Welcome to your first step in the world of WordPress! In this article, we will provide you with a quick overview of WordPress, focusing on a basic installation without diving into plugins or advanced features. If you are already familiar with WordPress, you may find this information redundant, but if you’re new to WordPress, this will serve as your foundational guide to navigating the WordPress ecosystem.
Accessing WordPress
When you set up WordPress, most hosting companies offer a simple one-click installation process. Once installed, you can access the administrative backend. As of my knowledge cutoff date in September 2021, the latest version is 6.1.1. After logging in, you’ll encounter a user-friendly interface.
User Roles
WordPress comes with predefined user roles, each with varying levels of access:
– Administrator
– Editor
– Author
– Contributor
– Subscriber
These roles determine what actions users can perform on your website. Administrators have the most access, while Subscribers have the least.
The Dashboard
Upon logging in, you’ll see the WordPress dashboard, which provides an overview of your site’s activities. You can customize this dashboard by enabling or disabling widgets to suit your preferences.
Settings
Under the Settings menu, you can configure various aspects of your WordPress site.
Site Title and Tagline
These are essential for SEO purposes. Make sure to set a meaningful site title and tagline to enhance your site’s search engine visibility.
Timezone
Select your website’s timezone to ensure that timestamps and scheduling functions work correctly.
Reading
Here, you can configure settings related to how your site’s content is displayed. You can also choose to discourage search engines from indexing your site, useful when your website is still in development.
Permalinks
By default, WordPress uses a URL structure that includes parameters. It’s recommended to change this to the \”Post Name\” structure for better SEO and user-friendliness.
Media Settings
WordPress automatically creates three sizes for each uploaded image and organizes them by month and year. Depending on your needs, you can choose to keep this default setup or use plugins to manage your media assets differently.
Content Types
WordPress includes three default content types: Posts, Media, and Pages.
Posts
Posts are typically used for blogging and are a fundamental content type.
Media
Media encompasses all your uploaded images, videos, and other media assets.
Pages
Pages are used for static content, such as your homepage, about us, and services pages.
Customization beyond these defaults can be done by creating custom post types based on your specific requirements. For instance, if you need a portfolio for your work or photography collection, you can create a custom post type to accommodate those needs.
Conclusion
WordPress is a versatile platform that can adapt to various content types and user roles. As a beginner, it’s crucial to understand the basics of user roles, settings, and content types to effectively manage your WordPress site. In future articles, we will delve deeper into customization and advanced features, so stay tuned for more WordPress insights!
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Founder, Managing Partner of Jazzy Marketing.
My first foray into the web was back in 2001 when we needed to get a website build for a telecom venture I was working for. I was given the project of getting our website built with e-commerce integration for calling cards – a huge market at the time. Well, that was the spark that got me interested in website development and I have not looked back since.
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