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Start a Blog:From Hosting to Posting

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Module 3: Plugins• Plugin – Backup• Plugin – Security• Plugin – Analytics• Plugin – SEO• Plugin – Spam Blocker• Plugin – Social Share• Plugin – Social Follow• Plugin – Subscription

• Plugin – Contact Form• Plugin – Image Widget

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Install PluginsPlugins offer custom functions and features so that you can tailor your site to fit your specific purposes.

The most popular and official source for WordPress Plugins is the WordPress.org repository.

Visit the Plugins page and click the Add New button to begin the Plugin selection and install process.

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Install PluginsYou’ll arrive at WordPress Plugins Repository page. Type the name of the plugin into the Search field.

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Install PluginsIf you searched the exact name of the plugin, it should appear first or near the top of the results.

Review the Last Updated date, compatibility, and ratings before making the decision to install.

Then click the Install Now button.

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Install PluginsThe final step in the installation process is to Activate the plugin.

Many plugins will require you to provide additional settings.

You can find the link to the Settings Page different locations depending upon the plugin. There may be a settings link near the title on the Installed Plugins page. There may be a settings link visible from the main Dashboard. Finally, there may be a settings link in a submenu of an item on the Dashboard.

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Backup:UpdraftPlusMaintain a weekly backup of your site files stored in another location than your hosting server like Dropbox or Google Drive.

Maintain a daily backup of your MySQL database as well.

DO NOT depend solely upon the backup services provided by your hosting service.

I keep all my personal and client backups on Dropbox.

I prefer to automate this task.

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Security:WordfenceInstall a security plugin and set up at least the basic settings to block unwanted access to your site files.

Other highly-rated plugin options include:

• Sucuri

• All in One WP Security

https://www.tipsandtricks-hq.com/wordpress-security-and-firewall-plugin

Extra security measures:

https://yoast.com/wordpress-security/

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Spam Blocker:Antispam BeeYour WordPress installation will automatically include a copy of the Akismet plugin as a spam blocker. When you activate Akismet (by logging in to your wordpress.com account), you have the option of paying nothing or a monthly fee of your choosing.

Another top option is Antispam Bee.

It requires nothing more than installation and activation.

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Analytics:Google Analytics by MonsterInsightsGoogle Analytics by Yoast is now Google Analytics by MonsterInsights. It is the same plugin with a different owner.

It appears in your WordPress Dashboard as ‘Insights’ with the image of the little monster with the magnifying glass.

To use this or any analytics plugin, you need to create a Google Analytics account and add your domain to the account.

This allows you to link your site to Google and to have access to reports and statistics about your traffic.

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SEO:Yoast SEOThe Yoast SEO plugin provides many tools to improve SEO (search engine optimization) to your site, posts, and images.

This is a robust plugin with many pieces and parts. I recommend that you focus on filling in as many details as possible during setup for General, Social, and Search Console.

Then use the Yoast SEO section at the bottom of each post to edit your headline, editorial snippet, and post keyword.

Clicking on the Social Icon to the left of the section brings you to fields to customize the content to be shared with Facebook and Twitter.

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SEO:Yoast SEOClicking on the Help Center bar provides access to a tutorial video for each part of the plugin.

Video Tutorials foreach part of Yoast SEO

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SEO:Yoast SEOThen use the Yoast SEO section at the bottom of each post to edit your headline, editorial snippet, and post keyword.

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Contact Form:Contact Form 7Be sure to include a way to contact you on your site. I include a contact form, my email address, and a link to my Facebook group on my Contact Page.

If you want more customization options, consider a paid plugin such as Gravity Forms.

Another often recommended plugin is Simple Basic Contact Form.

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Social Share:Social Media FeatherA social sharing plugin provides links (often at the top and/or bottom of each post) to encourage your readers to share your content with their friends.

Depending upon the theme I am using, I experiment with other plugins as well.

Always look at the last updated date, reviews, and number of active installs information provided in the plugin directory before installing any plugin.

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Social Follow:Simple Social IconsAdding Social Icons to your site allows your readers to connect with you on various social media platforms in addition to your blog.

The Simple Social Icons offers customization of color, size, shape, and alignment of your icons. It allows you to place the icons in any widget area.

You can choose from several options in this category. I find this plugin to be the simplest to set up and customize to fit my theme.

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Email Marketing:MailChimp for WordPressThe most frequently mentioned email service among bloggers is MailChimp. After backup and security, the other primary function needed is the ability to collect email addresses from your readers.

MailChimp provides HTML code to create a sign up form, but a plugin is usually the simplest way to add a form to your site.

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Image in Sidebar:Image WidgetIt is possible to add an image to your sidebar using the Text Widget and some HTML code. But the quickest way to grab an image from your Media Library add it and some text and/or a link is by using the Image Widget.

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I share easy-to-follow tutorials and effective tools to improve your blogging journey. I specialize

in identifying the best resources to prevent online overwhelm.