When many web developers think of developing a website, WordPress (WP) is often the CMS that comes to mind. It is one of the easiest CMS to use, not to mention it is SEO friendly. It also makes it easier to customize and implement solutions thanks to unlimited themes and plugins. Installation of WordPress is the first stage of developing your website of choice, but what next? This article will guide you on a to-do list after installation for the best experience.
#1. Choosing A Theme
A website is part of online brand equity. That is why you should make it functional, easy to use, and attractive. Selecting a suitable theme is pivotal in giving a website the best layout, fonts, design, feel and look. It is imperative to pick a user-friendly theme, plus you ought to deliver the right experience. Make it professional, yet keep things simple. The beauty is that there are many free and paid themes available for WP.
Tip: You can invest in a premium theme that will make it easy for you to tap into extensive features. Most premium WP themes will also give you support, making development faster and smooth!
#2. Configuring General Settings
The other essential step is to configure the general settings. For example, configure URL address, title, time zone, date and date format, primary address, and tagline. The WordPress general settings allow you to customize your choice faster. Edit to your preference, then click the save changes button to submit and update the changes!
#3. Setting WordPress Security
WordPress is regularly audited as a way to improve features and fix bugs. That said, keep in mind that WordPress is popular and open source. Therefore, it is one of the typical targets for a lot of hackers and scammers. Generally speaking, the WordPress core software is quite secure. Now, hackers tend to look for loopholes left on the website and exploit those vulnerabilities.
One way of ensuring safety is using a secure security layer certificate to protect the data transmission between your website server and users. Add a layer of security by installing an SSL certificate on your website to encrypt the data transmitted. These days, many cheap Wildcard SSL Certificates will help you secure your main domain and the first-level subdomains under it. Source from reputable Wildcard SSL Certificate providers, install it on your site, and you are good to go.
#4. Create A Solid Backup Plan!
The current economy is data-driven! So you have to make sure your data is well protected and easily recoverable in case of emergencies. Someone once said that data is the new oil! So yes, handle the asset poorly, and you can lose business!
This is why a solid automatic data backup strategy should be implemented. Work on a recovery plan in case of hacking, data load errors, insider threats, and the likes. You want to increase reliability, military-grade security, business reputation, among others.
Tip: Check the best WP plugins that can help make backups on the Cloud or offline easier for you.
#5. Setup Analytics
Knowing who visits your website and their responses to your site is also good for scaling up experience and growing traffic. Integrating your site with analytic tools helps you to know your visitors better. It will help you understand the best content to focus on. You will have a clear roadmap on matters such as Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and facets like eCommerce metrics.
It will help you convert more to increase sales. There is a variety of analytics used in WordPress tools to make this easier for users. Perhaps the biggest one is Google Analytics for WordPress. The data analyzed can be used to get a competitive advantage in the market.
#6. Setting up spam protection
Spam might negatively affect your website. Internet scammers and hackers look for ways to leverage your new site to propel their plan. Some spams have links to malicious sites for distributing malware. This can affect your website’s reputation. It can come in the form of comments and emails. There is a way out, though.
Use the right anti-spam plugin to keep your website safe from common spammers. Other ways of preventing WP spamming are using captcha, admin panel comments moderation, and spam filter training algorithms.
#7. Set Up WordPress Comments Or Blog Pages
A good comment or blog section attracts user engagement and interactions. You can build a community around your blog or brand. Blogs and comments to your posts will give you better credibility. It is an avenue to churn tailored content.
Consider setting up an interactive comment section for the website visitors. The higher the number of high-quality blogs, the chances that more users will visit. Excellent and quality comments also indicate you are providing value to your website visitors.
#8. Choose The Right Plugins
Plugins will help you extend the functionality of your website. The plugins you pick will depend on the functionality of your website. Pick reputable plugins that will suit your needs and requirements. Beware, some malicious plugins can make your website vulnerable to hacking and security issues.
Some can even slow down your website. In some cases, plugins from different designers might also not work together. Install only the plugins you need for the site and roll back changes should you spot any issues.
Tip: Don’t forget to install the right security plugins for your WP site.
#9. Work On Page Load Speed
The faster the site load time, the better the User Experience (UX). Low or poor load speed will also pull down your search rankings. One way to speed up your site is to use caching. It allows your website server to cache copies of your pages quickly to users instead of generating the pages afresh. Caching helps in reducing server load on your website, thus improving the overall user experience.
Here you can use caching plugins to help deliver content faster. You can also compress your images to speed up your site.
Wrapping up
Developing a website can be very easy given the availability of friendly builders. However, as you create your website, ensure the basic preparation steps are followed for better performance, security, appearance, reliability, insights, among others. If you plan to add more subdomains under the main domain shortly, we strongly recommend investing in a Wildcard SSL Certificate.
This saves you the hassle of investing in separate single-domain SSL certs for each of your new subdomains. The success of your WP website is based on the value it offers to users. As you strive to make your website interactive and friendly, ensure your website and the users are adequately secured.
