your Universal Analytics property. Simply visit your Google Analytics account and go to Conversions » Ecommerce page.

Here are a few powerful reports you get by enabling Enhanced eCommerce tracking on your store:

• Shopping Behavior
• Checkout Behavior
• Product Lists Performance
• Sales Performance

On the other hand, you can view the eCommerce reports directly inside in your Google Analytics 4 dashboard by going to Reports » Monetization » Ecommerce purchases.

4. Tracking Who’s Clicking on Your AdSense Ads

Many websites rely on ads to make money online while creating useful content. However, with Google Analytics you can actually see how users interact with ads on your site.

For instance, you’ll be able to track how many clicks each ad is receiving, discover which ads your audience is ignoring, identify the most effective ad placements, and more.

First, you need to integrate Google Analytics into your Google Adsense account.

Head over to your Google Analytics dashboard and click on the ‘Admin’ button located at the bottom left corner of the screen. On the admin page, click on ‘AdSense Links’ under the property column.

Next, you’ll need to select the AdSense property that you want to link with your Analytics property.

To view the right AdSense property, just make sure that you’re signed in with the same Google account you used on both AdSense and Google Analytics.

After that, click on the ‘Link configuration’ option.

Here, you can select the Analytics view in which you want your AdSense data to be available.

After you have configured everything in Google Analytics, you can now see how your AdSense ads are performing.

To view your AdSense reports, go to your Google Analytics account and visit the Behavior » Publisher page.

5. Tracking How Far People Scroll Your Website

When tracking user engagement in WordPress, it’s also important to see how far visitors scroll your website.

It gives you insights into how people use your site and helps improve your page length. Plus, you can use the data to place your AdSense ads, call-to-action buttons, and affiliate links where they’d get the most visibility and conversions.

MonsterInsights automatically enables scroll-depth tracking. You can view the report by going to Insights » Reports from the WordPress admin panel and clicking the ‘Publishers’ tab.

Next, scroll down and view the ‘Scroll’ report.

It will show the average scroll depth percentage. MonsterInsights will trigger events in Google Analytics 4 as users scroll 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of a page and compute the percentage from those results.

6. Tracking Your Affiliate Links in Google Analytics

Most marketers use affiliate plugins to manage and cloak affiliate links. This makes your affiliate links look more user-friendly. Here is an example of a cloaked affiliate link:

https://example.com/recommends/product-name/

MonsterInsights allows you to track affiliate links in Google Analytics. This helps you figure out which affiliate products are doing well, which pages are generating more affiliate revenue, and more.

To enable affiliate link tracking, you need to visit the Insights » Settings page. Next, you can switch to the ‘Publisher’ tab and head to the Affiliate Links section.

First, you need to enter the prefix for your link under the Path field, like ‘/refer/’ or ‘/recommend/.’ After that, you need to provide a Label that you would like to use for those links in your Google Analytics reports.

When you’re done, click on the ‘Save Changes’ button to store your settings.

Next, you can view your top affiliate link clicks in MonsterInsights reports. Simply head to the Publishers tab and scroll down to the ‘Top Affiliate Links’ section.

Here, you will see which affiliates are getting the most clicks, so you can promote them more on your site and boost sales.

Additionally, MonsterInsights will also show your Top Outbound Links. These are external links that people click and exit your site. You can use insights from this report to get more backlinks, form partnerships, signup for affiliate programs, and exchange guest posts.

For more detailed instructions, see our guide on how to track outbound links in WordPress.

7. Tracking Bounce Rate in Google Analytics

Bounce rate is the percentage of users who land on your website and decide to leave without going to a second page.

With MonsterInsights, you get to see the overall bounce rate of your website inside the WordPress dashboard. Simply go to Insights » Reports from your WordPress admin menu and click on the ‘Overview’ tab.

Besides that, the plugin also shows the bounce rate for your important pages.

You can go to the Publishers report and view the ‘Top Landing Pages’ section. In the report, you’ll see the bounce rate for different content.

A higher bounce rate indicates that you were unable to convince the user to visit other pages. Users can leave your website by clicking on the back button in their browser, clicking on an outgoing link, or by closing the window.

