Agency News Weekly

The Page Builder Summit is Live Now!

• The Page Builder Summit is a free, five-day online event packed with expert sessions on mastering WordPress page builders, running smarter agencies, and leveling up web design and marketing skills.
• The event launched this morning with live and pre-recorded Agency-oriented sessions scheduled throughout the week.
• View the schedule here.

What Happens When No One Clicks Anymore?

• Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince warned in a recent interview that generative AI is creating a “Zero-Click Internet,” where users get answers directly in AI interfaces instead of visiting websites.
• This trend undermines the traditional ad-supported model that funds much of the web’s content and tools, potentially devastating smaller publishers.
• AI models like ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews, and Perplexity scrape and summarize web content, often without directing traffic back to original sources.
• Prince suggested this “AI crawler apocalypse” may benefit big platforms while eroding the open, decentralized nature of the web.
• He likened the shift to the deprecation of third-party cookies, noting that both disrupt long-standing monetization systems without offering viable replacements.
• Cloudflare isn’t currently blocking AI crawlers by default because customers haven’t widely requested it—though Prince expects this to change soon.
• He argues that a lack of traffic incentives will “hollow out” content creation, creating a need for new models that balance AI innovation with sustaining creators.

The WooCommerce Bug That Took Down Sites Last Week

• A critical fatal error in WooCommerce 9.8.0–9.8.3 caused many WordPress sites to crash due to a memory exhaustion issue.
• The error stemmed from repeated plugin update checks, creating an an infinite loop that consumed server resources.
• This issue impacted both frontend and admin performance, especially on servers with limited memory, causing some sites to crash.
• WooCommerce responded quickly with patch releases.
• WooCommerce 9.8.4, released May 6, addressed the infinite loop by limiting update checks and avoiding recursion during payment method registration.
• However, some plugin conflicts and lingering performance problems persisted, leading to the release of 9.8.5 on May 12.
• WooCommerce 9.8.5 further stabilizes performance, introduces better error handling, and reduces calls to the update function.

How to Raise Prices Without Losing Clients

• In a recent WP Minute episode, Eric Karkovack gives some helpful tips on raising prices. Here are some highlights…
  • Raising prices is a normal part of running a healthy business—it’s not something to apologize for.
  • Be transparent and confident when communicating increases; vague or hesitant language creates uncertainty.
  • Anchor your rate changes in value delivered, such as improved service, results, or rising costs.
  • Notify clients well in advance (at least 30 days) so they have time to adjust or budget.
  • Don’t fear losing clients; those who truly value your work will understand and stay.
  • Raising rates selectively can help you reclaim time, reduce burnout, and increase profit without more clients.
• Take 9 minutes and listen to the episode here.

Worth a Look

• Planning for WordCamp US 2025 is finally moving forward with a new organizing team.
• Jamie Marsland explains how the Feature API could help future-proof WordPress.
• If you’re looking for a capable yet refreshingly lightweight calendar plugin, Pie Calendar is offering a LTD this month (check the walkthrough from David McCan at Webtng.com).