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10 Steps to Take Before Opening Your Blog to the World

October 17, 2011 by 109 Comments
Mitz Pantic

Mitz Pantic

My name is Milica Pantic (aka Mitz) and I am a serial full-time blogger. I started out with one website many years ago and it went so well, I sold my businesses and began living the internet dream. Since then I have been perfecting the system of blogging and building Wordpress websites to earn money online. This is an ever changing business and I love the challenge. Please feel free to download my favorite FREE REPORTS if you are interested in improving your blogging business or starting one from scratch.
Mitz Pantic

@buildwebsites1

Mitz Pantic

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Mitz Pantic
You can get your own content published on this site as long as you have CommentLuv installed on your site.

Doing so means you get exposure to thousands and thousands of other CommentLuv users and your posts get sent out to the massive subscriber list.

Google loves this site and indexes it multiple times per day and posts always get lots of comments so you can be sure of some excellent exposure.

See the Write For Us page for more details

btw.. you can get this author box here

Before Opening Your Blog

Before opening your blog to the world you need to ensure that your website is ready to impress your visitors’ right from the start. Opening the doors to an unfinished blog that is under construction is no longer an option now days. We all have the tools and the information available to us and there is no excuse for not having a semi-professional blog.

Of course, if you know me, you know that I am obsessed with WordPress and therefore I will be basing this article on that.

So let’s pretend that you have just finished installing WordPress and you are now ready for the next stage of customizing your new website.

#1.  Customizing basic settings in WordPress

Delete hello world or sample post

Your first installation of WordPress will have an example post called “hello world”. This Post needs to be deleted as it will show up in your recent posts list and also your RSS feeds.

Set up Permalinks

The permalink structure will make your URLs are search engine friendly. For example instead of having a URL that looks like this: http://domain/p=33 you could have http://domain/nameofpostwithkeywords. Obviously the search engines like last example. For more details on how to change the settings you can download my free PDF. There is a link in my authors bio.

Default users

Set your default user’s account to subscriber because you do not want people signing up as a user and becoming an author or a contributor straight away. You can also ticked the box to let anyone sign up to be a user. If you simply click on the settings menu in the left column when you are signed into your dashboard, you will be able to edit these settings.

Default post category

I like to go to the writing settings and choose a default post category because if you do not, the default post category is uncategorized.

Opening Your Blog

WWW or not to WWW?

Also when you are on the general settings, you can add your WordPress address (URL) in. This is where you can decide to put the WWW in front of your domain name or not. Google Webmaster tools will notice this and follow suit.

Blog pages to show

In the Reading settings you can specify how many “blog pages to show at most”. For example, this means that if I put 10 in the box, 10 posts will show up on the homepage.

Discussion settings

In the discussion settings there are some important features to consider. For example you can enable threaded comments, which allows for replies to comments to be in one section. You can also break comments into separate pages when there is too many. It is recommended that you visit the discussion settings in your WordPress dashboard to see all the options for yourself.

Privacy settings

Go to the privacy settings and make sure that you have not blocked the search engines. Sometimes this happens by accident and when you are ready to let the world into your blog, it is best that you check this option first.

There are so many settings to customize and I’m sure Webmasters have their own favorite settings to change. If you are interested

in learning more I have a free PDF report for you in my Authors bio at the top of the page.

#2. Add base pages before opening your blog

I like to have the important pages ready to go when I open my blog to the world.

  • About me page
  • Privacy policy
  • Disclosure
  • Contact
  • Sitemap

#3. Install Plugins

Here is my list of plugins that I install first. Please note that some are paid versions and some are free.

  • Commentluv
  • WPSubcribers
  • SEOPressor
  • WordPress SEO by Yoast
  • BP security
  • WP-DBManager
  • Fast secure contact form
  • Clean archives
  • Reply me

Please note that these are my preferences and every Webmaster likes to install their own favorite plug-ins.

#4. Create categories

I always think it is better to create post categories before opening your blog because if you do this on the spur of the moment your blog can become quite unorganized. Believe me, I have been there and done that.