Every site has a bounce rate. However, higher bounce rates can indicate problems with your website affecting user experience and causing low engagement.

To lower the bounce rate, you can speed up your website, improve internal links, ensure that your content meets the search intent, improve the readability of your articles, show popular posts, and more.

For more tips, you can see our guide on how to increase pageviews and reduce bounce rate in WordPress.

8. Tracking Time Spent on Your Website

Another indicator that shows user engagement is session duration, or the amount of time users spend on your site.

If users are abandoning your site without spending enough time to look at it, then something is wrong and you need to fix it.

In the MonsterInsights Overview report, you can see the average session duration for your website in the past 30 days.

If you’re using Google Analytics 4, then you’ll see a new metric called average engagement time. It tells the average time your webpage was in the focus of a user.

You can view the report by logging into your GA4 account and then head to Reports » Engagement » Overview.

Using the data, you can better understand your user journey. If the engagement time is low, then you can look into issues like fixing slow site speed, debugging any errors, and making your site’s interface user-friendly.

9. Tracking Pageviews Per Visit with Google Analytics

Pageviews Per Visit is another excellent indicator of how engaged your users are. Higher pageviews per session means people are visiting multiple landing pages and articles on your site. This in return helps increase the time users spend on your site and decreases bounce rates.

Universal Analytics will show you the total page views for a given period on the Audience » Overview page. However, to track user engagement you want to see Pageviews per session.

You can also break down page views per session by source and channel.

Simply go to the Acquisition » All Traffic » Channels page.

In Google Analytics 4, you can view the sessions per user metric based on different traffic sources and see how many pages users view in a single session.

Just head to Reports » Acquisition » User acquisition from your GA4 property.

This helps you see which traffic channels are converting the best for your website. You can then focus your content marketing efforts on areas that are actually driving results.

We hope this article helped you track user engagement in WordPress with Google Analytics. You may also want to see our ultimate step-by-step WordPress SEO guide and how to create an email newsletter the right way.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Track User Engagement in WordPress with Google Analytics first appeared on WPBeginner.

October 10, 2022 at 11:51PM

How to Easily Fix This Site Can’t Be Reached Error in WordPress (8 Ways)

Are you looking for the easiest way to fix the ‘this site can’t be reached’ error in WordPress?

You can get this error on any website, including third-party sites and your own WordPress blog. If this error shows up on your own site, then it’s a big problem as it can stop you from accessing the admin area.

In this article, we will show you how to easily fix the ‘this site can’t be reached’ error.

What Is the ‘This Site Can’t Be Reached’ Error in WordPress?

There are lots of common WordPress errors, but ‘this site can’t be reached’ is especially frustrating because the message is vague, and it doesn’t tell you what to do next.

In the worst-case scenario, this error can stop you from visiting your own website. That will make it difficult to test your WordPress site, add new content, install security updates, and make other important changes.

Usually, the error means that something is stopping the browser from accessing the destination website. This could be anything from an internet outage, to a misconfigured network, or even an issue with your DNS settings.

In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at why you may be seeing this error, including exploring the different error codes. When you encounter a problem, you’ll typically want to solve that problem as quickly as possible.

With that being said, we have 8 ways to troubleshoot this WordPress error, so you can fix the ‘site can’t be reached’ problem quickly.

If you’re unsure what’s causing the issue, then we recommend starting with step one since it’s the easiest. However, if you prefer to jump straight to a particular step, then you can use the quick links below.

• 1. Check Your Internet Connection
• 2. Clear the Browser Cache
• 3. Disable Your Firewall or Antivirus Software
• 4. Reset Your Virtual Private Network
• 5. Disable Your Proxy Server
• 6. Flush Your DNS cache
• 7. Change Your DNS Server
• 8. Reset the TCP/IP Settings
• What Causes ‘This Site Can’t Be Reached’ Error in WordPress?

1. Check Your Internet Connection

When troubleshooting an error, it’s smart to try the simplest fix first. To start, check that you’re currently connected to the internet.

If there is no obvious problem with the connection, then the next step is restarting your internet connection. Similar to switching your computer off and on, resetting your entire connection can fix all kinds of small problems and get you back on track.

