After installing WordPress, it can seem like a daunting task to start working on your website, but with the right steps, it can be a smooth and easy process. WordPress is a powerful content management system (CMS) that allows you to create a website or blog with ease. Whether you are new to the world of website creation or an experienced developer, this guide will walk you through the first things you should do after installing WordPress.
Step 1: Updating your site information
The second step after installing WordPress is to customize your site title and tagline. These elements are displayed in the header of your website and provide important information about your site to visitors and search engines.
The site title is the main name of your website, and it’s typically displayed in the header or logo area of your site. The tagline is a brief description that provides additional context and helps to further define your site’s purpose.
To change your site title and tagline, go to the “General Settings” section in the WordPress dashboard. You’ll see fields for the site title and tagline, and you can enter the information you want to use.
It’s important to choose a site title and tagline that accurately reflect your site’s purpose and goals. For example, if you’re creating a personal blog, your site title might be your name and your tagline might be a brief description of your blog’s focus. If you’re creating a business website, your site title might be the name of your company and your tagline might be a brief tagline that summarizes what your company does.
It’s also important to choose a site title and tagline information that is easy to read and understand, as well as easy to remember. This information is used by search engines to help visitors find your site, so it’s important to make it as clear and concise as possible.
Once you’ve entered your site title and tagline information, be sure to save your changes by clicking the “Save Changes” button. You should now see your new site title and tagline displayed in the header of your site. If you don’t see the changes right away, you may need to clear your browser’s cache or wait a few minutes for the changes to propagate.
Step 2: Choose a Theme
The second step after installing WordPress is to choose a theme for your website. A theme is a collection of templates and stylesheets that determine the look and feel of your website. It affects everything from the layout and design of your site to the typography and colour scheme.
When selecting a theme, it’s important to consider the purpose and goals of your website. For example, if you’re creating a business website, you might want to choose a professional-looking theme with a clean, organized layout. If you’re creating a blog, you might want to choose a theme that has a more personal and creative look.
There are thousands of free and paid themes available for WordPress, so you’ll have plenty of options to choose from. To find a theme after installing WordPress, you can browse the WordPress theme repository or use a search engine to find a third-party theme provider. When selecting a theme, be sure to read reviews and look at the theme’s demo site to get a better idea of what it will look like on your own site.
Once you’ve chosen a theme, you can install it by going to the “Themes” section in the WordPress dashboard and clicking the “Add New” button. From there, you can either search for a theme in the repository or upload a theme you’ve purchased or downloaded from another source.
It’s important to note that you can change your theme at any time, so don’t feel like you need to make a permanent decision right away. However, it’s a good idea to choose a theme that will serve your needs well in the long term, as switching themes too frequently can negatively impact your website’s search engine optimization (SEO) and user experience (UX).
Step 3: Customize Your Theme
Once you have chosen a theme, you can start customizing it to fit your needs. WordPress has a built-in theme customizer that allows you to make changes to your theme without editing any code. You can change the colours, fonts, and layout of your website with just a few clicks.
You can also add widgets to your website, which are small blocks of content that you can place in different areas of your website. For example, you can add a calendar widget to your website to display upcoming events, or a social media widget to display your social media profiles.
Step 4: Set up Navigation Menu
The fourth step after installing WordPress is to set up your website’s navigation menu. A navigation menu is a collection of links that allow visitors to easily navigate your site and find the content they’re looking for.
In WordPress, you can create a navigation menu by going to the “Appearance” section in the dashboard, and then clicking on the “Menus” option. From there, you can create a new menu and add links to the pages, posts, categories, and other sections of your site that you want to include.
It’s important to choose a menu structure that is easy to use and intuitive for your visitors. You may want to include links to your Home page, About page, Contact page, and any other important sections of your site. You can also use categories to organize your content and include links to those categories in your menu.
Once you’ve created your menu, you can specify where you want it to be displayed on your site. In most cases, the navigation menu is displayed in the header or footer of your site, but it can also be displayed in other areas, depending on the theme you’re using.
When setting up your menu, be sure to use descriptive, clear, and concise link text, as this will help visitors understand what each link is for and make it easier for them to navigate your site. You can also use sub-menus to create a more organized structure, and you can rearrange the links by dragging and dropping them in the menu editor.
Overall, the navigation menu is an important part of your website, and it’s essential to set it up in a way that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. For a complete guide on how to set up the navigation menu, click here.
Step 5: Create Pages and Posts
The fifth step after installing WordPress is to create pages and posts for your website. Pages are used to display static content, such as your About Us page or Contact Us page. Posts are used to display dynamic content, such as blog posts or news articles.
When creating pages, it’s important to think about the structure of your website. You’ll want to create a page for each main section of your website, such as Home, About Us, Services, and Contact Us. You should also create a blog page to display your posts.
When creating posts, it’s important to consider the content and SEO (search engine optimization) of your website. You should use keywords in your post titles and content to help your website rank higher in search engines. You should also use images and videos to break up your text and make your posts more engaging.
