Your task is not fully accomplished after you have created a WordPress blog. It takes somewhere around 5 minutes to install a WordPress blog but you still have quite a few things to do. Whether it is your client’s site or yours, you need to make sure that the WordPress site is optimized and fully secure and it is ready to receive contents.
A lot of people enquire about things that should be done just after a WordPress blog has been created.
Though there are a number of things to do after WordPress installation, but in this post, I will be discussing the 7 most important essentials that you should consider for your WordPress Blog. Before I start, I would like to give a small introduction to WordPress.
Introducing WordPress
It is a free website publishing tool for creating beautiful websites or blogs. It is a very efficient open-source content management tool developed in PHP that can be installed easily and customized to suit your requirements.
It acts as constant support for content developers. It helps you to stay on the right track by helping you create the right kind of content which is why everyone in the industry is using WordPress today.
The 7 essentials
- Delete sample page, content, and comments
Once WordPress is installed in your website, you will find a sample content called “Hello World”, a default page and a default comment without which your site would have looked empty. You should delete it right away when your site is ready, otherwise, the page will continue to appear in search pages and archives, which is not desired.
To delete the sample post, sign in to WordPress dashboard, go to Posts, All Posts page, take the mouse pointer to “Hello World” post, click on Trash link and click on Delete Permanently. Similarly, to remove the default page go to Pages, All Pages, Trash link and click on Delete Permanently. Finally, go to the Comments page to permanently remove the default comment.
- Replace default Site Title, Tagline, and Timezone
Your next job is to change the default Site Title, Tagline, and Timezone and set up your Title, Tagline, and Timezone. These are some of the basic information by which your site is identified. It tells the search engine and the visitors about the site helps with SEO and make it look professional.
You will find them in the WordPress dashboard under the heading Settings > General.
- The Site Title specifies the name of your site and shows up in the title bar of the browser.
- It can also be seen in other locations such as the admin bar of the WordPress dashboard that is linked to the homepage of your site.
- The Site Title also appears as the sender’s name in email notifications received by your followers and it doesn’t have to be the same as the website URL but should not be too long.
The Tagline describes in short what the site deals with and appears in the title bar next to the Title. For some themes, the Tagline is displayed in the website’s footer or header. The default tagline happens to be “Just another WordPress site” which is to be replaced with your own. Set the Timezone as per your local time so that when a post is scheduled, it will become live according to your time.
- Replace default admin login
It is important to change the default admin login and create a new admin login because it is where you will be receiving admin correspondences. WordPress has an admin account called “Admin” by default. After your account has been created and you have signed in, go to “users”, select “Add new” and enter your details.
Click on the drop-down “Role” and make sure to select “Administrator” instead of “Admin”. After you do this, log in with the new credentials and delete the default login account. This will make your content visible under your name.
- Install Google Analytics
This free tool will provide information related to your WP site traffic. It tells you about the number of people visiting your site, the pages they visited, and from where they come. The software allows you to understand what your target audience wants and helps you to make the right business decisions.
It only takes 10-15 minutes to install Google Analytics and you should not skip this particular step since it is an important one. Being the best Google Analytics plugin for WP, Monster Insights will enable you to install this software very easily and also generate a visually appealing analytics report.
- Improve speed with Caching Plugin
The loading time of your WordPress site plays an important role in retaining your visitors because no one likes to wait too long. Findings show that even a single second delay in page loading can result in 7% less business, 11% less page view, and 16% less satisfied customers. According to Kissmetrics, if the loading time of a page is greater than 3 seconds, 40% of the visitors will leave the site.
A caching plugin helps to reduce the page loading time by saving the repeated files in the cache and providing cached copies of the page instantly to users instead of generating it again every time. WP Rocket, WP Super Cache, and WP Fastest Cache are some of the best caching plugins.
- Change default permalink structure
Permalinks serve as permanent URLs for each of your pages and posts. You need to go to Settings, Permalinks, and choose a suitable one for your site. The default structure “Plain” should be deleted.
However, you can also create your own permalink structure but don’t forget to add the post name for improved SEO results.
- Include a contact form
A contact form on your website allows your visitors to contact you easily by just filling out the form. WordPress does not have a contact form by default.
You can create visually attractive contact forms from WPForms which is the best WP contact form plugin. You can also opt for the free version of WPForms.
Signing off
Besides the above ones, there are other plugins but you need to make sure they are safe. It is better to go for the ones that really make your WordPress site better. So, make sure you keep these essentials in mind, and then you are good to go. Do let me know if these tips have been quite helpful!
Also, Checkout
Top 15 Semrush Alternatives: Free & Paid SEO Tools to Use in 2020
Bluehost vs HostGator: Comparison of Two Shared Hosting Services
Bluehost vs GoDaddy Comparison 2020: Which Hosting Is Better Among Them?