It can be difficult to use WordPress. If you are new to this platform, then you can certainly benefit from some useful advice. Keep in mind that the more you learn about WordPress, the more successful you will become as a blogger. Below, you will find some useful and insightful advice to help you get started on your quest for knowledge.
Make sure you have a unique template for your WordPress blog. It saves time, but doesn’t make a great impression on others. You need to spend the time to create a design that evidences your own creativity.
If you want to easily be able to search through the media you upload, such as videos or photos, put it all into a single folder through WordPress. To do this, go into Settings & Media and then uncheck the box which sets WP to sort your media into folders based on the date.
Most templates come with a landing page built in, so make use of it. This stripped-down page allows you to focus their intention on exactly what you want them to look at, be it a sign-up form or a “Buy Now” link. This ensures they take the actions you want them to.
Use your footers wisely. People often scroll to the bottom of a page to find out who runs the site, how to contact the owner or to see how fresh the content is based on a copyright date. You can even include a short biography or other information you feel is pertinent.
Use Google Analytics to keep tabs on who is visiting your site and where they come from. It is important that you know where you are getting visitors from so that you can work harder to bring in more readers. The more you pay attention to your statistics, the bigger your site will become.
When looking for a template, look for one that has the basic layout and design that you desire for your site. This way, you would not have to customize it too much in order to give it the look that you want. This will cut down on your site development time.
To keep tabs on comments, you don’t need to visit each post separately. Instead, use your dashboard’s comments section to see what has been posted recently. You should check this page daily so that you know what people are saying and can reply if anyone requests more information or asks a question.
In WordPress, you can schedule blog posts in advance. You can schedule them to post, even if you aren’t around. Find the ‘publish’ box under the edit options. Under that, you should see “Publish Immediately.” Next to it is a place to input time and date. Input your time in military format. Pick OK. Check mark the “schedule for” option, and then hit the schedule button if it is correct.
Use the Comments tab in the WordPress dashboard side bar to keep tabs on who is posting what on your site. This will save you the hassle of getting an email every time someone says something in reply to a post. In the end, you just don’t have time for that!
Is it hard for you to post at scheduled times? It is possible to write something ahead of schedule and have it post on a selected date. Future publications are very convenient. This allows you to take care of things beforehand.
If you have made a mistake in spelling of a name in multiple posts, or just want to change a certain word across your site, use the Search and Replace plugin to do the job for you. The time it takes to do this manually is horrific, so instead let the plugin get it done.
The only way to learn WordPress is by practicing it. You can sign up for a free account in WordPress.com and start experimenting with its multitude of features. Change images, background color, font sizes, etc. The more you get your hands on it, the more comfortable you will feel about using it.
You need to make sure that your WordPress blog has some security installed. There are times when your blog may be vulnerable due to technical issues. Hackers love exploiting these weaknesses and wreaking havoc on your site. You can use plugins to prevent this. There are also plugins that can back up your data should anything happen to your site.
You can make sticky posts in WordPress. These are the posts you may want to show above other posts no matter the date. There are a couple ways to do this. You can go to “Edit Post,” and “Visibility.” Click “Edit” and “Stick this post to the front page.” The other way to do this is by going to “Posts,” “All Posts,” and “Quick Edit.”
Don’t forget that it is not necessary for you to build your site all by yourself. If you can recruit a volunteer or hire someone who has the skill to do the work, you will save time and money in the long run.
If you want to use WordPress, be sure to buy your own domain. yoursite.wordpress.com is easy and free, but you don’t get the ability to make the same customizations and additions you would if you had a site on your own server and with your own domain, cramping your potential for success.
Connecting your blogs to your social media accounts helps your readers stay updated and lets them interact with you easier. Use SexyBookmarks for this. SexyBookmarks is a plugin that helps you link your social media accounts with your blog. There are many ways to customize the links to blend seamlessly with your page.
WordPress isn’t that simple, especially when you lack knowledge about it. However, you have just taken the first step to becoming more informed about WordPress by choosing to read the advice in this article. Now, you just need to put into play what you have learned.
