Before sharing these 9 essential things to do after creating a WordPress blog, let’s have little introduction of WP. WordPress is a great content management tool, and there is no denying that. For someone who creates content, it comes as constant support. It is relatively difficult to survive in this harsh marketplace without creating the right kind of content. This is why nearly everyone in the market makes use of WordPress today. Additionally, it comes with a very rigid framework that is very flexible for its users. The options for customization, plugins a design are another plus. The list of advantage of having an website with WordPress are actually endless.
However, WordPress is much more than just setting up a website, going live and posting blogs on it. It takes much more than that. And it obviously should, given all the problems it solves and all the security it takes care of.
As a blogger or a content creator, you want your website to look mature and be taken care of; in terms of security, high-end design and performance. And for this to happen, you have to take in specific essential steps as soon as you have created your first WordPress blog.
Here are nine essential things to do after creating a WordPress blog:
1. Delete the default login and create a new admin login:
This is a very crucial step that most bloggers skip. WordPress has a default admin account named “Admin”. You are working on this as soon as you have created your account and logged in. Go to “users” and then click on “Add new”. By filling out all the details here, you can essentially create an admin account for yourself. Make sure you do not use a generic name like “Admin”. Also, note that you will have to click on the drop-down “Role” and then select “Administrator”. Once this is done, log in to the site using your new credentials and go to “Users” again and click on “All users”. This is where you can delete the old default login account. This makes all your content get published under your specific name and not as “Admin” and also helps in keeping a check at your security.
2. Set the time zone accordingly and change the site title and Tagline
This will help your SEO significantly and also makes your website look professional. To do this, you will have to go to “Settings” and then enter the site title and the tagline in the first two fields. You can find the time zone settings if you go father down here.
3. Make sure to get rid of your default page and posts
This is certainly not going to hurt you unless you are okay with your website looking amateurish. When left undeleted the default post and page will be appearing amongst your archives, search pages etc. You don’t want it, so it’s better to get rid of it right away. Go to “Posts” and then “All posts”. This is where you can see the “Hello World” post. You can see the sample page in “Pages” and the “All pages”. You can move both these to trash.
4. Set up your WordPress permalink:
This is a crucial step to keep a check on your SEO. Make sure that the permalink is in line with the blog post titles that you write and post about. Usually WordPress keeps a Day and Name permalink structure; which is what most bloggers follow. However, with a little effort, you can set your permalink structure to be “Post name”.
5. Install a Caching plugin to speed up:
The world is moving very fast, and you can’t afford to have a slow website. Caching will help in speeding up your website. This will help in serving your pages instantly to your readers. The information is cached and saved and served immediately as soon as someone accesses your site.
6. Delete unused themes and plugins
There will be a lot of themes and plugins that might seem exciting but are of no use. These themes and plugins can bring in unwanted trouble. Getting rid of them is what most bloggers skip to do and go wrong. Go to “Appearances” and then “Themes” and take a look at the complete list. Similarly, go to “Plugins” and then to “Installed plugins” to delete the ones that you aren’t using. This will keep your website safe from hackers too. Keep a track of all the Plugins that you use for SEO, content, security etc. and get rid of the rest.
7. Set up an automated backup:
Restoring WordPress from backup is not necessarily a big task and has become fairly easy lately. Backups will save you a lot of trouble and headache in case your website is ever hacked. You can find a lot of free and paid backup plugins that can do the job for you. You don’t want all your hard work to go to the drains, do you? Make use of a simple backup plugin that will ensure all your content is backed up for a bad day. Restoring WordPress from backup is not necessarily a big task and has become fairly easy lately.
8. Complete your user profile:
This might seem like a small task but is highly neglected by most bloggers. Remember that your user profile will appear in various places depending on how you set it up. It could be the author bio that appears with every blog that you post or along with the “About” widget on the sidebar. Your readers would be curious about you, and this is how they get to know you better. Go to “Users” and then click on “Your profile” Here you can fill in your first name, last name and an appealing Bio.
9. Update your discussion settings:
As a blogger, you want your readers to interact with you. Well, if you have your comments section enabled or not is your personal choice. You can read more about this on the web; there is a lot of discussion about the same. Go to “Settings” and then click on “Discussion” and read through and click on them based on your preference.
Author Bio:-
Mary Jones is the co-founder & editor-in-chief at ExpertAssignmentHelp which focuses on Content Marketing Strategy for clients from the Education industry in the US, Canada & UK. Mary has conducted a series of webinars for AssignmentEssayHelp. She has worked with MSNBC, NewsCred & Scripted and has extensive content editing experience. Mary has also authored blogs on famous websites like Lifehack.org, Wn.com, Medium.com, Minds.com and many more digital publications.
