Before starting your WordPress website, especially when self-hosting, having the right preparations in place can significantly ease the project launch. Here are the essential steps to consider:
1. Define Your Website’s Positioning and Goals
Target Audience: Clearly identify the audience your website will serve—whether they are tech enthusiasts, consumers, or professionals.
Content Strategy: Define the core content of your site, such as whether it will focus on blogging, product reviews, or technical sharing.
Monetization Model: Determine the pathways for revenue generation, such as affiliate marketing, advertisement placements, or product sales, which will influence your content and functionality design.
2. Choose the Right Domain Name and Hosting
Domain Name Selection: Opt for a memorable domain that aligns with your brand image while considering its future scalability. If planning to expand into international markets, consider a bilingual domain.
Hosting Selection: For self-hosted sites, the stability and speed of your hosting provider are critical. Look for reliable options such as VPS, cloud hosting, or shared hosting. Popular providers like Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud, and SiteGround offer solid choices.
3. Technical Preparations
Installation Environment: Ensure that your server supports the fundamental environment required to run WordPress, typically including:
PHP: It’s recommended to use the latest PHP version (PHP 8.x).
Database: Options like MySQL or MariaDB.
Web Server: Apache or Nginx.
SSL Certificate: To enhance your website’s security and SEO optimization, it’s advisable to implement HTTPS, choosing between free options like Let’s Encrypt or paid certificates.
4. Selecting the Right Theme and Plugins
Theme Selection: Choose a fast and SEO-friendly theme. You can select from both free and premium options; themes like Blocksy, Astra, and GeneratePress are well-suited for tech-oriented websites or blogs.
Plugin Selection: Pre-screen necessary plugins based on your website’s needs, including caching plugins (like WP Rocket), SEO plugins (such as Rank Math or Yoast), security plugins (like Wordfence), and backup plugins (like UpdraftPlus).
5. Structuring Your Website
Page Planning: Strategically plan your website structure, including the home page, blog page, contact page, and services page. A well-organized website greatly enhances user experience and SEO.
Navigation Design: Clearly categorize website content to ensure users can quickly find the information they need.
Content Management Plan: If your website is content-driven, plan the frequency and direction of content publishing in advance.
6. SEO and Performance Optimization
SEO Planning: Technical SEO is as crucial as content optimization. Ensure your site loads quickly and has a well-structured layout. Set up basic SEO rules and page configurations early on.
Performance Optimization: Install caching plugins and optimize image sizes to improve loading speed. Avoid loading excessive plugins that could slow down your site’s performance.
7. Data Security and Backup
Regular Backups: Establish a complete backup solution to prevent data loss, ideally using an automated backup plugin.
Security Settings: Implement two-factor authentication and limit login attempts to safeguard your admin area.
8. Enhancing User Experience and Mobile Optimization
Responsive Design: Ensure your theme provides an excellent user experience on both mobile and desktop devices.
Speed Optimization: Keep your pages simple and minimize resource loading to guarantee fast access for mobile users.
After completing these preparatory tasks, you will be well-equipped to build a WordPress site that meets your expectations and has the potential for sustainable development.
