I’ll spare you the details because there are plenty of simple “How to Set Up WordPress” tutorials online. What I’d like to share with you here are some little-known secrets that can help you set up your WordPress site for massive success.
Tip #1: Before you do anything else, set up Permalinks.
Your WordPress site generates a link structure that is critical to the success of your website. It will appear in WordPress by default at www.yourwebsite.com/p=?789 This is known as the link structure.
WordPress created a page with that content. The problem is that p=? The 789 part of the link does nothing to make the link memorable or to inform Google about the content of your page. If you intend to run a news site, having at least three random characters in your permalink structure may make it easier to get into Google News. So, for your permalink structure, you’d enter something like this:
Dashboard > Settings > Permalinks > Custom
Structure > and then fill in
/%post_id%/%postname%/
So the earlier link will now be www.yourwebsite.com/789/how-to-make-cookies.
Having the post id (random numbers) is used to make database calls faster than just having the post name. That is no longer the case, so I recommend using the post name as your permalink structure for most sites.
BEWARE: Setting up permalinks will change every single link on your site, so you’ll want to do it when you first set up your website, but never again. Any external links to your site will be destroyed if you change your permalinks on an established site.
Tip #2: Use a High-Quality Theme.
When I first started using WordPress, I experimented with four or five different themes (designs). They looked great, and I was starting to get things moving when I noticed error messages.
WordPress errors are typically caused by plugin conflicts with the theme or another plugin. While a web programmer can usually fix these errors without too much difficulty, I am not a programmer, and you most likely are not either. I was unable to correct these errors, and my entire website suffered as a result. I had to start from the beginning!
Nobody wants to spend money on an expensive premium WordPress theme, but I strongly recommend that you do. Although free themes are fantastic, I haven’t found them to be worthwhile. Spending $60 on a theme is worthwhile. I would avoid using a low-cost Theme-Forest theme unless you are willing to tweak and customize it. Every time I tried it, I was let down. I would not recommend paying for a premium theme unless absolutely necessary.
Another option is to use Astra. It’s actually quite a nice theme, and you won’t have ANY trouble at all with it.
Tip #3: Make a backup of your database.
If you disregard my advice here and your website crashes, or even if you use a premium theme, you must keep a backup of your entire WordPress database. If something happens to your site, this is the only way to recover your articles, comments, and photos.
There are several free backup plugins available. Backup to Dropbox is my preference for free plugins. Every week, this saves a copy of your entire WordPress database to your Dropbox account.
On Tip #2: Select a theme with standard photo sizes. Web designers adore designing with panoramic photos or photos that are larger than the standard photo size.
When selecting a theme, avoid using a panoramic design because it will require you to find images in this wide format for each article. That adds up to a significant amount of extra time spent on each article.
Read More A Step-By-Step Guide on How to Create a Website
Tip #4: Test your social media buttons thoroughly.
Social media buttons are small graphical icons that people can use to share your content on social media. Including these buttons is an important way to get new readers to discover your website.
Do not make the mistake of failing to test your button designs. I received ONE QUARTER the number of shares when I switched to my current setup when I used the slick social share plugin for social media buttons. Just because a social sharing plugin looks nice doesn’t mean it will help spread your message.
In addition, I’ve discovered that including buttons to 6 or 7 social media sites is less effective than directing readers to only 2 or 3 social media sites.
Conclusion
Even if you’re a first-time WordPress user, there’s no need to be intimidated when it comes to configuring and customizing its settings. Indeed, understanding how the six different pages affect your site can assist you in gaining control of the platform.
If You Have Any Doubts, Feel Free to Ask All Questions in Our Community Zone, Check out Raizool for more insight from our members.
