In this post free WordPress tips we will talk about few things that you should do immediately after you have installed WordPress to your webhost and before launching your site.  For the person who has experience with the WordPress platform these steps come as a no brainer.  But for the novice user they can and is often overlooked.  Not only are they overlooked but more importantly are the reasons why they should be implemented.  First let’s list and describe them for you.  Once you understand them the importance may seem much clearer.  Don’t worry we tell you the importance in the conclusion of this free WordPress tips post.

Free WordPress Tips Checklist

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Free WordPress Tip #1.  Check the Privacy Settings

Well, yes, some things should be kept private but we believe you are building your WordPress blog to share with the world right?  Therefore, you want to make sure it is set up so everyone can see it.  Not so fast though, let’s point out one thing here, well two.  There are 2 privacy settings within WordPress.  Here they are as they appear in your WordPress dash board.

• I would like my site to be visible to everyone, including search engines (like Google, Bing, Technorati) and archivers
• I would like to block search engines, but allow normal visitors

You can find your privacy settings in the “settings” tab of the menu on the left hand side of your WordPress dashboard.  While you are working on your site it is recommended that you check option 2.  Once you are ready to tell Mr. Google, his friends and your friends about your site then select option 1.

Free WordPress Tip #2:  The Permalink Structure

For SEO purposes it is important to change your permalink structure from the default numerical structure which looks like ?p=123 to one that uses the title of your page or post.  You will also find the permalink structure in the “settings” tab of the dashboard menu.  There are several ways to set up your permalinks.  Some tutorials teach to set them up based on what you will be doing with your site.  The prevailing structure as of this post is to keep the structure as short as possible.  You do this by choosing the custom option, then input this sequence /%postname%/.  Using this custom structure will make the link for your post and pages more user and search engine friendly.

Free WordPress Tip #3:  WWW or No WWW That is the Question

Still working in the “settings” tab under general settings you need to set your domain to include the www.  The default setting does not include it.  The reason for this change is search engines look at the two versions as two different sites.  The thing to remember is whichever one you chose here is the one you need to use consistently.  Also, if you opt to change to include www make sure you change both places.  Additionally, once you have made this change you will be logged out of your WordPress dash board.  Okay, the sky is not falling this is normal.  Simply log back in.

Free WordPress Tip #4.  Site Title and Tagline

When you first installed WordPress using Fantastico in your webhost you indicated the site name and tagline you wanted to use for your site.  If you are having second thoughts or just placed some random rambling in there here is your opportunity to change it.  Within the “settings” section, under the general tab, you can edit what shows up in the browser title bar and what is displayed within the search engine results.  Do you have your main keyword in there?  Is it a catchy title so that people will want to click through to read more?  Remember, first impressions count!

These are just a few simple free WordPress tips to help get you started with your WordPress site.  Be sure to take the time to implement them as they are crucial to your site traffic and rankings.  That was the importance that we alluded to in the beginning of this post.  If setting up your WordPress site is overwhelming or you just don’t know how go here and browse our all in one WordPress Pacakges.  We can have you up and running within 72 hours.

You need a web server to set up your web-site online.  The cost to maintaining a web server varies and it is best to have someone who knows what they are doing to maintain the server and the web-site.

Your web host can do this for you. They house the equipment and technical programs that are required to run a web-site. Hosting companies charge a monthly fee for storing your web-site and allowing your web site to be seen and found online. That fee covers your web-site visitor traffic flow through their servers so people can see your site on the internet.

The physical web server does not occupy space in your house therefore the services can be considered to be out sourced expenses for your business. This means that the hosting organization you selected is responsible to maintain your site structure, files and web pages.

Many web hosts perform excellent services that actually assist individuals and business owners. All the weight of maintaining the host servers and application fall on the hosting company and not the individual or business owner. This is great because there are many technical routines that you have to do every day to maintain a server.

When you pick a web host to handle your internet server needs, you streamline costs and save time because you don’t have to worry about maintaining servers or equipment.  Additionally, you get your hosting provider experienced technicians at your finger tips should you have a problem.

You can self publish your site and use the web host to take care of and handle the technical aspects of server management. The web host that you choose will give you the capability to load your own site to the server for updates and revisions to your web page. Web hosting doesn’t include development of your site but many like Code Priority offers WordPress packages to get your website developed.

Web hosting is offered in multiple formats based on cost and infrastructure and most hosting companies offer various packages that include many formats.  All the extras offered by web hosting companies are nice to have but the main thing you need a web server to do is to deliver your site when someone on the internet types it into their browser and request it.

Web Hosting Services:  Do You Understand The Language?

Hopefully you have done your research about choosing your web hosting services for your new website.  Simply choosing a hosting provider is not enough.  Most people just starting out don’t know and is not aware of what they should look for in a web host.  Generally, web hosting reviews cover or compare the different types of packages a hosting company may offer but they often do not explain the language or terminology used in the hosting market.

Let’s take a look at 3 web hosting terms you need to know and understand about hosting.

Cpanel: While there is some history behind this term we will focus on the basics.  Cpanel means control panel.  This is where you will access your hosting account with your web host.  It is where you will attend to most of the technical aspects of your site such as handling your files, databases and email accounts.  There are other control panels in use such as Plesk but Cpanel is by far the most widely used by web hosting companies as it is very user friendly.  Code Priority includes the Cpanel in our affordable web hosting packages and offer unparallel support.

Fantastico Deluxe: Numerous web hosting service providers offer this as part of your hosting account.  It is a script installer that automates installation of numerous web applications.  With this script installer you can very quickly and easily install WordPress, forums, and shopping carts with the click of a button.  Be sure it is included in your Cpanel from your web hosting service.

Name servers: The easiest way to understand this is to think of the internet as a giant address book.  In that address book is your web hosting service provider has a spot.  In order for your website to be found you will need to secure your spot inside of the spot your web host occupies.  When you open your web host account you will be assigned a spot in their address book that is only for your website.  The magic happens once you purchase a domain name and point your domain to your unique spot with your web host.  When someone types your domain name in their browser the browser looks for your name servers.

It is important that you understand the language and terminology that goes along with the web hosting services you will be using.  Code Priority ensures that you are happy with the hosting packages we offer and provides support to get your hosting set up and functioning properly. Click here to learn about 3 more things you should know and understand about web hosting services.