What to do right after installing WordPress (Part 2)

Pick a theme

A theme is the design of your site. It controls colours, fonts and layout. It is like choosing the clothes your site wears.

1. Go to Appearance, then Themes.
2. Click Add New.
3. Browse or search. Pick a theme with good ratings and recent updates.
4. Click Install, then Activate.
5. Delete themes you do not use. Old themes can become a safety risk.

Add a few plugins

A plugin is a small add-on that gives your site a new ability. Examples are contact forms, backups and security tools.

1. Go to Plugins, then Add New Plugin.
2. Search for what you need, for example "contact form" or "backup".
3. Click Install Now, then Activate.

Good starter ideas are a backup plugin, a security plugin, an SEO plugin and a contact form plugin. Do not install too many. Each one adds work for your site.

Keep everything updated

1. Go to Dashboard, then Updates.
2. Update WordPress, themes and plugins when new versions appear.

Updates often fix security holes. Take a backup before a big update.

Protect your site

• Use a long, unique password for every user.
• Limit login attempts with a security plugin.
• Turn on two-step login if your security plugin offers it.
• Remove users you do not need.
• Use an SSL certificate so your address starts with https. Ask Hostvento support if you need help with this.

Control comments

1. Go to Settings, then Discussion.
2. Tick the option to approve comments by hand if you want to review each one.
3. Click Save Changes.

Make a first backup

A backup is a saved copy of your site. If something breaks, you can bring the copy back. Make one now while the site is clean.

Quick recap

• Choose a theme and remove the ones you do not use.
• Add only the plugins you really need.
• Update WordPress, themes and plugins often.
• Use strong passwords, SSL and a backup.