No problem. We’ve got your back with a step-by-step list of exactly what you need to do to start a WordPress blog.
If possible, your domain name should match the name of your business or blog. If your business, brand, or personal name isn’t available, consider using the big result you help clients achieve or brand keywords as your domain name.
5. Customize The WordPress Theme
Once the theme you chose is installed, it’s time to make any customizations and modifications needed, like adding your logo, changing the colors to your CTA buttons, and even changing the fonts used. Many pre-built commercial themes provide several customization and template options for you to choose from.
The WordPress Customizer found under the Appearance > Customize menu allows you to make changes to the theme design and see the changes you’re making in action (in desktop, tablet, and mobile views) while they are being made.
Some of the options you can customize include:
- Identity: Add the site name, tagline, logo, and site icon (favicon)
- Menus: Quickly create or edit the navigation menu for your site
- Colors: Change the colors used in the WordPress theme
- Single Post: Configure specific settings for your blog posts like whether or not to include an author box
- Background Image: If your theme uses a background image, you can set it or change it here
6. Add Content And Images
The theme you selected will determine the layout of your homepage and whether your blog archive (main list of all your blog posts) is on the home page or a separate blog page. Now that you have customized the theme to be reflective of your brand, it’s time to add your core pages like the about page and contact page and to add your content and images to the homepage and any other page that you create.
7. Add A Contact Form and Social Icons
Along with the content and images for the site, it’s also a smart idea to add a contact form to your contact page to easily allow people to contact you without publishing your email address online and opening yourself up for a barrage of spam.
WP Forms comes with Liquid Web’s managed WordPress hosting, so it’s already installed and ready for you to use. And, because it’s built with beginners in mine, you’ll be able to create your new contact form in no time.
Also, take a moment to think through how you would like to connect your social media audiences to your website, whether through prominent positioning of the social icons in your nav menu or minimized icons in your footer or sidebar.
8. Setup Google Analytics
Google Analytics is a powerful analytics service that provides reports on website traffic, page views, bounce rate, referral sources, user behavior, website conversions and goals, and more. This information is critical to the growth and improvement of your website, your ongoing marketing strategy, and the expansion of your brand.
9. Start Publishing Blog Posts
At this point your new WordPress blog exists on your new URL, the theme is set up and customized to reflect your brand, and the homepage, about page, contact page, and any other needed pages have been created and the content has been added. This means there is only one last thing left to do…
Start creating blog content and publishing blog posts. Now it’s up to you to write or record new blog posts, publish them, and share them out across social media to bring traffic back to your site. It’s also up to you to market your new blog and get the word out about your blog so new readers can find you!
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