When creating post categories I like to choose the category names from my list of related keywords. These are keywords related to my main keyword.

#5. Choose a WordPress theme

It is better to choose a WordPress theme early on in your web site building endeavors and the best advice I can give you, is to stick to your choice. If you can choose the best WordPress theme that suits you, customizing it from the beginning, you will save so much time and energy on making silly adjustments later.

#6. Start branding

Branding your website is also a must from the beginning. For example you could get a logo made and maybe your own favicon to match.

If you are handy with Photoshop then you can create your own logo or download a free psd logo from the internet and customize it to suit you.

#7. Create blog accounts

Each website requires certain social media accounts or certain tools to enhance traffic to the website. Your new accounts for your website should try to include your keyword or your website name for further branding purposes.

Here are a few accounts I like to create before opening my blog to the world.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook Page or Group
  • RSS feed at feedburner.com
  • Youtube account
  • Other various social media accounts
  • Pingfm

#8. Add an optin box and social icons

As soon as you open your blog to the public, you should start collecting your visitors e-mail addresses, as we all know that the “money is in the list”.

Another important thing to do is install social media buttons so your audience can share your content.

#9. Write a few posts

No one wants to go to an empty blog and it is best to add some content into your WordPress website before you open the doors to the public. For example I like to publish at least five articles and also schedule 10 more. This way the blogger is ready to go.

#10. Submit your blog

There are a few places to submit your blog to. For example you can submit a site map to Google Webmaster tools, you can submit your RSS feed to various aggregators, and you can also go and manually ping your new blog posts to get the ball rolling.

What next?

If you have completed all of the steps above then have done more than most webmasters out there.

Can you believe this tutorial is only covering the bare basic steps to take before opening your blog to the world? It is impossible for me to explain everything in detail as there are still a lot of steps involved.

If you have any tips to add to my list please feel free to comment below. We can all learn something new every day about opening your blog to the world! 

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Comments

  1. Amanda says:
    October 17, 2011 at 5:03 pm


    Twitter:
    The issue of making categories often goes unappreciated. You should have a plan for your posts and categories if you are going to be creating efficient and meaningful content. Of course, if it’s a personal blog with baby pictures, it probably doesn’t matter.
    Amanda recently posted..Marrow BonesMy Profile

    Reply
  2. Chris says:
    October 17, 2011 at 5:36 pm

    This is so super of an article and so timely for me. I am starting a blog that I will be opening up to the world and this is like a checklist of what to do. Thanks for sharing. You made my life easier.
    Chris recently posted..Joomla! vs. WordPressMy Profile

    Reply
  3. Rama says:
    October 17, 2011 at 5:55 pm

    Great post, wished i had seen your post earlier because i had lost all my 3 months in customizing my WordPress blog which all were Useless..

    Reply
  4. Harleena Singh says:
    October 17, 2011 at 6:32 pm


    Twitter:
    Sure a timely article as I just switched over my blog from Blogspot to WordPress and this is exactly what I needed!

    Thanks so much for sharing :)
    Harleena Singh recently posted..5 Tips to Develop Your Inner Strength and PowerMy Profile

    Reply
  5. Ileane says:
    October 17, 2011 at 7:41 pm


    Twitter:
    Hi Mitz, great advice. What’s funny is that this is not just for newbies either. It’s like a checklist for anyone who is starting a new site even if they’ve been around for awhile. Numbers 6 & 7 are my favorites. It reminds me of the big mistake Netflix made when they started talking about Qwikster. Apparently no one checked to see that the Twitter handle was already taken. I guess it was all down hill after that. :)
    Ileane recently posted..8 Ways to Take Your Relationships Beyond TwitterMy Profile

    Reply
    • Mitz Pantic says:
      October 18, 2011 at 1:35 am


      Twitter:
      I must say you have done a superb job at branding your website! And your right about it being for everyone because even I need a wake up call sometimes! :)
      Mitz Pantic recently posted..Win an Elegant Themes Membership for a YearMy Profile

      Reply
    • Scott Allen says:
      October 25, 2011 at 5:48 am

      Agreed — this is not just for newbies. I’ve created over 100 blogs for myself and various clients and employers, and I just launched a new one last week, and I’m realizing that there are a couple of these things that I haven’t done, plus a couple of plug-ins I’ve never heard of that I need to check out.

