Congratulations on installing WordPress! ???? Now that your website is up and running, there are a few important steps you should take to optimize security, speed, and functionality. Follow this guide to ensure your site is properly set up before going live.
1. Set Up General Site Settings
Before adding content, configure the basic settings for your website.
Steps:
1.Go to Settings > General in your WordPress dashboard.
2.Update the Site Title and Tagline (this appears in search results).
3. Set the correct time zone to match your location.
4.Ensure the site URL is correct, especially if using “www” or “https”.
5. Save Changes.
✅ This helps with SEO and branding consistency.
2. Configure Permalinks for SEO-Friendly URLs
By default, WordPress assigns random numbers to post URLs (e.g., yourdomain.com/?p=123). Changing this improves SEO and user readability.
How to Change Permalinks:
1. Navigate to Settings > Permalinks.
2. Select Post name (yourdomain.com/sample-post/) for better SEO.
3. Click Save Changes.
✅ This makes URLs clean, descriptive, and search-engine friendly.
3. Install a WordPress Theme
Your website’s design is crucial. WordPress provides free and premium themes to choose from.
To Install a Theme:
1. Go to Appearance > Themes.
2.Click Add New and search for a theme (e.g., Astra, GeneratePress).
3. Click Install, then Activate.
✅ Choose a lightweight, responsive theme to ensure fast loading times.
4. Install Essential Plugins
Plugins enhance your site’s functionality. Here are must-have plugins:
|
Plugin |
Purpose |
|---|---|
|
Yoast SEO |
Optimize content for search engines |
|
Wordfence Security |
Protect your site from hackers |
|
UpdraftPlus |
Automatic website backups |
|
WPForms |
Create contact forms easily |
|
WP Fastest Cache |
Speed up your website |
How to Install Plugins:
1. Go to Plugins > Add New.
2.Search for the plugin name.
3. Click Install Now, then Activate.
✅ Only install the plugins you need to avoid slowing down your site.
5. Set Up a Backup Solution
A backup ensures you don’t lose your site’s data in case of errors or hacks.
Recommended Plugin:
•UpdraftPlus – Allows automatic backups to Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive.
✅ Setting up regular backups ensures your data is always safe.
6. Secure Your WordPress Site
Security should be a top priority from the beginning.
Steps to Improve Security:
1. Change the default admin username (admin) to a unique name.
2.Install a security plugin like Wordfence or Sucuri.
3. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for added protection.
4.Use strong passwords for all user accounts.
✅ A secure website prevents hacking and data breaches.
7. Customize Your Homepage & Menu
By default, WordPress shows your latest posts as the homepage. You can change this to a custom homepage.
To Set a Static Homepage:
1. Go to Settings > Reading.
2.Select A static page under Homepage settings.
3.Choose your preferred Homepage and Blog page.
To Customize Your Menu:
1. Navigate to Appearance > Menus.
2. Click Create a New Menu and add pages like Home, About, Blog, Contact.
3. Click Save Menu.
✅ A well-structured menu improves user experience.
8. Delete Unused Default Content
When WordPress is installed, it includes sample posts, pages, and comments.
To Delete Default Content:
1.Go to Posts > All Posts and delete “Hello World”.
2.Navigate to Pages > All Pages and delete the sample page.
3.Check Comments and remove any default ones.
✅ This keeps your website clean and professional.
9. Optimize Your Site for Speed
A slow website leads to high bounce rates.
Steps to Improve Speed:
•Install a caching plugin (e.g., WP Fastest Cache).
•Optimize images using Smush or ShortPixel.
• Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) like Cloudflare.
• Choose a fast and reliable hosting provider.
✅ A fast website improves SEO and user experience.
10. Update WordPress Regularly
WordPress releases frequent updates for security and performance improvements.
How to Keep Your Site Updated:
• Go to Dashboard > Updates.
•Update WordPress core, themes, and plugins.
•Enable automatic updates where possible.
✅ Keeping everything updated prevents security vulnerabilities.
Final Thoughts
After installing WordPress, these essential post-installation steps will help you build a secure, optimized, and well-functioning website.
???? Configure site settings & permalinks
???? Install a theme & essential plugins
???? Set up security & backups
???? Optimize for speed & performance
???? Now your WordPress site is ready for success! ????
