One click installation is certainly one of the most sweet features of WordPress. But after the installation is complete, you still need to do a lot to make it yours. In this post, I am sharing you a checklist for a new WordPress installation that will guide you all the way through, from removing sample inputs to adding your first post.

Steps After Installing WordPress

Clean-up Sample Data

  • Delete sample comments
  • Delete “Sample Page”
  • Choose a theme or install a new one
  • Delete any unused (Twentyten, eleven, fifteeen etc) theme

Theme and Pages Setup

  • Create blank pages (About, Blog, Contact etc.)
  • Create blog categories
  • Create a main menu
  • Create a social links menu
  • Customize your theme
  • Edit sidebar widgets
  • Edit user profile
  • Add extra admins and users

Plugins

  • Delete “Hello Dolly” Plugin
  • Activate Akismet Plugin (If comments are enabled on theme)
  • Install and activate All-In-One Seo Pack plugin and manage settings
  • Install and activate W3 Total Cache plugin and manage settings
  • Install and activate Contact Form 7 plugin and manage settings

I hope you find this checklist useful; and if you have anything else to add, please share it in the comments. Enjoy!