I am so happy that you have installed WordPress and ready to start your blog. Before publishing the blog posts, there are a few things you should do after installing WordPress.
These are essential settings that will save you a lot of time later. WordPress is already configured and optimized for content writing, but there are a few changes you should make to have a functional website.
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Things to do after installing WordPress
1. Change the general settings
Before starting publishing posts, you should have your site name, tagline, post format, and timezone set. WordPress comes with default settings, but you have to change them as per your own needs.
For this go to settings and click on General, you will be shown the following page,
Site Title: It should be your website name
Tagline: It should show the purpose of your blog
WordPress address: This is your website URL
Site address: Keep it the same and don’t make any change
Administration email: This is your primary email
Membership: keep this unchecked
New user default role: Subscriber
Site Language: Use your preferred language
Timezone: Choose your country’s Time zone
Date format: Set according to your preference
Time format: The way you want
Week starts: Monday
Then save all the changes you have just made. You are done with the general settings.
2. Set Up Default Category
In the settings dropdown, you will find writing, click on it. You will be shown a page where you will find your default category as UNCATEGORISED. You can change it to the type you use the most.
For me, I have chosen a blog. Most of my posts go to this category. If you have to change the category of the post, you can do so when you write the post.
3. Change The Permalink of The Posts
There are a few structures that you can have for your posts. Shorter permalinks don’t look cluttered and are better for SEO. Moreover, Google loves shorter permalinks.
Keep the post permalink as Post name …
This will show only the post name, which is good as your content will be forever.
4. Create the essential pages for your website
There are a few pages which you should have on your website/blog. About me, contact us, Privacy policy and disclaimer, terms, and conditions.
Depending on your online business, you will need these pages. They give your blog an authenticity, and your website looks professional.
Also, creates your legal pages, you can check here. These bundles are developed by lawyers, so you should not worry about how these will affect your website.
5. Installing your theme
Having a theme for your website is paramount. There are so many options out there. And you can choose depending on your blogé need or look you want.
I love Genesis themes, so I will highly recommend them. I am using the Genesis theme on this blog.
If you are looking for Feminine themes, you can check the Bluchic themes here. These are professional, beautiful, and very feminine. I am using Victoria theme on one of my blogs, and I love it, especially the big fonts and the use of colors.
To install a premium theme on your blog, Go to Appearance>Themes> Add new.
When you click on add new, you will be able to upload the theme. Upload the unzipped file and activate your theme.
After this step, you can further customize the theme as you want.
6. Install SEO plugin
There are many SEO plugins out there, but Yoast SEO is considered to be the most popular and easy to use. You can have your basic SEO setup for each post when you use Yoast SEO.
You can also submit your Google and Bing key to Yoast SEO for indexing.
For this, go to Yoast>General settings>Webmaster tools, and you will be taken to a page like this shown below.
You can download Yoast SEO here
6. Install a few plugins
6.1 Back up the plugin
Backup for your blog will give you some peace of mind if your website gets deleted for some reason. Or if your hosting company does not provide backups, you will need a backup plan.
For backup, I highly recommend using the updraft plugin. I use this plugin, and it is excellent.
6.2 Plugin for spam
For controlling spam on your website, you can use the Akismet plugin. This is also a free plugin and great for capturing any spam coming to your blog.
Having spam comments can make your blog unprofessional. With Akismet, you can moderate the comments and approve the one you want to have on your blog. You can download it here.
6.3 Plugin for the contact form
You need to have a contact form on your blog. Use wp forms for creating a contact form.
It is a free plugin you will have your contact form ready in minutes.
6.4 Keeping blog safe from hackers
Install Worddefense on your blog. Worddefence helps in keeping your website safe from hackers.
It helps by limiting login attempts to your WordPress dashboard.
You can download it here.
There are a few more plugins which you will need on your website; you can check them here.
7. Image optimization
As you know, nobody likes to read long-form of texts. To break this, we have to use images on the posts. Photographs, if not optimized, can slow down the website, and then nobody likes the slow websites.
To combat this, you have to use an image optimization plugin. There are some free options like Smush, Tiny png out there. You can also use Shortpixels. This is a lightweight plugin that will not low down your website.
Moreover, you will have your images optimized without compromising the quality.
8. Social Media profile setups
For a successful blog, you will need traffic. Traffic will come from Google and Social media platforms.
Google traffic takes some time to build; until then, social media can help you create some momentum.
Make profiles on social media platforms and start connecting with other people.
9. Create a Gravatar
Now, WordPress uses Gravatar to display images. If you create an account with Gravatar and add your photo there, your photo will come up whenever you use your email id.
Gravatar is an image hosting website which people use for displaying their image and bio.
You can check Gravatar here and create your Gravatar
10. Add Google Analytics to your website
Google Analytics will be required to measure the growth of your blog. It gives you real-time metrics for your blog.
It is a free program from Google and makes your life a lot easier.
As the saying goes, what gets measured gets managed.
You can read more on how to install Google Analytics here
These are a few of the tweaks you can make to your WordPress site after installing WordPress.
Do you want to ask any questions and want to grow your blog? You can join my Facebook community for more tips
These are really great tips and although I’ve had my blog set up for awhile I’m not too sure if I’ve changed the permalink of my posts. I’veg to to check this asap haha. Thanks for the reminder!
You are welcome, Hannah. Sure change it otherwise later you have to redirect everything with a plugin.