In my 12+ years of developing WordPress sites, I have fixed hundreds of broken websites.
Usually, the client comes to me saying, “My site broke after I clicked update” or “My previous developer disappeared, and now nothing works.”
When I look at the code, I see the same recurring nightmares. Mistakes that “Amateur Developers” make because they look for shortcuts.
Today, I am going to expose these 5 Deadly Sins of WordPress. If you find these on your site, fix them immediately (or hire someone who can).
1. The “Parent Theme” Criminals
This is the #1 sign of an amateur. I often see developers editing the style.css or functions.php file of the main theme (e.g., Astra, Divi, or Hello Elementor).
Why is this a disaster? The moment an update comes for that theme, poof! All your customizations are gone. The site design breaks instantly.
The Pro Way: Always, always use a Child Theme. It’s a safe separate layer for your codes. (Don’t know how to make one? I built a free tool for you. Create a Child Theme in 1 Click Here).
2. The “Plugin Hoarders”
Does your simple business website have 45 plugins?
- One plugin for a Facebook Pixel.
- One plugin for Google Analytics.
- One plugin to “Insert Headers and Footers.”
- One plugin just to add a WhatsApp button.
Why is this bad? Every plugin adds a security risk and database bloat. You are building a Frankenstein monster, not a website.
The Pro Way: Learn to use the functions.php file. All the above features can be added with 10 lines of code. A professional developer writes code; an amateur installs plugins for everything.
3. The “Admin” Username
If your username is admin, administrator, or the name of your website… you are asking to be hacked.
Hackers use “Brute Force” attacks. They already guess your username is “admin”. Now they just need to guess your password. You did 50% of their job for them.
The Pro Way: Create a new user with a unique name (e.g., Musa_Dev_26). Give it Administrator roles. Then, delete the old admin user.
4. Leaving the “Just Another WordPress Site” Tagline
Nothing screams “Unprofessional” louder than sharing your website link on Facebook, and the preview card says: Title: My Awesome Business Description: Just another WordPress site
It shows a lack of attention to detail.
The Pro Way: Go to Settings > General and change the Tagline immediately. Better yet, install an SEO plugin (like RankMath) and set a proper Meta Description for your homepage.
5. Hard-Coding Texts in Page Templates
I recently audited a site where the client couldn’t change their phone number. Why? Because the previous developer wrote the phone number directly inside the PHP file (header.php).
The client is not a coder. They shouldn’t have to touch code to change a phone number.
The Pro Way: A pro developer makes everything Dynamic. We use “Customizer Options” or “Block Patterns” so you can edit your content from the dashboard easily.
The Verdict
WordPress is easy to learn, but hard to master. There is a massive difference between “Installing WordPress” and “Engineering a WordPress Solution.”
If your site suffers from these mistakes, it’s not just “ugly code”—it’s a business risk.
Want a professional audit of your site? I don’t just fix bugs; I rebuild trust. Contact me to turn your amateur site into a professional business asset.
