Ask Charly Leetham - Online Business Manager

In this episode, Charly discusses the best plugins for building membership and directory sites on WordPress. Charly covers options for both types of sites, helping you choose the right plugin depending on your needs, whether you're looking for a simple membership site, a large directory, or even both combined. Charly also explains key features to consider and why these plugins are popular choices among website developers.

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Still running an old WordPress theme? It might be time for an upgrade — and not just for looks!

📌 In this episode, Charly explains:

✅ Why older WordPress themes can hold you back, including hard-coded layouts that don’t use the modern WordPress block editor or new design features.

✅ Support issues — older themes might not be maintained, creating security risks and compatibility headaches.

✅ Challenges with moving provi...

Not all shared hosting is created equal — and if you're just picking based on price, you might be heading for trouble!

📌 In this episode, Charly explains:

✅ What "shared hosting" really means — and what resources you’re actually sharing with other websites.

✅ The Difference between Shared and Dedicated Hosting

✅ Factors that make one shared server different from another, like server specs, management prac...

Running low on bandwidth or hit a quota limit in ISPConfig? Don't worry — you don’t need to delete everything or start over. You can reset the bandwidth quota safely and easily!

📌 In this episode, Charly explains:

✅ What the bandwidth quota in ISPConfig actually controls (and why it's important for managing hosting resources).

✅ When and why you might need to reset it — especially after a busy month or unexpected ...

If you're creating a membership site, you might want to allow your members to find and connect with each other through a member directory. It’s absolutely possible with WordPress — but there are a few important things to understand first!

📌 In this episode, Charly explains:

✅ The difference between a Directory Plugin and a Membership Plugin — and why they serve different (but complementary) purposes.

✅ How to integrat...

Thinking about building a membership site with WordPress? Before you dive in, it’s important to plan carefully to make sure you create a great experience for both you and your members.

📌 In this episode, Charly covers:

✅ Defining the purpose of your membership site — education, community, resource library, etc.

✅ How and where your content is delivered — drip-fed, all-at-once access, tiered access.

✅ Managing expiring ...

Want to make sure your Gravity Forms emails actually get delivered — and don’t end up in spam? Setting up Mailgun with your own custom domain can dramatically improve email deliverability from your WordPress website.

📌 In this episode, Charly explains:

✅ How this configure the notifications with Gravity Forms

🔗 Mailgun: https://www.mailgun.com/

📢 Join the discussion in my community: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.co...

Are your WordPress emails ending up in spam folders or not arriving at all? Using a dedicated email delivery service like Mailgun can drastically improve your site's email reliability.

📌 In this episode, Charly breaks down:

✅ Why WordPress emails often fail to reach inboxes

✅ The benefits of using Mailgun for transactional and notification emails

✅ How to set up Mailgun with your WordPress website

✅ Key settings...

Yes, you can restrict who sees or submits your Gravity Forms — and you probably should for certain forms! Whether you're capturing internal requests, collecting sensitive information, or running private campaigns, access control is crucial.

📌 In this episode, Charly explains:

✅ How to restrict form access by WordPress user roles

✅ Using Gravity Forms’ built-in visibility settings

✅ How to hide forms from logged-ou...

Yes, you absolutely can — and it’s a game-changer for content-heavy sites or community-driven platforms! Gravity Forms allows users to submit posts directly from the front-end of your website, making it easy to accept guest articles, job listings, testimonials, and more.

📌 In this episode, Charly shares:

✅ How to use Gravity Forms' Post Fields to create posts

✅ Real-world use cases like guest blogging, user-generated ...

Need to back up your form data or move your forms between sites? Gravity Forms makes it simple to export both entries and entire form setups — once you know where to look.

📌 In this episode, Charly explains:

✅ How to export form entries for reporting or migration

✅ Choosing specific fields or date ranges during export

✅ How to export your forms for use on other websites

Whether you’re switching sites, handing off re...

Struggling to sort through your form submissions? The Entries screen in Gravity Forms can be your secret productivity weapon — if you know how to customise it right!

📌 In this episode, Charly walks you through how to:

✅ Change which fields appear in your Gravity Forms Entries list

✅ Filter and sort submissions for faster reviews

These simple tweaks help streamline your workflow, cut down admin time, and make client res...

Need your clients to send documents, images, or other files directly through your website? Gravity Forms makes it easy to collect files with a simple drag-and-drop field — and it's all built in!

📌 In this episode, Charly shows you how to:

✅ Add a File Upload field to any Gravity Form

✅ Set limits on file size, type, and number of uploads

✅ Choose between single and multi-file upload options

✅ Security implicatio...

Ever had to abandon a long form halfway through and lose everything you typed? Don’t let your website visitors experience the same frustration!

📌 In this episode, Charly walks you through:

✅ How to enable the Save and Continue feature in Gravity Forms

✅ Why this one setting can drastically improve form completion rates

✅ Real-world examples where Save and Continue is a must (think: applications, surveys, and onboarding...

Ever filled out a massive form and quit halfway through? Your users probably have too. That’s where multi-page forms in Gravity Forms come to the rescue!

📌 In this episode, Charly dives into:

✅ How to break long forms into manageable pages using Gravity Forms

✅ Best practices for using page breaks, progress indicators, and logical grouping

✅ Tips to streamline form flow and keep users engaged from start to submit

Wh...

Handing over a website to a client isn’t just clicking "publish"—it’s about transparency and accountability. If your client doesn’t know what they’re paying for, what accounts exist, or when licenses expire, you’re setting them up for chaos later.

📌 In this episode, Charly breaks down:

✅ The must-know info every client should receive after a website build

✅ How to clearly outline premium plugin licenses—includin...

Did you know outdated business details can cause you to lose access to your domain, your email, or even your website? Yep—it happens more than you think.

📌 In this episode, Charly dives into:

✅ Why accurate info on your domain registration is essential (especially .com.au!)

✅ What happens if your domain renewal notices go to an old email

✅ Where and how to update your business details to avoid drama later

This episo...

Ever wanted your contact form to automatically email the right person based on what your visitor selects? With Gravity Forms, it’s not just possible—it’s easy!

📌 In this episode, Charly explains:

✅ How to use conditional logic to route form notifications to different people.

✅ Real-world examples—sales inquiries to sales, support issues to support!

💡 Whether you're managing a solo business or a growing team, smart...

Are you unknowingly breaking copyright laws by using that pretty font on your website? If you’ve ever grabbed a font online and slapped it on your site without reading the fine print—you’re not alone, but you might be at risk.

📌 In this episode, Charly breaks down:

✅ Why using “any old font” can be dangerous for your business.

✅ What to ask your developers and designers for.

✅ What to look for in a font licence before ...