Publisher Checklist – 5 Steps to Starting a Brand New WordPress Website

Publisher Checklist - 5 Steps to Starting a Brand New WordPress Website
  • 5 min read

If you’re a newcomer, the idea of creating a brand new WordPress website might feel overwhelming. Don’t worry – we have a perfect checklist to help you along the journey. 

Is WordPress Still Relevant?

It’s 2024. AI can build websites. Is it still important to be able to make a website yourself? Absolutely! Twenty years after launching, WordPress now powers almost half of all live websites. That’s over 835 million sites. WordPress is so good that we built a company around hosting it!

Why should you use WordPress for your website instead of using another system – or having AI build it? There are a lot of reasons. Here are just six of them:

  • User-friendly interface
  • Extensive customization options
  • Flexibility for various website types
  • Strong community support
  • SEO-friendliness
  • Cost-effectiveness

With a library of 60,000 plugins, 11,000 themes, and a global community of open-source developers, WordPress can power anything you build.

Whether you need a blog or an eCommerce platform, WordPress is cheap, easy, and good. When was the last time you got all three?

“WordPress is used by 43.4% of all the websites, which is a content management system market share of 62.7%.”

W3Techs

The internet is a busy place, and a website is your prime storefront. If you’re a newcomer, the idea of creating an online shop, or even a niche blog, might feel overwhelming. We get that! But, WordPress, the world’s most popular website builder, makes the process simple.

5 Important Steps When Building Your New WordPress Website

We have five essential steps that will take you from concept to a functional website, ready to impress and engage your audience. So, get ready to establish your brand’s unique space in the world’s busiest and most accessible marketplace!

Step 1. Choose the Right Hosting Provider

We don’t like to blow our own horn, but we’ve made a business around helping people launch professional websites. We have years of experience, a crew of trusted specialists, and 24/7 human WordPress support.

  • Select a hosting provider specializing in WordPress
  • Ensure the host offers features such as:
    • High-performance servers
    •  Built-in security measures
    • Automatic backups
    • 24/7 expert support

Did You Know? Rocket.net is the easiest way to host WordPress. We offer a user-friendly, yet performant WordPress hosting platform with fast and responsive customer support, seamless migrations, and a focus on simplicity and productivity.

Security is ultra-important: Here are ten ways to increase your WordPress website security. Implementing a handful of security measures for your WordPress site isn’t sufficient. Security isn’t a one-time setup; it’s an ongoing process that requires constant attention and updates.We’ve got you covered.

We also explain why Rocket.net will never be commodity hosting. Good web hosting is at the heart of any good, successful website. You need reliable, secure web space to make your site accessible online. Hosting isn’t where you should try and count pennies.

Step 2. Set Up Your WordPress Installation

You can set up WordPress easily enough. You can also have our team of experts move your WordPress sites from your existing host at no charge! Whether you have 1 or 1,000 websites, we provide unlimited free WordPress migrations with every package. With free migrations and WordPress set up already on our platform, you can skip steps 1-3.

Reminder: The best time to set up your website’s SEO is right after installing WordPress.

  1. Copy all installation files into the public folder of your local/live server.
  2. Create a new MySQL database.
  3. Navigate to the installation URL, enter your database details when prompted, and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup.
  4. Configure basic settings:
    1. Site title and tagline
    2. Time zone and date format
    3. Permalink structure (SEO-friendly URLs)

Did you know the role WordPress hosting plays in WooCommerce and SEO? Worried that AI-powered snippets are leaving you behind in their dust? From speed to performance to conversions, WordPress hosting impacts SEO – and your online shop. Find out more!

Focus: 16 common WordPress mistakes that can hinder your SEO. There are some common WordPress mistakes you may be making with your website that can hinder your SEO efforts if left unchecked. So, grab your spacesuit because we’re about to blast off and explore them one by one!

Step 3. Select and Customize Your Theme

  • Choose a responsive, mobile-friendly, and accessible theme
  • Customize the theme to match your brand:
    • Upload your logo
    • Set brand colours
    • Adjust layout and typography

Did you know? Rocket.net prohibits nulled WordPress themes and plugins. Nulled plugins and themes are exact copies of existing ones and present security and ethical issues just like any other pirated software. Because of this, they are not allowed to be listed on the official WordPress Directory.

Cool New Thing! Introducing Site Templates. Rather than creating a new site every time and manually installing these plugins and/or themes you work with, you can now do it once with Site Templates and can reuse it over and over again on new installs going forward.

Step 4. Install Essential Plugins

  • Security plugin (e.g., Wordfence or Sucuri)
  • SEO plugin (e.g., Yoast SEO or Rank Math)
  • Caching plugin for improved performance
  • Backup plugin (if not provided by your host)
  • Contact form plugin

Question of the Day: How many WordPress plugins are too much? WordPress plugins make life easier for the user in both the front and the back end, but how many are a good thing, and when does plugin bloat start to show? The answer depends on your website’s needs. But even here, like in many things, quality is more important than quantity.

Focus: WordPress optimization 101 – how Rocket eliminates the need for additional plugins. That’s right – fewer plugins. Every technical dependency in the form of a WordPress plugin is a potential point of failure for your website. Every potential point of failure is your responsibility as the agency of record (you). The real cost of plugin bloat is human resources, not technical debt.

Step 5. Create and Optimize Core Pages

  • Design your homepage
  • Add an “About Us” page
  • Create a “Contact” page
  • Set up your main service or product pages
  • Implement a blog or news section
  • Optimize all pages for SEO:
    • Use relevant keywords
    • Write compelling meta-descriptions
    • Add alt text to images

Did You Know? Rocket still recommends caching plugins – though it’s really about optimization. Why? Rocket.net handles everything speed. Caching plugins handle the experience, how the browser is instructed to handle everything loading on your site as the page is fully rendered.

Hot Tip: 8 effective SEO strategies for new websites. The most important SEO strategy for new websites is keyword research and content optimization. That’s only two strategies – we’re giving you six more. Read on!

Bonus: 5 Things Not to Do When Building a Brand-New WordPress Website

Here are some common mistakes to avoid when launching a new WordPress website. Mistakes happen, don’t worry – failure is the only way you learn –  but some mistakes should be avoided.

Security and Data Protection

  • Don’t implement an automated backup system from the start to protect your site’s data and content.
  • Don’t install a security plugin, use strong passwords, keep WordPress and plugins updated, or follow other security measures.

Site Performance and Optimization

  • Don’t install well-maintained plugins and themes from reputable sources. Don’t remove them from your site if they are inactive.
  • Don’t optimize images, enable caching, and minimize plugins to ensure fast page load times.

SEO and Visibility

  • Don’t install an SEO plugin or implement basic on-page SEO practices like optimizing titles, meta descriptions, and content.

User Experience and Accessibility

  • Don’t ensure your theme and design are fully responsive for mobile devices or follow accessibility best practices.
  • Leave default WordPress content like sample pages and posts before launch, “to help SEO.”

Quality assurance

  • Don’t check all functionality, links, forms, or displays across devices and browsers before you launch.

Don’t do these things! Instead, launch a professional, secure, and effective WordPress website together with a trusted hosting company. Remember to take your time with the setup process and double-check all critical elements before taking the site live.

Choose The Future of WordPress Hosting!

By following our checklist, you’ll ensure a solid foundation for your WordPress site, and be ready to take off. It’s not rocket science – and you can do it!

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