Planning your WordPress Website ~ Steps [1] - [8]

Planning and Building your WordPress Web Site

We build and repair WordPress web sites (MyWordPressWordPage.com) at A Better Computer, Inc.

We start off with you choosing one of the following options:

1. You do all the work. You research, read and watch YouTube videos to lean the skills you need. This series of articles will give you yet another perspective of "Best Practices."
2. ABCInc does all the work. You tell us what you want to see on your website; we'll make it happen! Ivaca Delic wrote an article for FreelancersTools.com. It's titled "Ultimate Web Design Brief Questionnaire for clients," but I haven't found anything brief about it ~ Delic has identified almost 75 questions. They're all good, and should be addressed before beginning a WordPress project.
3. You and ABCInc do the work together. In the early phases of your website, ABCInc will do most of the work, especially for those actions that are done only once. We'll be there as you complete the later phases. We'll start with a shortened version of Delic's questionnaire.

Regardless of who does the work, these next 10 posts describe what has to be done.

Read on!

Planning and Building your WordPress Web Site

[1] Choose/Register Your Domain Name 

~ This is where you start with the process of bringing up a website.
Restaurant Analogy: This step basically gets you a business license. You have no location, no food, no menu ~ but you do have a name!

[2] Integrate with Google 

~ Google provides a lot of tools, and I recommend setting up a separate Google account dedicated to and associated with your website. Create your Google account using part or all of the domain name you registered in step 1.
Restaurant Analogy: Now that have a name, you can begin some back-end work such as setting up vendor accounts.

[3] Choose a Hosting Provider 

~ This is the "real estate" for your website.
Restaurant Analogy: You have a name, now you need a place. Step 3 is comparable to arranging for leasing a vacant lot.

[4] cPanel Prep: Email 

~ This is necessary, but you cannot complete this without a domain name and a hosting account.

Restaurant Analogy: I cannot think of a comparable analogy.

[5] cPanel Prep: Install WordPress 

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Restaurant Analogy: You have your business license, and a vacant lot. You need a building.

[6] Install WordPress plugins 

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Restaurant Analogy: In your building you'll need a kitchen

[7] Install WordPress themes; select and make child theme  

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Restaurant Analogy: Are you going to have a sports theme or fine dining?

[8] Configure WordPress 

~ One last run through of  all the settings

[9] Adding Content (Jan 1, 3am) 

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Restaurant Analogy: This is where the fun begins! You need to decorate the walls, arrange the tables, pick out a menu... all the creative stuff!

Recap:

1. Choosing/Registering Domain Name ~ Scheduled for Jan 1, 10:00pm
2. Integrate with Google ~ scheduled for Jan 1, 9:00pm
3. Choose a Hosting Provider ~ scheduled for Jan 1, 8:00pm
4. cPanel Prep Email ~ scheduled for Jan 1, 7:00pm
5. cPanel Prep Install WordPress ~ scheduled for Jan 1, 6:00pm
6. Install WordPress plugins ~ scheduled for Jan 1, 5:00pm
7. Install WordPress themes; select and make child theme ~ scheduled for Jan 1, 4:00pm
8. Configure WordPress itself -scheduled for 3:00pm
9. Adding Content ~ scheduled for Jan 1, 3:00am~ note the 12 hour time shift!!