      Great post — bookmarked & shared.

      Reply
  6. Nancy says:
    October 17, 2011 at 8:07 pm

    It’s easier to launch the blog first and work on it step by step, you know the blog will take some time to start attracting visitors and reader so you have time.
    Nancy recently posted..Quick Money Making Opportunities On lineMy Profile

    Reply
  7. Anne Lyken-Garner says:
    October 17, 2011 at 8:10 pm


    Twitter:
    Great tutorial. Just what I need at the moment. I’ll download your pdf. I’ve put my new website url here, but the posts are not showing up in comment luv – yet another thing to pull my hair out about.

    I have one question. If you have a newly migrated blog and one of the published posts is not showing up (and there’s no obvious reason why), do you have any advice on what to do?

    Reply
  8. Rohit Batra says:
    October 17, 2011 at 8:20 pm


    Twitter:
    Mitz, Really great Article you mentioned all of them sequentially.. I am a blogger since 2 years but whenever i start up a new blog sometimes things look messy because i don’t follow many things i usually create categories on the go as I write but it makes a hell kot of problems also.

    I think now i can follow your tips it would be much better before launching it Publicly..
    Thanks !!
    Rohit Batra recently posted..How To Update iOS 5 on iPod Touch 4GMy Profile

    Reply
  9. Alan says:
    October 17, 2011 at 9:21 pm

    Thanks for sharing this Mitz,

    I’ve learned a couple of new things which is always nice. Just imnstalled ReplyMe (thankyou) and kicked myself once more (I’ve already done it a few times this week) for only now getting started learning about an opt-in list. Is it still called an opt-in list if I just use Feedburner and don’t have an auto-responder type email set up? I guess the autoresponder is the best way to go about giviing a freebie which attracts people to join your list in the first place but in terms of the work involved I think I prefer the idea of just having feedburner post my updates to those interested – perhaps by category.

    I still can’t get over how much there is to learn – so far it has been a meandering journey for me but now it’s all starting to get quite intenes (just in terms of the amount of info like you mention in your post above) but thorouughly enjoyable.

    Anyways, I’m digressing a bit, thanks again for the post (I love top 10 posts, such a good pull when something is in top 10 format) & take care,

    Alan
    Alan recently posted..SEO BasicsMy Profile

    Reply
  10. Marty says:
    October 17, 2011 at 9:21 pm


    Twitter:
    Newbies should definitely keep this post close for future reference. There are many things you can skip when you’re setting up your wordpress blog and those can become a headache later
    Marty recently posted..iPhone 4S sells 4 Million Units in its First Week-endMy Profile

    Reply
  11. Justin Germino says:
    October 17, 2011 at 10:45 pm


    Twitter:
    I agree with some other suggestions as a far as permalink structure being a necessity. You can’t change it after months or else all backlinks left in comments on other blogs end up in 404 pages.
    Justin Germino recently posted..Fiery Updates on the Kindle FireMy Profile

    Reply
  12. Rammesh Perumal says:
    October 17, 2011 at 11:11 pm


    Twitter:
    Great checklist for new site set up Mitz, good to put the settings to works before go for public to avoid getting unnecessary pages indexed. Thanks for sharing.
    Rammesh Perumal recently posted..How to Choose the Best Paying Adsense KeywordsMy Profile

    Reply
  13. sue says:
    October 18, 2011 at 12:10 am

    Great post! I can tell you that after all this time of having a blog, I have missed 2 or 3 of those steps! Thanks for the reminder, as well as a great post..keep it up.

    Reply
  14. Tiberius says:
    October 18, 2011 at 1:03 am

    Excellent tips for anyone putting up a new wordpress blog. Simple yet thorough especially the plugins!