Step 6: Install Plugins
The sixth step after installing WordPress is to install plugins. Plugins are small pieces of software that add additional functionality to your WordPress site. They can help you add new features, improve the performance of your site, and much more.
There are thousands of plugins available for WordPress, both free and paid, and they can be installed from the WordPress plugin repository or from a third-party plugin provider. To install a plugin, go to the “Plugins” section in the WordPress dashboard and click the “Add New” button. From there, you can search for the plugin you want to install or upload a plugin you’ve downloaded from another source.
When choosing plugins, it’s important to consider the purpose and goals of your site, as well as any specific requirements you may have. For example, if you want to add a contact form to your site, you can install a plugin that provides that functionality. If you want to improve the performance of your site, you can install a plugin that optimizes your site’s images or caches your site’s content.
It’s also important to consider the quality and reliability of the plugins you’re installing. Be sure to read reviews and check the plugin’s support forums before installing it to ensure that it will work well on your site and that it’s regularly maintained and updated.
It’s also a good idea to limit the number of plugins you install, as too many plugins can slow down your site and make it more vulnerable to security risks. Stick to the plugins that are essential for your site, and be mindful of how many you’re installing.
By installing plugins, you can extend the functionality of your WordPress site and add new features and capabilities that meet your specific needs. Just be sure to choose plugins carefully and use them wisely to ensure the best possible experience for both you and your visitors.
We have a list of must-have plugins for every WordPress website. Read the full article here.
Step 7: Secure Your Website
WordPress is a popular platform, and as such, it is a common target for hackers. To secure your website after installing WordPress, do the following:
- Use a strong password: Make sure to use a strong, unique password for your WordPress website. Avoid using common words or phrases that can be easily guessed.
- Keep your software updated: Always keep your WordPress software and all plugins and themes updated to ensure that any security vulnerabilities are patched.
- Use a security plugin: Install a security plugin such as Wordfence or iThemes Security to help protect your website from hackers and malicious attacks.
- Limit login attempts: Limit the number of login attempts that can be made to your website to prevent brute-force attacks.
- Back up your website regularly: Regularly back up your website so that if something does happen, you can restore it quickly and easily.
- Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): A CDN can help protect your website from DDoS attacks.
- Use an SSL certificate: An SSL certificate will encrypt all data transmitted between your website and its visitors, making it more difficult for hackers to intercept sensitive information.
Step 8: Backing up the Website
Backing up your site: Backing up your website ensures that all of your data, including posts, pages, comments, and settings, is protected in case of a system failure or hacking attack. If your website is hacked or crashes, having a backup plugin in place makes it easy to restore your website to its previous state, saving you time and hassle.
Knowing that your website is backed up gives you peace of mind, knowing that if something goes wrong, you can quickly restore your website and get back to business. You can use a plugin like UpdraftPlus to schedule regular backups of your site and store them in a safe location.
Step 9: Update Your Profile
To update your profile in WordPress, you first need to log in to the WordPress dashboard. Once you’re logged in, go to the “Users” section and click on the “Your Profile” option.
On the Your Profile page, you’ll see a number of sections that allow you to update your personal information, including your name, email address, website, and bio. You can also upload a profile picture or avatar if you’d like.
To update your name and bio after installing WordPress, simply enter the information you want to use in the appropriate fields. To change your email address, enter the new email address in the email field and be sure to click the “Update Profile” button when you’re done.
If you’d like to change your password, you can do so by clicking the “Generate Password” button, which will generate a new, secure password for you. You can then enter the new password in the appropriate field and re-enter it to confirm it. Be sure to click the “Update Profile” button when you’re done to save your changes.
You can also choose to display your name and bio on your site if you’d like. To do this, simply go to the “Reading” section in the WordPress dashboard and select the option to display your name and bio on your site.
Step 10: Set up Privacy Settings
The tenth step after installing WordPress is to set up your privacy settings. This is an important step because it determines who can access your site and the type of information that is shared about your site.
To set up your privacy settings after installing WordPress, go to the “Settings” section in the WordPress dashboard and click on the “Privacy” option. From there, you’ll see a number of options for controlling your site’s privacy.
The first option is to choose whether you want your site to be visible to everyone or to be private. If you choose the latter, only users who are logged in to your site will be able to see it.
The second option is to control who can see your site in search engines like Google. By default, WordPress allows search engines to index your site and display its content in search results. If you don’t want your site to be visible in search results, you can choose to discourage search engines from indexing your site.
Finally, you can control what information is shared with third-party services when someone visits your site. This includes information like your site’s IP address, browser type, and operating system. By default, WordPress allows some information to be shared with third-party services, but you can choose to limit the amount of information that is shared if you’d like.
It’s important to keep in mind that changing your privacy settings can have a significant impact on your site’s visibility and accessibility. Be sure to choose the options that are best for your site and your visitors, and be aware of the potential consequences of each option before making your final choice.
Setting up your privacy settings is an important step after installing WordPress. By controlling who can access your site and what information is shared about it, you can ensure that your site is secure, private, and accessible to the right people.
Hopefully, this guide helps you find your way after installing WordPress. We have a ton of tutorials and articles on WordPress, check them out here.
