Does it sound appealing to have your own blog? Perhaps you already have a WordPress blog but, are unhappy with how it works. There are a variety of tools and plugins that will improve the appearance of your blog. Use the tips below to create an awesome WordPress site.
Choose an interesting and unusual design for your WordPress blog. While copying someone else’s design is quick, it doesn’t make a good impression. You want to show how your site is different from everyone else.
Remember to clean up permalinks. For instance, “101 Ways for Smart People to Manage Their Children” is way too long for a URL. Rather, try to shorten permalinks while retaining the same meaning.
WordPress is something that people can use to get video blogs onto their sites. Spending a little extra time preparing your website will save you time in the long run. Video blogs are perfect for Internet users who are visual. A video can clearly convey a message that is hard to explain with the written word; this makes video a powerful marketing tool.
When you are using WordPress, get familiar with the tools and features available in the application. For example, clicking the Kitchen Sink will give you choices such as importing and formatting posts. It is possible to control a number of formatting elements with this.
Omit special characters from the URLs of your blog posts. These characters can make things a real hassle. You should also shorten all URLs so that they aren’t overwhelming to anyone coming to your site, so only include the key words.
Uploading Images
You must specify if you want your post to appear in other than chronological order. Change the date if you want to rearrange the list. To do this, locate the date in the upper right corner of an open post. Click on date, modify it and save the post so you can change the position.
When uploading images, use alt and title text. text when you are uploading images in your posts. These can help you add more SEO descriptions to pages, which lets those viewers that don’t wish to see images know what the images are.
Do your posts have many comments? It may have become a challenge to sift through all of them. Look for a plugin to add page numbers at the end of the comments section. This makes for easier navigation and a more organized site.
When using WordPress, you can even add videos to your site. It’s worth the extra preparation. Many internet users enjoy visuals. People enjoy videos, and a video that explains things well can grab their attention faster than words can.
Make your greeting engaging on the top of your WordPress home page. You will be able to understand how your user located your blog, and this will provide your user with a more personal experience. This will make your site look much more inviting.
Learn what you can before installing WordPress. The more prepared you are, the simpler the process of setting up your page will be. Learn about search engine optimization, how to create effective content, and how to use WordPress to its fullest advantage to ensure you aren’t struggling when you get to work.
Security is crucial for a site built with WordPress, so always keep your passwords secure. Before installing plugins, make sure to read reviews. When your site ends up hacked or attacked by malware, you’ll lose all that you’ve built.
Clean up any unnecessary comments and content on your website. In this way, your site will be inviting and comfortable for your users. A good plugin to include which can help filter daily spam on the site is Akismet.
Only use WordPress plugins that you absolutely need. While they can be very valuable, they also have a tendency to make your load time much longer. They can slow down things considerably, impacting your search engine rank. Websites that perform better rank better.
You might find one day that you think you’ve made a lot of changes to your blog that haven’t been saved. This is likely not the case. Clear your cache to see if that fixes the problem. Just press and hold your “shift” key while refreshing your browser and your changes should appear.
Never use an outdated version of WordPress. Updates will eliminate vulnerabilities. Using older versions will make your site susceptible to spyware attacks. Install every update possible that you can.
Unless you change it, posts will appear chronologically. Rearrange your list by changing the date. The date is always on the top, right-hand corner of every blog post. Click the date, choose a new one and save the post to alter its position.
Keep a back up of your blog. Regularly schedule this important task. One good WordPress plugin for this is Xcloner. Utilize any plugin or site you wish for the purpose of backing up your blog. Just be certain to have a back up in multiple locations. It would be disastrous to lose your whole blog.
Are you getting as many comments as you’d like? If they do, it can be quite a chore for you and your readers to comb through all of them. Use a plugin to add page numbers. This will make the whole process much smoother.
Connect posts together using internal linking plugins so that visitors can enjoy more content on the site. These plugins will add 3 to 5 links underneath each post according to the pertinence of tags on the posts of your site.
Search engine rank is something that you can bolster with WordPress. Be sure to put in alternate text and title tags. Your title will show up if someone “pins” that image to Pinterest.
Nobody wants to manually approve comments anymore. The Akisment plugin can do this task for you. Make sure that “manual approval” does not have a check mark beside it so that the comments go up automatically. Otherwise, you’re not saving yourself any time.
Allow your users to access your articles easily by email. Not everyone has access to social media sites but may still desire to share your information with others. A WP Email plugin can make this possible.
