This document provides 20 tips for improving a WordPress site for beginners. It recommends using good hosting from providers like GoDaddy, Bluehost, or DreamHost. It stresses the importance of strong passwords, backing up the site files and database, and keeping the site secure. It also recommends staying up-to-date with plugins, themes, and WordPress core, using image optimization plugins, adding alt text to images, and setting the timezone. Additional tips include using the Quick Edit feature, optimizing for SEO, using Google Analytics and Search Console, making sharing easy with social media plugins, and asking questions.

1. 20Tips to Improving
YourWordPress Site…
for Beginners
WORDCAMP AUSTIN, OCT 21, 2017
REIKO BEACH – TRB DESIGNS.COM

2. About me…
WORDCAMP AUSTIN, OCT 21, 2017
REIKO BEACH – TRB DESIGNS.COM

3. Good Hosting
https://www.wpsitecare.com/performance-of-7-top-wordpress-hosting-companies-compared/
http://www.codeinwp.com/blog/wordpress-hosting-survey-results/
What do
you want ?
Cheap

4. Good Hosting (examples only, there are many,
many more)
Good & Cheap: shared hosting
• GoDaddy, Bluehost, DreamHost
Fast & Cheap shared hosting: A2Hosting, SiteGround
Fast & Good (managed WordPress):
• Pantheon, WP Engine, Pressable

5. Good Passwords
Have strong passwords at all entry points:
• Hosting control panel
• FTP
• WordPress admin (never use “admin”)
Use password manager
• LastPass or 1Password
https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2407168,00.asp
http://fieldguide.gizmodo.com/the-5-best-ways-to-store-passwords-safely-1782047318

6. Good Passwords
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/2016-most-commonpasswords_us_587f9663e4b0c147f0bc299d
13. 123321
14. 666666
15. 18atcskd2w
16. 7777777
17. 1q2w3e4r
18. 654321
19. 555555
20. 3rjs1la7qe
21. google
22. 1q2w3e4r5t
23. 123qwe
24. Zxcvbnm
25. 1q2w3e
2016 most used passwords:
1. 123456
2. 123456789
3. qwerty
4. 12345678
5. 111111
6. 1234567890
7. 1234567
8. password
9. 123123
10. 987654321
11. qwertyuiop
12. mynoob

7. Backup your site
Article on different (free) ways to back up your site:
http://premium.wpmudev.org/blog/free-wordpress-backup-plugins/
Use a plugin or service (automatic) Backup
Buddy or VaultPress or UpdraftPlus
(to name a few)
-or-
Your Hosting service - just make sure its
not backing up to the same server.

8. Backup your site
REMEMBER - A WordPress site lives
in two separate places
simultaneously (visit your CPanel)
- files and folders (file manager)
- data in tables in a database
(phpMyAdmin)
You need to back up both
Secure your backups

9. Site Security

10. Site Security
https://yoast.com/wordpress-security/
https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/security
• JetPack
• Ithemes Security
• Wordfence
• All in One WP Security
• Limit Login Attempts
• Two-Factor Authentication
• Sucuri

11. Stay Up-to-date
https://sucuri.net/website-security/website-hacked-report/
56% of WordPress installations
were running out of date
versions of core

12. Stay Up-to-date
Keep plugins, themes and core
WordPress updated
Be careful of what files you change
(ideally, don’t change any “core” files in
themes, plugins or WordPress itself)

13. Use GoodThemes
https://wordpress.org/themes/
http://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/choose-premium-wordpress-theme-site/
Free Themes
Be aware of “Freemium” model
Some Premium Themes:
• Elegant Themes
• ThemeForest
• Themify

14. Ditto on Plugins
http://wordpress.org/plugins
Plugins extend and expand the
functionality of WordPress. 52,526
plugins with millions of total
downloads on WordPress.org
[There’s an app for that]

15. Ditto on Plugins
http://www.wpexplorer.com/best-wordpress-plugins/
http://www.wpbeginner.com/showcase/24-must-have-wordpress-plugins-for-business-websites/
Check:
• The ratings
• When last updated
• Support forum

16. Always have an
image
http://www.mdgadvertising.com/blog/its-all-about-the-images-infographic/
Articles containing
relevant images have a 94
percent more total views
that articles without
images

