Launching your first WordPress website can be an exciting experience, but it can also be a headache if you fail to perform simple yet vital actions before launching your website. These actions can range from a hacking attack to a complete loss of data without hope for getting it back. Fortunately, you can prevent these issues with the right tools. Here are seven steps you should take before launching your WordPress website.
1. Choose the Right Theme
Choosing the right template for your website is crucial because it sets the tone of your entire site. If you build a business website but choose a theme lacking a professional look, you won’t be taken seriously. Search for templates based on the category of site they cater to and then determine which design fits your site best.
2. Create a Backup
Creating a backup of your WordPress website, including all of your files, code, and content, is crucial because building a website takes a lot of time and effort. By creating a backup, you will be able to rest assured that your website can be restored whenever necessary. The best backup plugins enable you to create scheduled backups, ensuring that every time you add to or revise your website, you will have a new copy saved.
3. Fortify Your Admin Area
WordPress is more prone to hacking attacks than other website building platforms. Therefore, it is crucial to fortify your backend using all means available to you. Start by selecting a strong password, set up a two-step verification process, and protect your WordPress admin area by limiting the number of login attempts.
4. Connect to Google Tools
Connecting your site to the Google Search Console and Google Analytics is advisable because Google provides more data than any other website tracking tool. It can also provide crawl reports about essential elements of your website, including how quickly it loads, whether it loads properly, and that there are no missing or broken links. Google Analytics is essential for understanding your audience, their likes, and their dislikes.
5. Setup an Email on Your Domain Name
Setting up an email attached to the domain name of your site is crucial because using an email address from another domain can cause problems down the road. A domain-based email address also demonstrates to users that your emails are coming direct from the source in addition to simply looking more professional.
6. Test the User Experience
Testing the user experience and streamlining your website before launching is crucial because it gives you a good idea of how your site works and can aid in discovering errors or issues you had not noticed before. It is important to get an outsider’s perspective about how a site “feels” to ensure that you don’t miss any gaping issues.
7. Do Performance Tests
The performance of your website affects everything from bounce rate to SEO. Users expect quick load times, and so does Google. If your website loading speed isn’t optimal, take measures to ensure that it is by speeding it up with a caching tool. You can check how each measure affects your website by using tools like Pingdom.
In conclusion, these seven steps are only the beginning. The most successful websites are run by people who never stop learning and who are always on the lookout for better, more effective solutions. Good luck with your launch!