    Reply
  15. Jennifer Rai says:
    October 18, 2011 at 5:07 am


    Twitter:
    Thank you for sharing this great article! I am with you on deleting the “Hello World” post from your blog. Keeping it up just gives a very amatuerish look. Following such rules can take your website to a whole new level.
    Jennifer Rai recently posted..I Love Small Business VisionariesMy Profile

    Reply
  16. Bruce says:
    October 18, 2011 at 6:06 am


    Twitter:
    Hey Mitz,

    Under your favorite plugins you have SEOPressor & WordPress SEO by Yoast.
    Don’t they essentially do the same thing?

    ~Bruce
    Bruce recently posted..You’re Doing It Wrong Dude!My Profile

    Reply
  17. Timothy Smith says:
    October 18, 2011 at 9:20 am

    Hi mitz, is it really a big deal in choosing your font or font size in making blogs?

    Reply
  18. Blaine Garrett says:
    October 18, 2011 at 9:35 am

    I agree on your list but on number 9, you just don’t post anything. You’ve got to post a well written article too. But If it’s a personal blog, it’s probably okay.

    Reply
  19. Kostas says:
    October 18, 2011 at 10:05 am


    Twitter:
    This is really a great simple guide that every newbie on the blogosphere should read and follow it can really save time when someone new to blogging don’t know where to start from…
    Kostas recently posted..5 Website Usability Tips that Drive ResultsMy Profile

    Reply
  20. Joe Gee says:
    October 18, 2011 at 10:41 am

    Nice post :) I’m going to check those plugins out. I like the all in one seo pack, nextgen, wpminify, smush.it and bad behavior :) I just started blogging about 5 months ago with my photography site.

    Reply
  21. KBharath says:
    October 18, 2011 at 11:35 am

    Thanks for sharing this i opened a website but i didnt do most of the things that you have mentioned in the list. and thanks for sharing Commentluv, WPSubcribers, BP security, Fast secure, contact form, Clean archives, Reply me plugins.
    KBharath recently posted..7 Things No Web Designer Will Ever Tell YouMy Profile

    Reply
  22. Jupitor Chakma says:
    October 18, 2011 at 1:41 pm


    Twitter:
    I wish I have read this post before starting my blog. Such a nice post every blogger shold read before staring a blog, whatever might be the niche.
    Thanks
    Jupitor Chakma recently posted..Healthy Food that Whitens Your TeethMy Profile

    Reply
  23. Brian says:
    October 18, 2011 at 5:50 pm

    I’m lucky I’m seeing this post now! I’m in the process of re-doing a website which will include a new WordPress blog. I had no idea there were so many things to be aware of when setting up the blog! I know they’re incredibly important for SEO, so I’m glad I know all of these tips now so that I can get the upper hand once the site goes live!

    Reply
  24. Jason fox says:
    October 18, 2011 at 5:58 pm

    I like It. The process of setting up your blog, for success, is such much more than picking a theme and posting. The details, many of wich you covered are so important. I like how you simplified it, although each if those numbers represents a whole new project :)
    Jason fox recently posted..Speaking: Seattle Metro Chapter Women’s Council of RealtorsMy Profile

    Reply
  25. Eren Mckay says:
    October 18, 2011 at 6:58 pm

    This is a very helpful post for those who are in the beginning for sure!!
    I have a friend of mine who is just starting out with her blog and this post will be a perfect checklist for her to go through and get her blog ready.

    Thanks!
    All the best,
    Eren
    Eren Mckay recently posted..How to Write a Blog PostMy Profile

    Reply
  26. Katherine says:
    October 18, 2011 at 7:52 pm

    I especially hate seeing the “welcome to your blog” page that has been left. The longer I am at it, the more I notice when things have NOT been done.
    Katherine recently posted..The Night RideMy Profile

    Reply
  27. Richard Brown says:
    October 18, 2011 at 9:23 pm

    #6 is something I should really do. I always had the impression that it was better to get “bigger” first before creating a brand or you wouldn’t even have anyone see it.
    Richard Brown recently posted..Significance of Budgeting and ControlMy Profile

    Reply
  28. Rapiddash says:
    October 18, 2011 at 10:14 pm

    Two plugins that I like a lot are similar posts, and hyper cache. Hyper cache is great especially if conbined with db cache reloaded. It makes the blog load faster and helps with SEO since Google is said to be monitoring load times. Similar posts is good for increasing page views and reducing bounce rates. I always install these plugins, can’t imagine my blogs without them.

