Checklist and steps for setting up a WordPress site:
- Purchase domain name from namecheap.com
- Set up domain on hosting (create an add-on domain on Hostmonster)
- Install WordPress (Download from wordpress.org and install)
- Upload robots.txt file
- Configure WordPress (refer to “To do list below”)
- Do a 301 redirect from non www to www (.htaccess example is in the Files tab)
- Set up mailing list (via Aweber) – create a new mailing list for this new domain name
TO DO LIST FOR WordPress:
Simply log into the admin area and setup the following:
Plugins
- Activate Akismet
- Activate Contact Form http://chip.cuccio.us/projects/contact-form-ii/
- Activate Exex-PHP http://bluesome.net/post/2005/08/18/50/
- Activate Feed Control
- Activate Full Text Feed http://cavemonkey50.com/code/full-feed/
- Activate Google Analytics
- Activate Google Sitemaps
- Activate Permalink Redirect http://fucoder.com/code/permalink-redirect/
- Activate Singular
- Activate WordPress Database Backup
- Activate WordPress Hashcash
- Activate dd sitemap plugin – http://www.dagondesign.com/articles/sitemap-generator- plugin-for-wordpress/ create a page called “Sitemap” and put into it and then link to that page in your footer nav
- Deactivate all the rest of the plugins
- Install Custom Query String plugin http://www.transycan.net/blogtest/download-themes/
Presentation
- Turn off ALL widgets
- Change Font to Verdana, Small
- Footer – Uncheck “Kudos to WordPress, Semiologic and the skin author”
- Pick a layout you like. I do Wide with “Main, Ext Sidebar”
- Menus – Only Home in the header
- Menus – No Sidebar Menus
- Menus – Add these footer menu’s: Contact – /contact RSS – /feed Sitemap – /sitemap.xml Privacy – /privacy-policy
- SEO – Add title, keywords, description
Options
- General – Let Anyone Comment
- Writing – Set up your ping list (mine is available in the Files tab)
- Discussion – Check: Attempt to notify, Allow Link notifications, Allow people to post, Comment Author must fill out name and email
- Permalinks – Custom Structure /%postname%.php This is where the .htaccess file in the Files tab comes in handy. If wordpress has problems, just upload that file to your base website directory
- Feed Control – Include Posts, Pages, and sort by modified date
- Google Analytics – Paste in your google analytics code (this is a good time to sign up for google analytics if you haven’t already).
- Categories – create one category for your default posts (always put stuff into this category)
- Options – CQS – Add an “is_category” and set it to -1 (this will show links to all posts in all categories on the category pages)
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