Effective basics for your WordPress dashboard

Every successful website starts with the right basic settings. A well-configured WordPress dashboard lays the foundation for your visitors to have a positive experience and for the functions of your site to work smoothly. Below, you will learn how to make the essential settings in your WordPress dashboard to optimally prepare your website.

Key Takeaways

• The title and slogan of your website are crucial for your brand identity.
• Selecting the right user roles impacts interactions with your website.
• A static homepage provides a clear presentation of your content.
• The right permalink settings improve user-friendliness and SEO.
• A privacy policy is essential for the legal protection of your website.

Step-by-Step Guide

Set Title and Slogan of Your Website

The first thing you should do in your WordPress dashboard is enter the title and slogan of your website. Go to the “Settings” section and select “General.” Here, you will enter your desired title, for example, “My Awesome Website.” Later, this title will be displayed at the top left of your page and is important for addressing the visitors of your website.

Enable User Registration

If you plan to build a community or run an online store, you should enable user registration. Check the box for “Anyone can register.” This is especially useful if you want to give users the option to sign up as members. Remember to set the default role for newly registered users, which is usually “Subscriber,” allowing them to view posts but not create or edit content.

Set Language, Time Zone, and Date Formats

Select the language for your website – in our example, it's “German (formal).” The time zone should be set automatically, but if not, you can choose the city that corresponds to your time zone. To ensure your website meets local requirements, also select the date and time format that meets your visitors' expectations. In Germany, the 24-hour format is common, and many prefer that the week starts on Monday.

Create a Static Homepage

Go to “Pages” in your dashboard and select the option “Add New Page.” Create a new page titled “Home” and publish it. To ensure this page is used as the homepage, navigate back to “Settings” and select “Reading.” Here, you can choose the option “A static page” and select the newly created “Home” page.

Set Search Engine Visibility

While setting up your website, you may not want search engines to crawl it. To prevent this, enable the option under “Search Engine Visibility” in the reading settings to stop search engines from indexing your website.

Manage Discussion Settings

Since you don't want a blog, disable comments by unchecking the box for “Allow visitors to comment on new posts” under “Discussion.” This setting often causes spam comments and unnecessary email notifications. It is advisable to consistently turn off this feature if you do not plan on any interaction in the form of comments.

Optimize Permalink Structure

The permalink settings are important for the user-friendliness and SEO ranking of your website. Go to “Settings” and then to “Permalinks.” Choose the option “Post name” to ensure that the addresses of your posts are easy to understand and clearly structured. This makes it easier for visitors to navigate your site.

Privacy Policy and Legal Aspects

A privacy policy is a critical element for any website. You should use providers like E-Recht or Heyddata to generate a legally sound text. Make sure to include all necessary information regarding the type of data transfer and the tools used in this statement to avoid legal issues.

Summary – Make Basic Settings in the WordPress Dashboard

You have now successfully configured the basic settings of your WordPress dashboard. These steps are crucial to optimizing both the user experience and the legal framework of your website. Be sure to regularly review and adjust your settings as your website's requirements change.