The evolution of AI has transformed different business processes, and traditional website development is one of them. WordPress has a strong command over all the websites deployed around the world, as it powers around 43.5% of the websites.
AI tools are serving as an assistant that expedites the tedious process of website development. For instance, it can help in generating code snippets, which the WordPress developer can refine, reducing the overall time. According to McKinsey reports, Gen AI can reduce the completion time for the following tasks in development:
- Code documentation: 45 – 50%
- Code Generation: 35 – 45%
- Code Refactoring: 20 – 30%
While it can expedite the completion of generic tasks, the AI tools might not be of much use when it comes to highly complex tasks. Tasks, like examining code for bugs and errors or solving a problem when the bigger picture needs to be taken into consideration.
Use of AI in WordPress development can be a boon, but it comes with its own set of risks. As an experienced agency, we have worked on several WordPress AI solutions, and we are sharing a list of important dos and don’ts that any developer should keep in mind with WordPress development.
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Dos: Best Practices For Using AI In WordPress Development
To stay ahead in this competitive world, businesses need to adapt quickly and deliver results dynamically. The only way that’s possible is by using AI. Let’s understand the best practices that developers should follow while providing WordPress development services:
1. Use AI for Automation
AI can automate the time-consuming tasks. For instance, if you are working on web design for electricians, then it can help in suggesting the color schemes that resonate with the target audience and build up the brand’s unique identity.
Similarly, it can be used for writing code for building custom plugins or tailoring the themes or templates. However, the key thing to remember is that you need to ensure whatever the code or output AI generates, it needs to be reviewed and refined before implementing.
2. Leverage AI for Personalization
Users prefer personalization because it makes them feel understood and valued, leading to engaging and rewarding interactions. You can integrate AI-powered chatbots to support AI-driven recommendations and 24/7 customer resolution. Like, Tidio Live Chat and AI Chatbot WordPress plugin has around 35+ workflows to reduce cart abandonment, recommend products, generate leads, and automate customer service.
However, the integration needs to be done carefully to minimize security risks. Here are some key things to remember:
- Ensure the plugin is compatible with your theme.
- Define what your chatbot should do, avoid overcomplicating user interactions.
- Use plugins that comply with GDPR and other regulations.
- Prefer using plugins that are regularly updated.
3. Use AI for Generic Code
AI coding tools can be used for generating generic code, like creating basic templates, layout structures, styling elements with CSS, or standard functions with PHP or JavaScript. It can speed development by handling repetitive or boilerplate tasks. However, it should be preferred for creating specific WordPress hooks, actions, filters, and modifying the plugins for tailored functionality.
These tasks require deeper understanding of WordPress and plugin’s architecture. Hence, AI couldn’t understand the bigger picture and the entire context, which can lead to performance issues or bugs.
4. Prefer Gen AI for Content Generation
Gen AI tools expedites the content generation and search engine optimization. AI can help in brainstorming blog topics, preparing high-performing outlines, optimized meta descriptions, and what kind of keywords you can target.
Besides, it can be used to generate images. Midjourney, Adobe Firefly can generate images as per your needs, and AI-powered editors can enhance the image quality without much hassles.
5. Automate Testing
End-to-end testing is necessary before WordPress deployment. However, testing requires significant investment and becomes a bottleneck in WordPress development services. You can opt for a combined, manual+automated testing, approach to strike the right balance between speed and accuracy.
Selenium, Ghost Inspector, or WP-specific plugins like Codeception can automate these test cases efficiently for regression, functional, performance and load, cross-browser and cross-device testing. Go for manual testing for UX and accessibility testing.
Don’ts: Mistakes To Avoid When Using AI In WordPress
While integrating AI to build WordPress AI solutions faster and efficiently, here are some things you need to be careful about:
1. Avoid overreliance on AI in content creation
Although AI can help create articles or headlines, too much reliance will lead to generic and poor-quality content. Google algorithms today are better able to flag and punish AI-written or spammy, or low-value pages. This is not just restricted content creation, here are some other areas where overreliance on AI can be risky:
- Accepting AI suggestion for modification of specific plugins
- Development of a custom plugin
- Critical security tasks
- Overloading your website with AI features
- AI-generated translations
- AI licensing and copyright issues
Ensure to conduct thorough testing of AI-generated code, and rely on common sense when it comes to building the website structure.
2. Don’t forget compatibility with WordPress themes and plugins
Third-party plugins may conflict with your existing theme or plugins; therefore, they should be avoided. The staging environment should always be used to test new integrations. Make sure they will work with your WordPress setup so that you don’t have any crashes or layout problems.
3. Avoid AI that makes your site slower
Some of the AI-based tools will run continuous scripts or need lots of server resources. The poorly optimized AI plugins can slow down your website speed, which will affect the SEO and user experience directly. Make use of tools like GTmetrix or PageSpeed Insights to monitor performance and make sure that your AI is not slowing things down.
4. Don’t compromise on data privacy
Not all AI tools are made with a security-first principle. If you are using AI for collecting or processing user data, ensure that the tools comply with regulations such as GDPR or CCPA. Check for data anonymization, encryption, and secure cloud storage features.
5. Assume that AI replaces human design or strategy.
AI can assist design decisions, but human creativity and business strategy cannot be substituted. Utilize AI as a tool to help you, but not to replace your development efforts. A good balance between automation and manual effort results in the best outcomes.
The Bottom Line
AI is a strong tool for WordPress development, but it’s most effective when human experience is guiding the machine. Use AI to minimize repetitive work in order to increase efficiency, but do not provide complete control to the AI. The proper application of AI tools can guide you in setting up a very fast, working, and aligned with your brand requirements.
If you don’t know how to balance AI tools in your workflow, partner with a professional WordPress development service provider, like Icecube Digital, to get your AI-powered development strategy settled. Our team blends technical skills with smart automation, so you are guaranteed to get true results with your WordPress site.
