My WordPress Setup Routine

Last Update: August 21, 2010

I have just a teeny bit of time...and it occurred to me that this might be helpful to a few people.  Just a WordPress site setup walk-through. I'm getting better at this.  (How's 100Blogs going, some of you have asked.  Well, I'm well into the next 2 sites--one of them seasonal and one of them accessory-related) but it's been a wild couple of weeks.  Since my time has been very broken-up lately (and my focus has been a bit scattered as well), I've done what I can to keep growing skills and market discernment.

I know that guilt is not productive.  I don't let myself nurse any guilt feelings, because they lead to procrastination.  I know myself well...when a project becomes associated with negative, anxious feelings, that project is pretty much doomed.  Sigh.  I do what I can do, and when it's important to put people first, I do that.

Did you know that you can watch a couple of tutorials while doing ab crunches?  Did you know that you can watch more tutorials while chopping vegetables for dinner?  Except that the yellow onions will make you cry, which means that it'll be harder to watch the tutorials with eyes clouding and running.

I'm not going to do a lot of 'splaining here.  If you need to know more, just put a comment.  I'll try to answer.  Let's go:

Domain name choice:  exact match domain keyword bought from Namecheap.com.

DNS pointers pointed to my host (and enabled from within HostMonster).

Domain added and folder created on the host CPanel

WordPress 3.0.1 installed.  (I always install the latest stable version through SimpleScripts.)

From within CPanel file manager, all important files (plugins and themes) copied to the new folder.  Big time saver.  It's so important to have a host with a good file manager built in to the cPanel.

Email created.  info@domainname.com.  

Email forwarding set up to main email account.

First round of essential plugins enabled (some of these I have just decided are essential, after some trial and error--it's all a work in progress, you know):

WP Super Cache,Tweetmeme, AddThis, WordPress Database Backup, ContactPage Google XML SitemapsGoogle Sitemaps, Dagon Design Sitemap Generator, Exclude Pages, Akismet, All in One SEO Pack, Google Analytics.

Akismet activated.

Hello Dolly deleted.

Contact Page set up

Social bookmarking activated

All-in-One SEO activated.  (I keep going forth between Platinum SEO and All in One SEO, but I do really like this setup checklist for All in One...

http://www.jackleblond.com/all-in-one-seo-pack-configuration/

Google Analytics set up

Feedburner account set up

Dagon Design Sitemap - Activated and Configured
Google XML Sitemap Plugin Activated..
Exclude Pages plugin activated..

I set these up together, since the configs are interdependent.. Dagon's plugin references the XML file so that it can embed the link. I exclude the site map from the navigation and being included with other pages in navigation.

I also uncheck comments/trackbacks.

Google Analytics acct created, plugin activated and linked..
Remote Database Backup activated..
WP Super Cache activated, configured..

XML Sitemap added to Google's Webmaster Tools.


Next:  Setting up content



 

 

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Horselover Premium
Thanks! That's exactly how I have to do things - do this, then do this - but I haven't done enough websites to be able to set out the steps one by one. I will copy this out as a guide.
Fallulah Premium
Oh that's GREAT Maureen I've just been agonising for days just over my header and you'll laugh when you see it because it's so simple! Thanks God for Steven's SuperSimpleBogging and XHeader! So you plug in guide is really helpful for my next step :) Thanks vey muchly!
Fallulah Premium
Oh that's GREAT Maureen I've just been agonising for days just over my header and you'll laugh when you see it because it's so simple! Thanks God for Steven's SuperSimpleBogging and XHeader! So you plug in guide is really helpful for my next step :) Thanks vey muchly!
jatdebeaune Premium
Oh wow Maureen. I know who to consult when setting up a Word Press site. Many thanks for sharing all that good stuff.
Jamie Smith Premium
Nice 1, always cool to see how others visualize their work flow
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