after the install
DESCRIPTION
Here are my slides from WordCamp Ottawa- After the InstallTRANSCRIPT
Al DavisWPTeach.com
AFTER THE INSTALL
ABOUT ME
Organizer of:• WordCamp Toronto ( 2011, 2012)• WordCamp Developers Toronto
( 2012)• Toronto WordPress Meetup group• Toronto Wordpress Developers
Meetup
Program Manager, Hostopia• WordPress SME for world’s largest
wholesale hosting provider• Developing WP strategy for major
telco’s, cableco’s and ISP’s globally• About to launch a service where we
design and publish 1000+ sites a month using WP
Professor , George Brown College• Intro to WordPress• Intro to WordPress theme
Development
Owner, WPTeach.com• WordPress website• Launching online school to learn WP
in Q2• Freelance WordPress Development
and training
AGENDA
10 Things you should do after you install WordPress and before you write that first post
Any WordPress questions you might have
Change the Default Admin
Why?Because you want to publish your content under a more user friendly name. And no one is actually named admin…
How? • Go to Users > Add new
• Add a new user with admin rights
• Log out of WordPress and log back in as your newly created Admin user
• Delete default admin user
Add a Security PluginWhy?Because of the growing popularity of WordPress for publishing websites, it has now become a target for hackers and other ne’er do wells
How? • Go to Plugins > Add new
• Search for ‘Wordfence’
• Install plugin and make sure it is activated
Change the permalinksWhy?Because www.yoursite.com/page name is much more SEO friendly than www.yoursite.com/?p=200
How? Go to Settings> Permalinks
As of WP version 3.3 you can click on button labelled ‘Post Name’
Or you can use a custom structure such as
/%category%/%postname%/
Activate AkismetWhy?Akismet comes bundled in with WordPress and is a great front line defense against the spambot
How? Go to Plugins > Installed plugins
Activate Akismet
Click on Link labeled ‘Sign up for an Akismet API Key’
Follow instructions – feel free to donate at the same time
Once done, check email for API key
From inside your WP Dashboard, click on the Akismet configuration page ( Plugins> installed plugins> Akismet
Enter API key where prompted, click on ‘ Update options’
Install WordPress SEO by Yoast
Why?Make sure your content is optimized and easily searchable. The whole idea is to attract visitors and grow your traffic right?
How? Find a plugin you like
Install the plugin in the usual manner Plugins> Add New>Search
I am a BIG fan of Yoast SEO Plugin ( and not just because its free!)
Once installed view the options for the plugin you chose and start to get familiar with how it works
First piece of work here is go to SEO-> XML Sitemap
Activate Google AnalyticsWhy?Youll be able to measure the effectiveness of different posts on your site and generally get a good feeling about what your doing
How? Go to Plugins > Add New
Search for ‘Google Analytics’ and install Plugin
Go to Google analytics and sign up for an account http://www.google.com/analytics/
Upon confirmation, you will receive a Web property ID ( starts with UA) copy that number into the plugin setting page and save changes.
Google Analytics is set up!
The BonusInstall Google Analytics Dashboard plugin for Google analytics right in Your WP dashboard
Categories- Add them!Why?The out-of-the-box category is ‘Uncategorized,’ which, if it is a true reflection of your content, means you might want to rethink your strategy.
How? Go to Posts > Categories
Click ‘Edit’ under the Uncategorized category
Change the name to something appropriate for your site
Add more categories if you like
Set the default categoryGo to Settings > Writing
Set Default Post Category
Change your blog tagline
Why?WordPress defaults to the tagline ‘Just Another WordPress Site’ and your site is not just another site.
How? Go to Setting > General
Change the tagline in the text box provided
Remember to save your changes!
Install a theme
Why?You want a look and feel that represents you as a business or an individual…and we all like good-looking websites
How do I find a free one? Go to Wordpress.org/extend/themes
Browse through the thousands of themes and find one that works for you..make note of the name or download it directly to your computer
From inside your WP dashboard go to Appearance>Themes> Install Themes and either upload the theme directly or search for it by name and install
Make sure you activate the theme after you install it
Install a theme
What’s a premium theme?A premium theme is a theme you pay for. Typically they include a number of different features:
• Sliders
• Extra Widget areas
• Advanced functionality in general
How do I find one? Lots of different places
• Elegant themes
• Woo themes
• Themify.me
• Theme Forest
• DO YOUR HOMEWORK HERE!!!!!
Back it up!
Why?A backup plugin will at the very least give you peace of mind when the time comes that something bad happens
How? Find a plugin you like
Install the plugin in the usual manner Plugins> Add New
Make sure you do a backup and schedule a backup to happen at a regular interval ( if that option is available)
I’m a fan of Backup Buddy by iThemes ( premium plugin but well worth the $)
Other options:
• VaultPress ( monthly fee)
• ManageWP ( if you’re managing multiple sites)
That’s it, you’re now ready!
Any Questions?