    Reply
  29. Nancy says:
    October 19, 2011 at 7:11 am

    I just want to say I am amazed by your behavior, you are getting all the feedback and replying to each comment, if act the same at your own blog you will build a nice relationship with your audience and make them trust you. Good blogging
    Nancy recently posted..Quick Money Making Opportunities On lineMy Profile

    Reply
  30. hitokirihoshi says:
    October 19, 2011 at 7:34 am

    I thought I know everything about basic blogging but upon reading this entire article of yours, i analyze i still do a lot of things.

    i specifically very thankful for numbers 1 & 2.
    hitokirihoshi recently posted..Rubbing elbows with the OPM iconsMy Profile

    Reply
  31. Ray says:
    October 19, 2011 at 10:04 am

    Never hurts to run down and double check your setting and configuration at any point. Even if you have things running smooth for a while you never know what you might have missed or meant to set and didn’t.
    Ray recently posted..Google Webmaster Tools showing more links to your siteMy Profile

    Reply
  32. Pankaj Rattan says:
    October 19, 2011 at 10:17 am

    Nice post. These all steps must be followed by everyone before publishing his/her blog.Thanks for the help of beginner.
    Pankaj Rattan recently posted..PC Trick To Hacks BIOS PasswordsMy Profile

    Reply
  33. terry says:
    October 19, 2011 at 1:46 pm

    WOW.. the basics are just that long and delicate huh. It was nice reading through some good points to finish before considering to opening your blog.

    Reply
  34. Milena says:
    October 19, 2011 at 9:35 pm

    Just discovered commentluv and it’s fantastic. Thanks for the tips!

    Milena

    Reply
  35. Dan Arif says:
    October 20, 2011 at 8:37 am

    Great tips! Now i realized there are important steps that I missed. Thanks!

    Reply
  36. magnet4marketing says:
    October 20, 2011 at 11:24 am


    Twitter:
    Very in depth account Mitz and all the top points covered, it certainly shows the involvement needed to set up a blog correctly. To me branding stands out as one of the most important aspects, great list thanks.
    magnet4marketing recently posted..Halloween Special: 50% Coupon Code for PremiumPress Themes for WordPressMy Profile

    Reply
  37. Salah Messaoud says:
    October 20, 2011 at 3:36 pm

    thanks for the detailed tutorial I use all plugins you mentioned expect of commentLuv I think I should get it as soon I can

    Reply
  38. James says:
    October 20, 2011 at 4:04 pm

    We decided to go without www. to start with, and then added it. While the trend is not to use it now (and it is pointless putting it there!) many people still do. If you have links from both www. and http:// then google will treat them slightly differently.

    Better to use the clumsy version and be consistent than the other way (so I’m told).

    Reply
    • Mitz Pantic says:
      October 20, 2011 at 10:37 pm


      Twitter:
      I have changed this on a website that is 5 years old… I did it to see what would happen and I was prepared to take it back..but it was all fine…The links got redirected either way so it was fine…I do not recommend it though as it can confuse things for a newbie.

      I agree that it is better to stick to the www and be done with it…Anything is fine as ling as you stick with it.
      Mitz Pantic recently posted..9 SEO Tips to Dominate Google Search ResultsMy Profile

      Reply
  39. Ricky Strode says:
    October 20, 2011 at 5:04 pm

    Another great article. I definitely agree. I am still kind of new to WordPress, but I learn relatively very quickly. I had to learn a lot of this as I went along and I still am learning. Thanks for sharing, I really appreciate it.

