Development

One of the great features of Local is its ability to import and export websites. This is, of course, useful to move a local site to a live server and vice versa or to move a local installation to another computer. If you do this with any other server (local or live), it usually involves copying the entire WordPress file system, exporting and importing the database, and changing the MySQL credentials inside wp-config.php so WordPress can connect to the database. You also have to replace the mentions of the old site URL inside the database. Working with Local makes this […]

Local WordPress environments are perfect for developing new projects, testing updates, and debugging sites. Depending on which type of local environment you use, you might even get access to debugging tools that your web host doesn’t provide. However, you may not know how to use them effectively if you’re just getting started. Free options like Local offer useful resources that can enable you to troubleshoot your WordPress website. It gives you access to tools for testing outbound email functionality, live reloading, and even a link checker. In this article, we’ll explain why you may want to use a local environment […]

Creating a unique WordPress-based website can be a time-consuming process. If you are a web developer with dozens of clients, you’ll repeatedly be undertaking the same tasks. As a freelancer, this precious time could be better used elsewhere. One solution to this problem is Local, formerly known as Local by Flywheel. This is a tool that streamlines your offline WordPress development workflows. While plenty of other solutions do this, Local is particularly easy to use, and offers many time-saving features. Best of all, it’s completely free. In this post, we’ll explain what Local is and discuss its advantages for freelance […]

This is the concluding article in a series I’ve been writing on accessible web experiences. In the first article, “Why Do We Develop Accessible Web Experiences?” I discussed the “why” of accessible digital design. In “Building a Better Blueprint,” I covered creating personas, user journeys, sitemaps, and wireframes consistent with universal design principles. In “ARIA: 5 Best Practices for Screen Readers and Other Assistive Devices,” I shared techniques for making web experiences accessible for screen readers and other assistive devices. In “How to Talk to Your Clients About Why Website Accessibility Matters,” I offered some advice on how to discuss […]

According to a recent survey, 28 percent of small businesses don’t have a website. Additionally, many companies take months, even years, to get their sites up and running. As a business owner, you know that time is money. Therefore, when it comes to creating your website, you don’t want to waste any time setting it up. Thanks to Local, you can create and publish a WordPress website with ease. In just a few clicks, you can have a beautiful and responsive website that showcases your products and services to the world.  In this post, we’ll take a closer look at […]

Local (formerly known as Local by Flywheel) is a powerful tool with loads of useful features for local WordPress development. It has all necessary the functionality to create a local server and run WordPress sites on it. We also have a detailed tutorial for how to use it. As a more casual user, there might be a number of Local features that you might not be aware of. In order to make up for that, in this post we will look at some of those less obvious capabilities of the program that can make your life a lot easier. Knowing […]

In most cases, you want as many people as possible to visit your website. However, you can also create a “local” site that only you and other users within your network can access. Local WordPress sites are amazing tools for development and testing, and best of all, they’re free to use. A local WordPress website works just like any regular installation. You can install plugins and themes, access the site’s core files, and edit its code. However, since you’re using a local environment, the website should instantly load. In this article, we’ll discuss when it makes sense to use a […]

If you’re a WordPress developer, you’re probably looking to set up a local development environment where you can test your changes before pushing them to your live site. However, you might not know the best way to go about it. There are a few different ways to move a live WordPress site to a local environment. The best option will likely depend on your experience level, and the migration process might only take a few minutes. In this post, we’ll discuss why you may want to move a live website to a staging environment. Then, we’ll share two different ways […]

If you have ever asked yourself “how do you change text in CSS?”, this is the right post for you. In the following, we will go over the many ways you can customize text on a website using CSS markup. Why does this matter? Because typography is an important part of web design. Just like using custom fonts, the ability to style text on your website to make sure it fits the rest of your branding is paramount. Thankfully, CSS offers a lot of styling options to help with that. In this post, we will cover all the most important […]

Do you want to start learning JavaScript but don’t know how or where to begin? In this post, we will give you the guidance you need to start educating yourself in the popular programming language. We will talk about why you might consider learning JavaScript both in terms of difficulty and career prospects. After that, the post will cover how you can get started, often for free. When you are finished, we want you to have a good understanding of how to start learning JavaScript from scratch on your own. What Is JavaScript and Why Learn It? Before getting into […]