Learn How to Build Sites in WordPress – Ten Secrets
Learn How to Build Sites in WordPress – Ten Secrets
Building a website has never been easier than it is today thanks to WordPress. With WordPress, you can have your website up and running in hours. In fact, it is so easy to use that basic IT skills suffice. Nevertheless, it helps to know how to navigate the platform, or else your sites will be basic.
Here are ten secrets that every smart developer using Word Press ought to know.
Ditch the ‘Admin’ title
Once up, your Word Press website will automatically label you as Admin. The title may feel good, but you should change it for security and performance reasons.
For starters, most malware and bots focus their attention on websites with the username ‘Admin’ as it saves them the time and effort of digging up for your username so they can get straight to decipher your password. Additionally, your visitors will relate better with you as a person if they can see your real name and face, and this is good for traffic.
Choose your themes and plug-ins wisely
Your website’s appearance and functionality will depend on the theme and plug-ins you use. For example, the presence of certain plug-ins may complicate it while the absence of others may make it inefficient. As such, it is important to understand which plug-ins you need.
For themes, first, take into consideration the nature of your website and the expectations of your visitors. Different themes offer various layouts that determine the ‘feel’ of your website.
Differentiate your blog and homepage
Your website will get a homepage by default when you install a theme. What’s more, the homepage will feature all your blog posts. However, do not clatter homepages with blogs; in fact, this may make your website feel rudimentary. As such, it is important to create a separate blog to free space on your homepage.
To do this, just create two pages and name one Blog and the other Homepage. The blog posts on the default homepage will automatically transfer to the new blog page, and you can customize your new homepage to your liking.
Content is king
Most of the people who visit your Word Press website do so to get answers. As such, this should be the focus of your website. Make sure that the content on it is informative and engaging. Additionally, make sure that the format of the content is diverse: articles, videos, images, and podcasts, among others.
Substitute ‘Tags’ for ‘Categories.’
With Word Press, tags are not meant for search engines but rather for visitors. However, while they are helpful for attracting visitors, they are not as efficient as categories. As such, substitute the common tags for categories and be sure to mention each category to increase your website’s visibility.
In addition to substituting tags for categories, be sure to install an SEO plug-in to make it easier for people to find your site based on their keywords.
Take advantage of the footer
Every Word Press site features a footer section at the bottom which goes largely unnoticed, but it is important for your site’s credibility and performance. The footer should display vital information such as the website’s purpose, its copyright and even links to important pages. Some premium themes allow users to enlarge the footer sections so that it can display even more information.
Get a landing page
Smart Word Press users cannot ignore the benefits of a landing page. In fact, one of the standard components of most premium themes is an automatic landing page template. It is because a landing page is free of distractions that would confuse your visitors. Instead, it is engaging and prompts response and action.
As such, design a landing page using Word Press’ Premise Landing Page Software or go for a premium theme.
Customize your permalinks
Default Word Press permalinks are usually long and ugly. What’s more, they are not search-engine friendly, and most people easily mistake them for spam. Fortunately, they are easy to customize. Just navigate to your setting page and click on permalinks to get customization options. Make your customized permalinks relevant to their pages, readable, and short.
Open your website to the world
The goal of every website is to reach out to its audience. One of the best ways to do this is by incorporating social sharing. Numerous plug-ins link your website to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, so be sure to use them. However, make sure that your social sharing plug-ins are updated to avoid complications.
Backup your data
You work so hard to design the ideal website for you and your audience so you would not want to lose your data. However, you may be putting all your job at risk if you do not have a backup for your data. To avoid starting from scratch again, be sure to sign up for backup services from your host. To be on the safe side, choose 24-hours backups as a disaster may strike at any time.
