Key Tasks After Creating a WordPress Site
Creating a WordPress site is only the initial part in creating a web presence. Once you have completed the website setup, there are also a few essential items that you need to do to make your site reliable, perform well and offer an optimal visitor experience. The following measures apply to many new web site owners who fail to take into account post-launch actions that might cause performance problems, lack of recognition or even security holes.
This guide will show you the major post-creation to-do jobs on your new WordPress site in easy steps so that even new users can follow as they come.
1. Configure Basic Settings
Once your WordPress site is live, start by adjusting essential settings from the WordPress dashboard.
Important Steps:
- Set your site title and tagline: Go to Settings > General and add a clear name and short tagline that reflect your brand.
- Set the correct timezone: Helps ensure posts are published at the right times.
- Choose a permalink structure: Visit Settings > Permalinks and choose “Post Name” for SEO-friendly URLs.
- Update the site language: Make sure your website matches the language of your target audience.
Getting these basics right ensures consistency across your website.
2. Choose and Customize a Theme
The theme is the backbone of your site’s design.
Key Tips:
- Select a responsive, lightweight theme that loads quickly.
- Customize fonts, colors, and layouts to match your brand.
- Test the design on different devices (desktop, mobile, tablet).
- Remove unused demo content to make the site clean and professional.
Your theme determines first impressions, so spend time making it visually appealing and user-friendly.
3. Install Essential Plugins
Plugins add functionality to your WordPress website. While it’s tempting to install many, focus only on what’s necessary.
Must-Have Plugins Include:
- SEO plugins (e.g., Yoast SEO or Rank Math) for better search visibility.
- Caching and performance plugins (e.g., W3 Total Cache, WP Rocket) to speed up your site.
- Security plugins (e.g., Wordfence, iThemes Security) to safeguard your site.
- Backup plugins (e.g., UpdraftPlus) to keep regular backups of your data.
- Contact form plugins (e.g., WPForms) to stay connected with users.
Installing these tools helps you manage, protect, and scale your site effectively.
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4. Set Up Website Security
Protecting your website is one of the most important tasks after launch. Weak security can make your site vulnerable to hackers, malware, or spam attacks.
Security Best Practices:
- Change default admin username to something unique.
- Use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication.
- Install a security plugin to monitor suspicious activity.
- Set up SSL (HTTPS) for encrypted communication.
- Regularly update themes and plugins to patch vulnerabilities.
Remember, Website Security is not a one-time task but an ongoing process that ensures your website remains safe for visitors and your business data.
5. Create Essential Pages
Every professional website needs some basic pages that provide visitors with important information.
Must-Have Pages:
- Home Page: Clear, engaging introduction to your business or blog.
- About Us: Share your story, mission, and team.
- Contact Page: Provide email, phone, and/or a contact form.
- Privacy Policy & Terms of Service: Build trust and meet legal requirements.
- Blog Page: If you’re planning to publish articles regularly.
These pages make your site more informative, transparent, and user-friendly.
6. Optimize Your Website for SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) ensures that your site ranks higher in Google and attracts more traffic.
SEO Checklist:
- Optimize meta titles and descriptions.
- Add alt tags to images.
- Submit an XML sitemap to search engines.
- Use internal linking between posts and pages.
- Focus on mobile optimization and site speed.
The more SEO-friendly your site is, the higher the chances of reaching your target audience.
7. Set Up Backups
Imagine losing your entire website overnight due to a crash or hack. Backups are your safety net.
Backup Tips:
- Use a plugin like UpdraftPlus or BackupBuddy.
- Store backups on external storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.).
- Schedule automatic backups weekly or daily, depending on how often you update content.
Having a reliable backup system ensures peace of mind.
8. Improve Website Performance
A slow website frustrates visitors and can hurt search rankings.
Performance Optimization Steps:
- Compress images before uploading.
- Use a caching plugin to reduce load time.
- Enable lazy loading for images and videos.
- Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) for global performance.
- Choose a reliable hosting provider with fast servers.
9. Test Your Website
Before promoting your site, test everything to ensure smooth user experience.
Things to Test:
- All links and buttons are working.
- Contact forms send messages correctly.
- The website is mobile-responsive.
- Loading speed is under 3 seconds.
- Cross-browser compatibility (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge).
Testing ensures visitors won’t face frustrating issues.
10. Promote Your Website
Once your site is polished and running smoothly, it’s time to promote it.
Promotion Strategies:
- Share your site on social media platforms.
- Start an email newsletter to build a loyal audience.
- Publish high-quality blog posts regularly.
- Network with influencers or guest post on other websites.
- Invest in Google Ads or social ads for faster reach.
Promotion helps attract traffic and build your brand online.
Table: Key Tasks After Creating a WordPress Site
Task | Why It’s Important | Tools/Plugins |
Configure basic settings | Ensures proper structure and branding | WordPress Settings Panel |
Customize theme | Improves design and user experience | Astra, GeneratePress, etc. |
Install essential plugins | Adds functionality and protection | Yoast SEO, UpdraftPlus, etc. |
Set up security | Protects from hacks and malware | Wordfence, SSL, iThemes Sec. |
Create essential pages | Provides key information to visitors | WordPress Page Builder |
Optimize SEO | Boosts visibility in search engines | Yoast SEO, Rank Math |
Set up backups | Prevents data loss | UpdraftPlus, BackupBuddy |
Improve performance | Enhances speed and visitor experience | WP Rocket, CDN |
Test your website | Ensures smooth functionality across platforms | BrowserStack, GTMetrix |
Promote your website | Attracts traffic and builds online presence | Social Media, Email Marketing |
Final Thoughts
Starting a WordPress site is just the starting point. The work really begins, its role begins after launch to place settings, tighten security, tweak performance and marketing your site to the right audience. When you adhere to these steps, you not only create the functional but the professional, secured, and growth-enhancement optimized site.
If you are interested in saving significant time on managing your site and improving your site-building experience, then you should start using some tools, such as Wp-Click, that would make WordPress easier to manage both in the case of a novice and an experienced user.
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