Is it hard for you to post at the times that you promise to? The option to write ahead of schedule is available. This blurb can then be posted at a specific time and date. Once you have any new post page open, look for the choice to set a publication in the future. You can write your posts without worrying about remembering to post them.
Always keep your library of media organized. Direct uploading of images into your library seems easy and tempting, but it can get messy fast. Place images into proper folders. This will make searching for a particular image much easier.
There is no need to use the provided drop-down menu when choosing a header to use for your post. Rather, use shortcuts on your keyboard. You can press the CTRL button and then a number from 1 to 6 to choose between the various options. This saves you time if you use the headers often.
Always back up your blog. Do it regularly. Xcloner, which is a WordPress plugin is very useful. Pick whichever plugin or site you would like to use. However, have it backed up in numerous locations. It would truly be difficult to start from scratch if your blog disappeared one day.
Let readers comment on your blog. Allowing comments creates a relationship with your readers. Use this information to learn about your visitors. Additionally, use a plugin that gives you the ability to approve the comments before they are posted on your site. This will keep unwanted advertisers and spammers from posting on your site.
You can give more content to the reader by using internal linking plugins on your website. This shows related posts on your website near the bottom of every post.
Plugins that cost something aren’t automatically not worth it. Think about whether the plugin is a good value given the time it may save you. If the price is low and it provides important features, it may be worth the cost in the time you are saved.
Approving comments manually is a thing of the past. Instead, Akismet can do this for you. Naturally, you could manually check comments, but it is easier to have them delivered to you for approval before posting. You won’t save yourself time.
You do not have to do it all yourself. Try to get someone else to help out whether it’s a friend or professional.
Are you having a hard time making your posts on time? Write something well ahead of the scheduled time, but set the posting at the chosen time and date. When you open a page for a new posting, you have the option to time the publication. So, write in advance and line up your posts in order to have them published at a regular interval.
Prior to thinking about what you want your WordPress site to look like, take the time to find help resources. Look for groups and forums to advise you on navigating through WordPress issues. Regardless of your question, you can find someone with advice and answers.
If you’re trying to find hosting for your blog, select a host with tools capable of installing WordPress with a simple click. That way, you will avoid a great deal of trouble that comes with creating a database on your own. Use a host that lets you create a blog domain and a database simultaneously.
If you want to save a post but not publish it yet, the “unpublished” mode is best used for this. This mode will still allow you to make alterations. Don’t post it until you are completely happy with it.
Enable comments so that visitors will want to return. This will help foster a community feeling and will allow you to get to know your readers better. You can even use plugins to have the power to approve comments prior to their publication so you can avoid spammers.
Bear in mind that your categories and tags put SEO key phrases in various parts of your site. It is possible that people may be searching for specific category names when using Google. For instance, you may have found this article by searching for “beginner tips for WordPress” or “plugins for WordPress.”
Consider highlighting comments made by the author of a blog post. Folks often use comment sections to voice concerns or make inquiries. The author’s response to these comments can easily be missed, especially if there are many comments. Use a different color, and bold or italicize the text. These tricks will make it easier for users to find the author’s comments.
Backup your files and images before you use the ‘export’ function. You can do this by logging in with FTP or the control panel on your server and then copying all of the folders you find there and their contents.
Just because some plugins require payment, it does not mean that they are not worth getting. You have to weigh how much the plugin costs with how much you value your time. If there are many features offered at a low price, this is a great investment that can save time.
Don’t upgrade in WordPress without thinking of your installed plugins first. If your plugins are essential, wait to upgrade until more testing is done. You may not be able to use essential plugins if you go ahead and upgrade.
Prior to thinking about what you want your WordPress site to look like, take the time to find help resources. For instance, look to WordPress forums, blogs and groups online as a means to get the advice you need. No matter what issue you have, they can help you.
If you want to make your pages shorter, use the option for a “Read More” link. This allows you to break up text while letting the reader choose what they would like to read. If they are tempted to click it, they will generally stay on your website longer.
It takes several components to run a successful blog. Knowing what to write and which plugins to use will help you create a blog that stands out. With any luck, you’ve learned a thing or two from this article. Use that knowledge and start getting others interested in your blog.
To better security, get rid of themes and plugins you don’t use. Many times people forget about plugins that have been installed in the past that they are no longer using. That makes our site vulnerable to hackers.