17. Always have an
imageWhere to find images:
• Creative Commons Search
• Flickr
• Google or Bing images – make sure you define the
search for “labeled for commercial reuse with
modifications”
• Stock Image sites – Shutterstock, Adobe,
Depositphotos, iStock (many, many more)

18. Title & AltText your
Image
http://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/image-alt-text-vs-image-title-in-wordpress-whats-the-
difference/
Image Alt Text – fill it in, it
helps with Accessibility and
SEO [use your key words]

19. Title & AltText your
Image
Image Title Attribute:
Under Advanced Options

20. Image Size
https://codex.wordpress.org/Image_Size_and_Quality
• File size (kb)
• Size of image (px)
• Resolution (72 px for web 300px for print)
• File Type (jpg, gif, png, ico)

21. Image Size
Plugins to help resize (kb) and optimize
images:
• EWWW Image Optimizer
• WP Smush

22. Embed Content
https://codex.wordpress.org/Embeds
“It's super easy to embed videos, images,
tweets, audio, and other content into your
WordPress site.”

23. Embed Content
Full list here:
https://codex.wordpress.org/Embeds
Flickr
Hulu
Instagram
Kickstarter
Meetup.com
Photobucket
PollDaddy
SlideShare
Tumblr
Twitter
VideoPress
WordPress TV
YouTube

24. Remove Formatting from
CopiedTextWordPress automatically removes
Word formatting.
You can also copy just get the text

25. Remove Formatting from
CopiedText

26. Set upTime Zone
Settings >> General
Go down to Timezone and change to
Chicago for websites in this time zone

27. Options in Admin
Area
https://www.wpsitecare.com/performance-of-7-top-wordpress-hosting-companies-compared/
http://www.codeinwp.com/blog/wordpress-hosting-survey-results/

28. Options in Admin
Area

29. Quick Edit

30. Quick Edit

31. SEO – Search Engine
OptimizationSettings >> Reading: Search Engine Visibility
http://www.wpbeginner.com/wordpress-seo/#visibility

32. 80%
20%
SEO – Search Engine
Optimization
https://www.creativewebdesignsolutions.co.za/choosing-wordpress-solves-80-mechanics-seo/
WordPress is built
for SEO – it’s 80%
there already.

33. SEO – Search Engine
OptimizationPopular Plugins: Yoast SEO & All in One SEO
https://wpvkp.com/best-wordpress-seo-plugins/
http://www.wpbeginner.com/opinion/yoast-seo-vs-all-in-one-seo-pack-which-is-the-best-wordpress-seo-plugin/

34. Google Analytics & Search
Console
https://www.elegantthemes.com/blog/resources/an-introduction-to-google-analytics-for-wordpress
https://kb.yoast.com/kb/how-to-connect-your-website-to-google-webmaster-tools/
[Don’t forget
Bing!]

35. Make Sharing
Easy
https://www.elegantthemes.com/blog/resources/best-social-media-sharing-plugins-for-wordpress
http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/925-social-media-stats-year.html
http://modernwpthemes.com/7-best-free-wordpress-social-media-plugin/
“Social Media” plugins: 1,283 items
• 74% of marketers saw an increase in traffic after
spending just 6 hours per week on social media
• 50% of Internet users are active on Facebook
• 52% of marketers have gained a customer through
Facebook, and 35% have done so through Twitter

36. TextWidget & html
Widget*NEW*
In WordPress 4.8:
The WordPress Text
widget is the easiest way
to add custom info to your
sidebar/footer.

37. TextWidget & html
WidgetText widgets containing
HTML and are known to be
problematic in WordPress
4.8. After upgrading, check
to see if the widgets open
in legacy mode.

38. Resourses
• WpBeginner (Lots of other sites, WPShout, WPTavern)
• Udemy, Lynda, Treehouse, Skillshare
• Facebook, Linkedin groups & pages
• Local WP Meetups – WordCamps
• WordPressTV & YouTube
http://www.codeinwp.com/blog/wordpress-courses-for-beginners-udemy-vs-lynda-vs-treehouse-vs-skillshare/
http://themeisle.com/blog/blogs-about-wordpress-to-read/

39. Questions?
»Twitter: Reikob
»Linkedin: ReikoBeach
»Reiko@trbdesign.com
»phone: 781.987.1655