RYAN ZERNACH
SOFTWARE ENGINEER
HOW TO PROFESSIONALLY BUILD THE MOST MODERN WORDPRESS SITES
Over the course of five years, I’ve constructed a couple dozen websites, including this one, using the following methodologies:
1 — Register Domain
- Firstly, with which hosting company will your website be hosted? I personally prefer DreamHost for a wide variety of reasons. I host an “unlimited” number of websites using DreamHost’s shared annual (or monthly) hosting plan.
- Register your new domain with DreamHost (or some other company) and have your domain hosted. No matter which company you choose, there’s always another fee to essentially “rent” your domain for x-number of years. This usually ranges from $5-$20/year, depending on the costliness of the domain extension you’ve selected (.com, .net, .me, .org, .design, etc.)
2 — SSL Certificate
- Request an SSL certificate. On DreamHost, they’re free — thanks to Let’s Encrypt certifications. This makes search engines happy with your website because it securely transmits data, making load times faster in the process!
3 — WordPress Package Install
- DreamHost has a one-click install for this. Done.
4 — Theme Removals & Plug-ins Uninstalls
- Now that your WordPress dashboard and back-end have been setup, it came pre-packaged with a bunch of unnecessary extra stuff. Maybe it’s not quite one-click, after all.
5 — Plug-in Installs
- Brizy — The best, most user-friendly, modern, ultra-customizable click-and-drag website designer I’ve ever used. My do-or-die.
- Companion Auto Update — Keeps all of your plug-ins automatically updated with the newest versions, plus auto-installs new WordPress updates, too. I’ve never had a problem with it! One-click install.
- LoginPress — The page for you to login (the URL ending in /wp-login.php) is automatically embedded with a WordPress logo, but you can change that and more — have some fun with it!
- Color Mobile Browser Bar — a cool bonus feature for some of your mobile users that only takes a few clicks
- Media Library Categories — add categories to your photos and media database to keep it more organized so it’s easier to find what you’re looking for
6 — Menu & Pages Hierarchy
- Go to Appearance > Menus and decide which pages will be included on your website’s main menu. Make some pages and add them to your primary WordPress menu.
7 — SEO Setup
- Go to Appearance > Customize on your WordPress dashboard. Add a logo, site title, tagline, and site icon. Reassign your homepage to the correct homepage that you created in Step 6.
8 — Brizy Designer Setup
- Select your color pallet, design your header and footer.
PORTFOLIO WORDPRESS SITES
THANKS FOR READING!
CHECK OUT ANOTHER PROJECT OF MINE:
