We rebuilt jerseyplotters.com on a modern, secure platform.
The site moved off aging WordPress — and the risky "Slider Revolution" plugin — onto a fast static build (Astro) on a current, supported server. Same site to your customers; underneath, far less to attack, far less to maintain, and a cleaner foundation for Google. Here's exactly what changed.
From WordPress to a fast static build
Every page was rebuilt as pre-generated static HTML. Nothing is assembled by PHP and a database on each visit anymore — the pages just load.
Removed WordPress entirely
No more WordPress core, login page, database, or plugins. The biggest single source of website hacks is simply gone.
Retired "Slider Revolution"
The old site ran Slider Revolution — one of the most-exploited WordPress plugins on the web. The new build doesn't need it.
Upgraded the structured data
Replaced generic WordPress markup with proper Local Business + FAQ + Service structured data — the format Google and AI search engines prefer.
Fixed the page addresses (canonical)
Corrected the canonical URLs so every page tells Google its real public address — protecting how the site is indexed.
Cleaned up tracking & assets
Removed the duplicate Google Analytics setup and the images that were being pulled from an unrelated third-party website.
The attack surface we eliminated
WordPress is the most-attacked platform on the web because it has a login, a database, and plugins. The static rebuild has none of these.
| Exposure | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Admin login page | Exposed | None |
| Database | MySQL | None |
| Slider Revolution plugin | Present (CVE history) | Removed |
| Other plugins | Several | None |
| Server software | PHP, end-of-life box | Current, supported |
| Can be hacked via plugin | Yes | No |
A lighter, faster page
The old WordPress page loaded jQuery plus 15+ plugins on every visit. The static build strips that out.
| Metric | WordPress (before) | Astro (after) |
|---|---|---|
| Main-thread blocking (TBT) | 203 ms | 50 ms |
| Requests per page | 47 | ~10 |
| Layout shift (CLS) | — | 0 |
| Plugin JavaScript | jQuery + 15 plugins | None |
| SEO (Lighthouse) | good | 92 / 100 |
About the speed score
In Google's lab test (simulated slow phone), the headline image is the main factor and both versions land close because the test isn't using a content-delivery network. The real-world speed gain — lighter page, no plugin JavaScript, and edge caching via Cloudflare — lands when the site goes live on its new address. The page itself is now built to be fast.
Search rankings protected — and improved
Nothing about your search presence was lost in the move. Several things got better.
Preserved
✓ All page titles, descriptions, and URLs
✓ XML sitemap and robots.txt
✓ Your content, word-for-word
Upgraded
✓ Local Business + FAQ + Service structured data
✓ llms.txt for AI search (ChatGPT, Perplexity)
✓ AI crawlers explicitly allowed in robots.txt
✓ Correct canonical URLs sitewide
Side by side
| Factor | Before (WordPress) | After (Astro) |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | WordPress + plugins | Static, pre-built |
| Riskiest plugin | Slider Revolution | Removed |
| Server | End-of-life box | Current Vultr |
| Main-thread blocking | 203 ms | 50 ms |
| Structured data | generic | Local Business + FAQ |
| Ongoing maintenance | Constant updates | Effectively none |
Go-live
The launch step
We point jerseyplotters.com at the new server (a DNS change). At that moment the new site is live, secured with a fresh HTTPS certificate, and served through Cloudflare's global network for full speed. The old WordPress site stays available as an instant fallback.
Near-zero downtime
Visitors won't notice a switch — same pages, same design, same address. They simply get the faster, safer version.
Bottom line
Same website, rebuilt on a modern foundation: no WordPress to hack, no plugins to patch, richer SEO, and a lighter, faster page — ready to launch.