We recommend disconnecting your router from its power supply and then waiting at least 1 minute before reconnecting it. You can then try visiting the website again to see whether this has removed the error message.

2. Clear the Browser Cache

Downloading files from a WordPress hosting server located far away can take a lot of time.

To solve this problem, most modern web browsers store files, data, and other content from the websites you visit. The browser can then simply load this cached content from the local computer, rather than re-downloading it from a remote server.

This helps websites to load faster, but it can sometimes cause problems. For example, cached content can become outdated or get corrupted over time.

Thankfully, it’s easy to clear the browser cache. If you’re using Google Chrome, then simply click on the three-dotted icon in the upper-right corner.

Then, select ‘More Tools,’ followed by ‘Clear Browsing Data….’

In the popup that appears, check the box next to ‘Cached images and files.’

Google Chrome will clear the entire cache by default. Another option is to open the ‘Time Range’ dropdown and tell Chrome to only clear content that was cached during a particular time period.

Once you’ve done that, you can check or uncheck any of the other options. For example, the ‘Browsing History’ checkbox is selected by default, but you can uncheck this box if you want to keep your browsing history.

When you’re ready, click on ‘Clear data.’

Google Chrome will now empty the browser cache. Once it’s finished, try revisiting the website to check whether you’re still getting the ‘this site can’t be reached’ error.

For all other browsers, see our beginners guide on how to clear the browser cache in any browser.

3. Disable Your Firewall or Antivirus Software

Antivirus and firewall plugins can keep you safe, but they can also block websites that are perfectly trustworthy.

This might be a problem with how your security plugins and software are configured. For example, your settings may be too strict.

Other times, the website may be set up in a way that triggers your security software even if that website doesn’t pose a real threat.

For instance, if you’re still building your WordPress website, then you might not have an SSL certificate yet. Many firewalls will stop you from visiting a site that doesn’t have a valid certificate, so this may trigger the error.

To test whether a firewall or antivirus program is blocking the connection, simply disable that software. Then, visit the website that was showing the ‘this site can’t be reached’ error.

If the site loads without a problem, then you’ll know that the antivirus program or firewall was to blame.

If this is the case, then we don’t recommend disabling it completely.

Instead, it’s smart to check the software’s settings to see whether you can whitelist a particular website. In this way, you can access the site while still protecting yourself against hackers, viruses, and other digital threats.

If you’re not sure where to find these settings, then try checking the software’s official documentation, forums, or social media pages for more information. Depending on your software license, you may also be able to contact customer support or the developer for help.

For more tips on protecting yourself against hackers without triggering the ‘this site can’t be reached’ error, please see our ultimate WordPress security guide.

4. Reset Your Virtual Private Network

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) can protect your privacy, keep your information secure, and allow you to visit sites that are blocked or censored in your location.

However, if you’re using a VPN then your connection may drop, or the VPN may not recognize the IP address that you’re using. Some VPNs will reconnect automatically if they encounter a problem, but you may have to reconnect manually.

If you get the ‘site can’t be reached’ error when using a VPN, then we recommend checking your provider’s website or documentation for instructions on how to reset your VPN.

5. Disable Your Proxy Server

A proxy server sits between you and the websites you’re trying to visit. Many people use these ‘middle-man’ servers as an extra layer of security, or to cache data.

If your proxy server can’t connect to a website, then you’ll see the ‘site can’t be reached’ error. You may also get this error if you can’t connect to the proxy server in the first place.

In this case, the easiest fix is to simply disable the proxy server. If you’re on a Mac, then go ahead and click the ‘Apple’ icon in the toolbar.

Then, select ‘System Preferences…’

In the popup that appears, click on ‘Network.’

In the left-hand menu, select the network where you want to disable the proxy settings.

Once you’ve done that, click on the ‘Advanced…’ button.

In the popup, simply select the ‘Proxies’ tab.

You can now uncheck all of the protocols listed under ‘Select a protocol to configure.’

Finally, click on the ‘OK’ button to save your changes. You can now try visiting the website to see whether you can access it without any problems.

6. Flush Your DNS cache

Similar to the browser cache, your computer stores the IP addresses of all the websites you visit. This means the browser doesn’t have to look up the same IP address multiple times.

