Build Your Profitable Online Business

After you installed your WordPress, you need to know the options to set or change in the general Configuration of WordPress, so that it is optimized for creating a WordPress based website.

The following 12 steps we recommend you to do after you did your initial installation.

1. Create a new user with administrator rights

Create a new admin but with a different name, then logout from your admin account and login as that new user. The reason for this is security, since usually “admin” is the first account hackers will use to attack your website. Then you can clean out most of WordPress example posts, comments and Blogroll items by deleting the old admin user and all his posts and links. Now, you have an almost empty site to work on.

2. Remove the default about page

As the example about page is left from WordPress installation on your site, you’d better to remove it and create a new about page with your own title and page url.

3. Change permalinks

Our favorite option for permalinks is to use the field “custom structure” and then use /%postname%/. This will give you search engine friendly URLs with the title and keywords in place.

4. Remove or rename default post category

The standard post category in WordPress is set to “Uncategorized” with the same for the Slug. You should have the main topic of your website and create appropriate categories.

5. Activate and Configure the Askimet Plugin.

In order to protect your website against comment spam, we highly recommend you to activate and configure Askimet Plugin.

6. Check privacy settings

Make sure you don’t block search engines to index your website.

7. Check discussion settings

Select the way you want to handle comments, if you want to have people commenting or not.

8. Change reading settings

For example you change the settings for use a static page or a blog page. This option may not work if you use some premium themes as they will use the file home.php for the Home page layout. In those kind of themes you will find a separate template for a blog page.

9. Install “must have” plugins

There are several WordPress plugins that we consider “must have” plugins like Askimet, a Google Sitemap generator and other things like a Database backup, and an SEO Plugin.

10. Install a new theme

You do not need to use the standard WordPress themes. And there are lots of themes that you can choose from to select a theme that will suite your site. If you use the option “Add New Themes” you will be taken to WordPress site for you choosing your theme from.

11. Choose and configure your widgets

Once you have a new theme you can change the behavior of your sidebar and other elements by placing and configuring those widgets.

12. Write and publish your content

Keep in mind that “content is the king”. Offering fresh and excellent content is one of the keys to your online business success.

Your WordPress setup is done. In order to have an impressive online presence for your online business, choosing a right WordPress theme and plugins are very important as well.

Related posts:

1. How to Build a Website with WordPress
2. 9 Must Have WordPress Plugins
3. Build a Website: Why WordPress?
4. How to Choose a WordPress Theme
5. WordPress Theme Basics