Setting up a website on WordPress can be a daunting task. There are many things to consider, and if you make even one mistake, it could mean problems down the road. Knowing where to start is hard, especially if you’re new to the process.
To help you out, here is a list of the most common mistakes people make when setting up their WordPress websites. By avoiding them, you’ll be well on your way to having a successful website that looks great and functions properly.
Picking the Wrong Website Type
People often pick the wrong WordPress website type, only to end up with a website that doesn’t fit their needs. You want to avoid this mistake at all costs, as it will only lead to frustration down the road. A good starting point is to think about what type of website you need, and then look for a WordPress theme that matches that description.
There are themes for business websites, eCommerce sites, photography portfolios, and more. Once you’ve found the perfect theme, it’ll be much easier to set up your website and get it looking just the way you want. At the same time, you’ll also avoid the frustration of trying to make a theme work for a website type it wasn’t meant for.
Not Installing Required Plugins
The plugins work hand in hand with the themes to give your website the functionality it needs. That being said, you need to make sure you install all the required plugins for your theme to avoid any problems down the road. Depending on your chosen theme, this could be a contact form plugin, an SEO plugin, or something else entirely.
The good news is that most themes will come with recommended plugins, so you’ll know exactly which ones to install. Once again, this will save you a lot of frustration and headaches.
You must take the time to install all the required plugins before setting up the rest of your website. A good trick is to create a list of all the plugins you need to install and tick them off as you go. That way, you’ll know that you haven’t missed any.
Overlooking WordPress Hosting Solutions
Many people make the mistake of simply using their web hosting provider’s default WordPress hosting solution. While this might work fine initially, it’s not a good long-term solution. WordPress hosting providers offer specialized services specifically designed to optimize WordPress websites.
So if you’re serious about setting up a high-quality WordPress website, you need to choose a suitable WordPress hosting provider.
You want providers that offer faster speeds, better security, and more features than standard web hosting providers.
Not to mention, they need to be affordable as well. When finding companies offering hosting services, read through their website on the pricing. At the same time, read other customers’ reviews to see if they have had a good experience with the service. Remember that it’s worth paying a little extra for a good WordPress hosting provider.
Not Creating a Backup
Backing up your website should be at the top of your to-do list when setting it up. Unfortunately, many people forget to do this or don’t think it’s necessary. This is a massive mistake, as anything could happen, and you could lose all your hard work in the blink of an eye.
Many WordPress plugins allow you to create backups with just a few clicks. Alternatively, you could ask your web hosting provider to do it. Either way, make sure you have a website backup before you do anything else. Thus, if something goes wrong, you’ll be able to restore it quickly and easily.
Not Optimizing Your Images
Images are essential to any website, but can also be a pain if they’re not properly optimized. Large images can slow down your website, which will frustrate your visitors and cause them to leave. Not to mention, it can also harm your SEO.
The good news is that many WordPress plugins allow you to optimize your images with just a few clicks. Once again, this is something you want to do before setting up the rest of your website. That way, you won’t have to worry about it later on.
You must ensure that all the images on your website are properly optimized to avoid any issues. So take the time to do it before you launch your site to keep things running smoothly. Also, check back from time to time and optimize any new images you add to your website.
Not Setting Up Redirects
Redirects are used to point visitors from your old website to your new one. This is important as it allows you to keep your hard-earned SEO and avoid losing traffic. Many WordPress plugins allow you to set up redirects, so it’s not that difficult. Make sure to take care of it before launching your new website.
That way, you can avoid any potential problems down the road. If you’re setting up a WordPress website for an existing business, then redirects are necessary. So be sure to take care of it before launch day to avoid any issues.
Not Choosing a Mobile-Friendly Theme
In today’s day and age, your website must accommodate everyone. More and more people are using their smartphones and tablets to browse the web, so you must ensure your website looks good and functions properly on all devices.
Fortunately, many WordPress themes are designed to be mobile-friendly. Just be sure to choose one of these themes for your website to avoid any potential problems. Mobile-friendliness is essential in today’s day and age, so don’t overlook it when choosing a theme for your website.
At the same time, you also need to make sure your website is responsive. It will resize and adjust itself to fit any screen size. Again, many WordPress themes are designed to be responsive, so be sure to choose one of these for your website.
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These are just a few mistakes you must avoid when setting up a WordPress website. By taking care of these things before launch day, you can avoid any potential problems down the road. So be sure to keep them in mind as you work on setting up your new WordPress website.
