2025 New Year’s Resolutions for WordPress Freelancers

New Year’s resolutions are a popular way to create positive change. We often associate them with personal goals like exercising more or eating healthier. However, they’re great for your professional life as well.

That’s good news for WordPress freelancers, as there are plenty of opportunities for change. Each release brings new features to learn. Plus, there are always new tools and technologies to discover.

Resolutions aren’t just about what’s new, though. They can also motivate you to do that task or project you’ve been putting off. It’s also a time to consider growing and/or streamlining your business.

Are you looking to change your freelance business for the better? You’ve come to the right place! We’ve created some New Year’s resolutions to help you hit the ground running in 2025.

Take Another Look at the Site Editor

Block themes have existed for several years – yet they continue to play second fiddle to classic themes in terms of usage. Why is that?

Marketing may be a part of the answer. There’s a lot of confusion surrounding what a block theme is and isn’t. That makes it hard to understand the benefits of building a site directly in WordPress.

The Site Editor’s growing pains are also to blame. Early versions of the tool provided a clunky user experience. There were also serious limits on what you could build with a default WordPress install.

If those early days were a turn-off – take another look. You might be surprised at how far the Site Editor has come.

The Block Bindings API is a prime example. It’s a tool for connecting dynamic content (like custom fields) to a selection of core blocks. That means no more digging into PHP templates to add custom field values. WordPress 6.7 even introduced a visual UI for the tool.

There are other recent improvements worth noting. A recent revamp means the Site Editor’s UI is now easier to navigate. You’ll also find more control over theme colors and fonts. And the introduction of grid layouts is a boon to designers.

Perhaps block themes and the Site Editor will become part of your toolbox. If not, exploring these new features will put it in the back of your mind – just in case.

Examine Areas of Your Business That Are (And Aren’t) Working

The new year is a great time to take a closer look at your business. Many of us take a few days off or see a reduced workload. Why not take advantage of the opportunity?

Think about the services you offer, the clients you work with, and (of course) the tools you use. Ask yourself a few important questions:

• How did last year compare to the previous one?
• What services are most profitable? Which ones are struggling?
• Are the plugins and themes I’m using still the best choice?
• What are the biggest challenges I faced during the past year?
• What can I do to increase revenue and efficiency?

The answers might not be obvious. In that case, you can use tools to help you identify trends. For example, your accounting software can fill you in on profits. Analytics will help you compare web traffic across multiple periods. Digging through your inbox might help identify challenges you’d forgotten about.

With that data in hand, you can create a plan of action. That might be adding a new service or using a time-saving tool. It may also be the motivator you need to learn a new skill.

So, take a moment to look back – and ahead. It can help you make next year a success.

Get Up to Speed on WordPress Security

Website security is a 24/7 job. The threats we face are constant and ever-evolving. Sites can be hacked even when we “think” we’re doing it right.

That’s why it’s worth a fresh look at the WordPress security landscape. Learn about the most common threats and how to protect the sites you manage. Study best practices and make sure you’re implementing them in your work.

You’ll also want to identify any potential weak links in your workflow. Perhaps you’re running an abandoned plugin on a site. Or you’re using a hosting plan that isn’t up to par with the latest standards. There are so many areas that could lead to a hacked site.

Not sure where to begin? Create a website security checklist that includes all the big (and small) actions you can take. Then, review each site you manage and ensure those best practices are in place.

We’ll get you started with a few important items:

• Ensure your WordPress install is up to date;
• Check for abandoned themes or plugins;
• Use the latest version of PHP or one that’s still supported;
• Implement two-factor authentication (2FA) on all site administrator accounts;
• Audit user accounts on your sites and remove any that are no longer needed;
• Enforce a strong password policy;
• Ensure that custom code properly escapes data output;

Security is a deep subject – the above is only the beginning. The idea is to get in the habit of reviewing how secure your sites are. It could be a difference-maker.

Make a Plan to Experiment with WordPress

The Site Editor isn’t the only thing that’s changed in WordPress. There is always a steady stream of new features and tools. It’s all the more reason to experiment and learn.

Client sites usually aren’t the best place to try something new. But there are plenty of other avenues to take. You could create a local install, use a browser-based tool like WordPress Playground, or start a side project.

The challenge is finding the time to learn. It’s an easy one to let go since we have other responsibilities. We’re so busy helping clients that we rarely think about helping ourselves.

No more excuses! Continuing our education is an important step for the future. Plus, falling behind won’t help your business thrive.

Carve out some time in your schedule to experiment. Check out a new theme or plugin. Figure out how a new feature works before you need it in a client project. Create a custom plugin to solve a pet peeve.

You don’t have to commit a ton of time. Even an hour or two a month can help. It might be just the spark you need to level up.

Think About What You Want to Build

Freelancing is a career path that is always subject to change. Clients and opportunities come and go. We add and remove items from our technical stack. Our workflows aren’t set in stone, either.

It pays to be proactive when thinking about the impact of change. It’s an opportunity to exercise some control over the short term. That will put you in a position to act when the time is right.

For instance, think about the following questions:

• What type of projects and clients do I want to work with?
• Is there a particular project budget I want to aim for?
• What are the things I DON’T want to do anymore?

The answers will help you filter out the projects that don’t interest you or are outside your niche. That allows you to focus on the areas you want to be in.

The truth is that you don’t always have to settle. You can choose fulfilling projects and clients – whatever that means to you.

The key is to create a vision for what you want to achieve. From there, you can tailor your business to do it.

A New Year, a New and Improved Freelance Business

It’s easy to fall into a trap as a freelancer. Everything’s fine now, so why make changes? It’s also difficult to think about the future with so much tumult within the WordPress community (2024 was something else, huh?).

Well, change is part of the job. It’s a way to make next year better than last. And there is always room for improvement.

Keep that in mind as you head into the new year. It’s an opportunity to do more with less, enter new markets, and boost your bottom line.

We hope your 2024 was great and wish you even more success in 2025!