    Your In-Trance To Success,

    Ricky Strode

    Reply
  40. Rik says:
    October 20, 2011 at 6:59 pm

    One very important step missing right at the end………………back it all up! Once your blog is open to the world you are at risk from hackers and people who are just out to ruin other peoples good work. Create a baseline backup and take frequent backups after content updates.
    Rik recently posted..Official Lego House Video ReleasedMy Profile

    Reply
  41. Ricardus says:
    October 21, 2011 at 5:34 am

    Speaking of WordPress themes, we are giving away free Elegant Themes. Check it out mate.
    Ricardus recently posted..Tweet and Win Elegant Theme membership giveaway by WPWebHostMy Profile

    Reply
  42. briant says:
    October 21, 2011 at 2:44 pm

    I certainly do got a lot more to learn. thanks for this very helpful post!

    Reply
  43. mcrapu says:
    October 22, 2011 at 6:45 pm


    Twitter:
    If I were to start a new one now. I would prepare at least 24 articles. To cover 3 months schedule at 2 articles per week. Because, once I start a blog, the important thing that i will do is blog marketing.
    mcrapu recently posted..What Do Girls Look At When They Meet A GuyMy Profile

    Reply
  44. Mahendra says:
    October 23, 2011 at 8:44 pm


    Twitter:
    Very deep article and nice sharing it will help me when I will shift to wordpress
    Mahendra recently posted..10 Android Phone Below Rs 8000, 10 Low cost Android PhonesMy Profile

    Reply
  45. Trisha Cupra says:
    November 2, 2011 at 7:39 am

    Yoast’s SEO plugin is awesome – I love the snippet of how the page will appear in Google.

    Speaking of plugins, there’s a free plugin in the Plugin Directory called Absolute Privacy. It lets you lock down your site during the ‘getting ready’ phase so that nobody can see the site without logging in first. You can prevent anyone from seeing it before you’re ready to make it ‘live’.

    Reply
  46. Patrece says:
    November 2, 2011 at 12:44 pm

    Love this so much.
    Now who says writing blog is easy, it takes not only passion and interest but lots of tutorials too. Just imagine this article is before we open our “made to make a difference” blogs and its a pretty long list already.
    Thanks for sharing Mitz :)

    Reply
  47. kristeen says:
    December 28, 2011 at 9:28 am

    One very important step missing right at the end+1!
    kristeen recently posted..autoverzekeringMy Profile

    Reply
  48. Linda says:
    December 29, 2011 at 11:03 am

    This article comes a little bit to late for me because I opened my blog a few weeks ago and didn’t use these tips so my blog didn’t open very well. Thanks for sharing this because I will definitely use them next time I open a blog. Thanks!

    Reply
  49. Auckland Maynard says:
    February 6, 2012 at 7:57 pm

    Wow.Amazing stuff. I just recently created a blog and is still fixin it up. I wish I saw this stuff before I created it. But one thing thou, I am still trying to locate the ‘user’ area where I can change it to subscriber? Not sure if I am looking in the wrong area.

    Reply
  50. Chris Roberts says:
    February 20, 2012 at 6:37 am

    I really like this post. I have recently become addicted to blogging I just can’t get enough of it. I have at this date about 35 wordpress blogs set up and more to be made in the future.
    Chris Roberts recently posted..Great Keyword domainsMy Profile

    Reply
  51. Derk says:
    March 2, 2012 at 5:27 pm

    Thanks! Some good tips here. I use wordpress quit often because it is user friendly and SEO friendly.

    Reply
  52. Mario says:
    May 5, 2012 at 2:00 pm


    Twitter:
    I Mitz! Seems like you’ve written a lot for Comluv! Great work :) This is a great post for beginners in blogging. Kind of you to share this :)
    Mario recently posted..The Coolest Blog Commenting Plugin For WordPress!My Profile

    Reply
  53. Wazeem JozafXai says:
    September 24, 2012 at 10:39 pm

    I would say I learned some nice and essential steps to do before starting my blog and Thanks God I landed directly from Google to this site as I found exactly what I was looking for. I already knew a few things about settings and plugins but found a lot more. Thanks Mitz Pantic

    Reply

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