Recommended Post Install Steps
After WordPress and your SmallBiz theme is installed, there are a few WordPress configuration steps we recommend.
Note: The following tips can be applied to all WordPress Installs regardless of what Theme you choose to use.
Post Install Steps Overview Video
General Settings – Email
1) Log into your Worpress Dashboard
2) Expand the “Settings” box in the left sidebar
3) Click on “General”
Make sure to change the email address to your own
to receive ‘new comment” notifications. Some third party plugins such as
advanced Contact Forms may also reference this email address.
The rest of the fields and options are for the most part self-explanatory.
General Settings – Privacy
1) Look in “Settings”
box in the left sidebar
2) Click on “Privacy”
3) This is a simple yet powerful setting which lets you block search engines from indexing your website under development.
Just don’t forget to turn the search engine blocker off when your are done building the site!
General Settings – Permalinks
1) Look in “Settings”
box in the left sidebar
2) Click on “Permalinks”
3) Permalinks are the permanent URLs to your individual pages and posts. There are many different formats including date elements (day, month, year) etc. We usually set a “Custom Structure” for our clients that only shows the page/post name (%postname%) without any additions.
Note: If you are hosted on an older Windows server this may not work. You must keep your permalinks on default settings.
Admin-user ID – Change it for Security
1) Log into your Worpress Dashboard
2) Expand the “Users” box in the left sidebar
3) Click on “Your Profile”
4) Create a new User with Administrative priveliges
5) Delete the default “admin”
6) Make sure to assign all pages and posts to your new admin id – other wise they will be lost forever!
Plugins
Plugins can extend WordPress to do almost anything you can imagine. Create Polls, Slideshows, Contact Forms -you name it.
A word of warning about Plugins:
1) The second most common way for WordPress sites to get hacked is via plugins. (The most common is by keeping Username and Password on default settings in case you wonder)
2) Most plugins are developed by individuals like you and me in their spare time. If they work with your current version of WordPress that does not mean they will work with the next WordPress version. Becasue the plugin creator may have lost interest or does not have the time or resources to upgrade the plugin
3) Many plugins use very common javascript libraries. The plugin may work by itself but adding a second one may cause a resource conflict – which may result in both of them failing to perform
4) Even though the plugins are listed on the WordPress website does not mean they have been tested or approved. Anyone can upload to their plugin for free and without approval.
5) Usually plugins that cost money are a safer bet – because those are associated with a company or individual committed to make money and their reputation will be ruined if they don’t support their product. …By the way all of the above is also true for free vs commercial WordPress themes…
6) Pro Tip for those paranoid about security: rather than permanently using a plugin you can look at the plugin code and copy/paste only the code you really need directly into your theme php files. After that is done delete the plugin.
Plugins that we recommend:
You do not need to install a SEO plugin when using our theme – we have the best of best build right into our theme! If you decide to use a third-party SEO plugin make sure to disable the SEO Options in the SmallBiz Options Panel. And vice versa -disable any SEO plugins if you are using the SmallBiz SEO features.
Google XML Sitemap Plugin (Tell Google about your pages/posts)
WordPress Database Backup Plugin (Backups are always a good idea)
WP-Captcha Free (Anti Spam Plugin)