This helps websites to load faster, but the cached DNS information can get outdated. This may trigger a ‘site can’t be reached’ error, particularly if the site has moved to a new domain name or you’ve moved WordPress to a new host.

By flushing your DNS cache, you’ll get the very latest information about a website, including its new domain name or address.

To help you out, we’ve created a complete guide on how to clear your DNS cache for Mac, Windows, and Google Chrome.

7. Change Your DNS Server

DNS is like the internet’s phone book. Instead of listing people’s names and phone numbers, the DNS lists domain names and their corresponding IP addresses.

Your internet service provider assigns you a DNS server automatically. However, sometimes this server may be unavailable, or it might have the wrong information.

If your browser doesn’t have a site’s correct address, then you’ll get a ‘this site can’t be reached’ error.

You can solve this problem by switching to a different public DNS server, such as Google Public DNS. You can use any public server you want, but just be aware that the DNS provider will be able to see all the websites you visit.

Many providers also collect personal information, such as your business email address, name, and phone number.

With that being said, it’s smart to research your DNS provider carefully.

Once you’ve found a DNS server that you want to use, it’s time to switch to that server. On Mac, this means selecting the ‘Apple’ icon in the toolbar and then clicking on the ‘System preferences…’ option.

In the popup that appears, select ‘Network’ and then click on the ‘Advanced…’ button.

Once you’ve done that, open the ‘DNS’ tab.

In the bottom-left corner, click on the ‘+’ button.

This adds a new DNS server with the address 0.0.0.0.

You can now go ahead and type in the numbers for the public server that you want to use.

After that, simply click on the ‘OK’ button to save your changes.

This takes you back to the previous popup.

To start using your new DNS server, click on the ‘Apply’ button.

Finally, you’re ready to visit the website to see whether this has removed the error message.

8. Reset the TCP/IP Settings

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) is a set of protocols that control how data is sent and received over the internet.

If there’s a problem with how your internet connection is configured, then renewing your TCP and IP protocol will return the connection to its default settings, which may solve the problem.

To reset the TCP/IP settings on Mac, select the ‘Apple’ icon in the toolbar and then click on ‘System Preferences…’

In the popup that appears, select ‘Network’ and then click on the ‘Advanced…’ button. Once you’ve done that, open the ‘TCP/IP’ tab.

On this screen, go ahead and click on the ‘Renew DHCP Lease’ button.

That’s it. You can now try visiting the website or blog, to check whether you still get the same ‘site can’t be reached’ error.

What Causes ‘This Site Can’t Be Reached’ Error in WordPress?

There are a few different reasons why you may get this error message, but the code that appears next to the message can help you pinpoint the cause.

Let’s take a closer look at these codes and what they mean for your WordPress blog.

1. ERR_CONNECTION_RESET

Sometimes, you’ll see an ERR_CONNECTION_RESET code next to the ‘site can’t be reached’ error. Most of the time, this means there’s a problem with your internet connection.

The most obvious problem is an internet outage, but there’s also software and settings that can interfere with the connection and trigger an ERR_CONNECTION_RESET. For example, VPNs and proxy servers can sometimes cause this error code.

2. DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN

Domain Name System (DNS) lets you connect to websites by matching a user-friendly domain name such as www.wpbeginner.com, with the ID of the server where this website is stored.

You’ll get this error code if Google Chrome can’t resolve the domain name or address for the website that you’re trying to access.

Since it can’t connect, the browser assumes that the domain name doesn’t exist. It then shows a DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error code, where the NXDOMAIN part of the error stands for ‘non-existent domain. ‘

If you see this error code next to the ‘site can’t be reached’ message, then it usually means there’s a problem with how your DNS settings are configured.

To learn more about this error code, please see our guide on how to easily fix the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error.

We hope this article helped you learn how to easily fix ‘this site can’t be reached’ error in WordPress. You can also go through our guide on the difference between domain name and web hosting and the best email marketing for small businesses.

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The post How to Easily Fix This Site Can’t Be Reached Error in WordPress (8 Ways) first appeared on WPBeginner.

October 10, 2022 at 03:07PM