If I had a rupee for every WordPress mistake I made in my early blogging days, I could probably pay for premium hosting by now.
Seriously.
Most new bloggers don’t fail because WordPress is hard. They fail because they repeat the same basic mistakes again and again — mistakes that aren’t talked about honestly enough.
I’ve been working with WordPress for more than five years, managing my own blogs and helping others fix theirs. And trust me, whether you’re starting a tech blog, personal blog, or niche site, these common WordPress mistakes new bloggers make can slow you down badly.
Let’s talk about them — no judgement, no over-technical stuff.
Mistake 1: Choosing Cheap Hosting and Expecting Fast Speed
This is probably the most common one.
New bloggers think:
“It’s just starting, why spend money?”
I get it. I did the same.
But ultra-cheap hosting usually means:
- Slow loading speed
- Frequent downtime
- Poor customer support
And speed matters more than you think. A slow site:
- Loses visitors
- Hurts SEO
- Feels unprofessional
Real example:
I once used ₹99/month hosting for a blog. It was fine for testing, but once traffic started coming, the site crawled. Switching hosting instantly improved everything.
Tip:
Start affordable, not cheapest. You can upgrade later.
Mistake 2: Installing Too Many Plugins
Plugins feel addictive at first.
Need a feature? Plugin.
Need design? Plugin.
Need speed? Another plugin.
Before you know it, you have 25+ plugins.
Each plugin:
- Adds load to your site
- Can conflict with others
- Needs updates
I’ve audited blogs where half the plugins were doing nothing.
Simple rule:
If you don’t know what a plugin does, you probably don’t need it.
Mistake 3: Using a Heavy, Fancy Theme
New bloggers love themes with:
- Sliders
- Animations
- Fancy layouts
But these themes are often slow and messy behind the scenes.
Heavy themes:
- Load unnecessary scripts
- Affect mobile performance
- Complicate future changes
I’ve personally switched themes multiple times because my early choices were just… too much.
Better approach:
Use a lightweight theme. Simple design + good content always wins.
Mistake 4: Ignoring Mobile Users Completely
Many beginners design their site only on laptop.
Big mistake.
In India, most visitors come from mobile devices.
If your site:
- Looks broken on mobile
- Has tiny text
- Has buttons too close together
People will leave immediately.
Quick check:
Open your site on your own phone. If it annoys you, it annoys others too.
Mistake 5: Not Creating Basic Pages
Some bloggers only focus on posts and forget basic pages.
Missing pages:
- About
- Contact
- Privacy Policy
This hurts:
- Trust
- AdSense approval
- Professional appearance
I once applied for AdSense without a privacy policy and got rejected. Lesson learned.
These pages don’t need to be long. They just need to exist.
Mistake 6: Writing Without Any Focus or Niche
This is very common.
Today you write about:
- Mobile apps
Tomorrow: - Crypto
Next week: - Travel
Google (and readers) get confused.
When you don’t have a clear focus:
- SEO becomes harder
- Audience doesn’t build
- Growth slows
You don’t need to be ultra-niche, but you do need direction.
Advice I give beginners:
Write for one type of reader first. Expand later.
Mistake 7: Expecting Traffic Too Soon
This one hurts emotionally.
New bloggers publish 5–10 posts and then check Analytics every hour.
No traffic = frustration.
Here’s the reality:
- First 3 months = almost nothing
- 6 months = slow movement
- 1 year = real growth (if consistent)
WordPress blogging is not Instagram. It’s slow, but stable.
I’ve had posts that got zero traffic for months and then suddenly ranked.
Patience is not optional here.
Mistake 8: Ignoring Basic SEO Completely
Some beginners avoid SEO because it feels complicated.
Others overdo it.
Both are mistakes.
Basic SEO is simple:
- Clear title
- One main keyword
- Proper headings
- Helpful content
You don’t need to stuff keywords or buy expensive tools.
If your post genuinely helps someone, you’re already doing half of SEO right.
Mistake 9: Not Taking Backups Seriously
This mistake is painful — because you realise it only after something breaks.
Common issues:
- Site crashes after update
- Hosting problem
- Hacking
Without backups, you’re stuck.
I’ve seen people lose years of content because they ignored backups.
Even if you don’t understand technical stuff, make sure:
- Hosting has backups
- Or you manually back up once in a while
Trust me, future-you will be grateful.
Mistake 10: Copy-Pasting Content From Other Sites
Some beginners think:
“I’ll rewrite slightly, Google won’t notice.”
Google notices. Easily.
Copied or spun content:
- Doesn’t rank
- Gets ignored
- Can get your site penalised
I’ve helped clean up blogs affected by this. Recovery takes months.
Write original content. Even if it’s not perfect.
Mistake 11: Not Updating WordPress Regularly
Updates feel scary, so people avoid them.
But outdated WordPress:
- Is slower
- Is insecure
- Breaks compatibility
Most updates actually improve performance and security.
Safe habit:
Backup → Update → Check site.
That’s it.
Mistake 12: Comparing Yourself With Big Blogs
This is more mental than technical.
New bloggers compare:
- Their 10-post blog
- With someone running a site for 5 years
That comparison kills motivation.
Every big blog you see today started empty.
I’ve quit blogs in the past because I compared too much. Biggest mistake.
Pros & Cons of Making These Mistakes (Yes, There’s a Positive)
Cons:
- Slower growth
- Frustration
- Wasted time
Pros:
- You learn faster
- You understand WordPress better
- You grow realistically
Mistakes teach better than tutorials.
2 Personal Tips I Wish I Followed Earlier
1. Fix small issues early
Speed, theme, structure — don’t ignore them for “later”.
2. Focus more on writing than tweaking design
Content moves the needle. Design just supports it.
I wasted months adjusting fonts and colours instead of writing posts.
Final Thoughts (From Experience, Not Theory)
If you’re starting out, understand this — common WordPress mistakes new bloggers make are not signs of failure. They’re part of the process.
Everyone messes up:
- Hosting choices
- Plugins
- Themes
- Content strategy
The bloggers who succeed are not the smartest. They’re the ones who:
- Learn
- Fix
- Continue
WordPress rewards patience more than perfection.
So make mistakes.
Just don’t stop because of them.