How to Create a Website: Important WordPress Settings

The first thing I do after purchasing hosting and installing WordPress is to delete the default Admin user and replace it with my own.

How to Login to WordPress

Use the information from your WordPress welcome email to login to your WordPress Dashboard the first time. You can access your Dashboard login page anytime by going to yourdomain.com/wp-admin. It will look like this:

Don't see this screen?

If you go to yourdomain.com/wp-admin and don't see this screen, it's most likely because your domain and your host are not yet "talking" to each other. Here are the two most common fixes:

1. If you registered your domain elsewhere (like GoDaddy per my other tutorial), you'll have to change your nameservers at your domain registrar and point your domain to this new site at HostGator (i.e. get them to "talk" to each other). Here's my tutorial explaining how to change your nameservers.
2. If you are using your domain on another site already, you can call HostGator and ask them to set up this new site on a temporary URL. This will allow you to get your new site at HostGator up and running before pointing your domain away from your exisiting/old site.

OK, go ahead and login to WordPress.

How to Add and Delete Users in WordPress

Can't see the video? Watch it here.

Video Notes:

1. Login to your WordPress Dashboard using the login info you were sent in your WordPress welcome email.
2. Go to Users.
3. Click "Add New."
4. Create a new user. Make sure you make this user an "Administrator."
5. Log out of your Dashboard.
6. Log back into your Dashboard, this time, using the NEW admin info you just created.
7. Go back to Users.
8. Hover over the "Admin" user and you'll see an option to "Delete." Go ahead and delete.
9. Going forward, you will login with that new user info and not "Admin."

How to Change Basic but Important WordPress Settings

Can't see the video? Watch it here.

Video Notes:

1. Go to Settings –> Writing. Copy the list of pinging services from Daily Blog Tips here.
2. Save your changes.
3. Go to Settings –> Permalinks. I recommend using "Day and name" if you have multiple authors, will have multiple posts a day or are likely to name your posts the same (sometimes deal bloggers have this with titles like "Weekly CVS Deals"). The "Custom" structure /%postname%/ is probably the best for SEO and a good choice if you aren’t too worried about inadvertently naming your posts the same thing or don't expect to have multiple posts a day; this is what I use.
4. Save your changes.

Other WordPress Settings

Feel free to browse through the list of other settings under the "Settings" tab in the left column of your Dashboard. You'll want to change the "General" settings, for example, for things like your Blog Title, Tagline, Email address etc. (I posted about this previously here). Don't forget to save your changes on each page!

Next we'll start working with our theme…

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