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Blogging is a hobby that anyone can pick up fairly quickly, thanks to how versatile and user-friendly WordPress has become. According to reports, WordPress will power 39.6% of the internet in 2021, with over 600 new sites popping up daily worldwide.
Additional data suggests that 77% of internet users read blogs regularly, and over 75 million blogs are powered by WordPress. Given how competitive the blogging industry has become, especially in 2021, customizing your WordPress blog is essential. Let’s explore several practical tips that you can follow to make your WordPress blog more unique and enjoyable to use.
Tips on How to Customize Your WordPress Blog
Think About your Hosting Carefully
The first thing you should consider when setting up your WordPress blog is what kind of hosting you rely on. Generally, hosting can be free or paid, either monthly or annually. While free hosting may seem tempting, you never know when the hosting provider will cease to work correctly or whether your private data is safe.
That leaves premium hosting services, of which there are many to choose from, all with various feature lists. The more comprehensive the feature list and customer support, the higher the hosting price. However, when a WordPress blog is concerned, you shouldn’t go for expensive hosting and settle for a modest, secure option instead.
Choose a Good Theme for your Blog
Besides its plugins, WordPress is known for its sheer volume of free and premium themes. Once you set up shop and start a WordPress-powered website, choose a theme reflecting your blog’s topics.
There are many themes with diverse visual designs and feature lists, so picking the one that fits your blog is easy. All you have to do is browse WordPress themes until you find the one that “clicks” for you.
Make the Blogging Process Smoother
Given that your WordPress website will be dedicated to blogging, you can take the steps to set up the necessary plugins for later convenience. Installing a set of plugins such as Advanced Editor Tools will allow you more freedom in writing and formatting blog posts on the WordPress website.
The tool comes equipped with various text editing plugins designed for WordPress publishing. Referring to paper writing service reviews and setting up Advanced Editor Tools will make your job as a blogger much easier to manage.
Enable Visitors to Share your Content on Social Media
Your blog content must be as easy to share on social media. According to research, 53.6% of the world’s population uses social media, and 98.8% use mobile devices. Installing a plugin with social buttons should be a priority during the setup process.
A plugin like Jetpack lets you quickly and seamlessly insert various social sharing buttons into your blog posts. You can choose the platforms you want to link to and, as a bonus, take advantage of Jetpack’s site security features.
Consider SEO Optimization Early On
Blogging, by its nature, relies on written content to attract new readers. To attract as many readers as possible to your WordPress site, it would be best to consider SEO early on. Installing a plugin such as Yoast SEO will allow you to systematically manage your content editing and optimization.
The tool will allow you to monitor your writing’s SEO, enable you to localize content, and ensure that your readability is up to SEO standards. With the intelligent use of assignment writing services, you can edit and format your content correctly to ensure its appeal. Real-time content analysis by Yoast SEO is also available to you during the writing process if you are under word count or other restrictions.
Facilitate Reader Interaction through Comments
Regardless of which topics you cover on your WordPress blog, visitors will undoubtedly want to contribute comments and opinions. You can use user-generated content well by installing a comments-centric plugin such as Disqus to enable healthy discussion on your website.
This plugin is easy to set up, and you will quickly enable your readers to talk to one another to benefit your site’s SEO. Disqus’s value extends to its anti-spam features, allowing you to keep your comments section clean from shady links or deliberate spam.
Personalize your Posts through Author’s Boxes
Each blog post on your website should include a small author’s bio section to give your blog a bit of personality. A plugin such as Simple Author Box will do just that and allow you to attach a small headshot and bio to each post. This will make your blog more personable and encourage guest posting and collaboration with other bloggers. Likewise, you can seamlessly attach social links to the author’s handles in the author’s bio, extending the plugin’s functionality to include social sharing.
Make Good Use of Featured Images
Adding a Featured Image to each blog post on your website will increase its visual appeal. You can use original photos and graphics as featured images or opt for stock photo sites like Pexels or Unsplash. Remember that each image you add to your posts should accurately reflect the article’s content and be of high resolution so that it displays correctly.
Categorize your Blog Posts for Better UX
Introducing Categories can make your WordPress blog’s browsing experience more enjoyable and legible. Categories will let you separate different blog posts into their respective categories and enable readers to pick which ones they want at that moment. Adding categories is very simple, allows you to organize your blogging and content management better, and makes the site easier to navigate. You can also add descriptors to Categories to clarify what type of content it contains and add a few more keywords for SEO.
Using WordPress Customization to Your Advantage
Regarding WordPress customization, only the sky is the limit, and you should freely shape your blog to reflect your character and content. You can also use professional WordPress support to ensure your site is fully functional, updated, and free of SEO bottlenecks. Take the tips we’ve discussed into account, and don’t stop customizing your blog until you’re satisfied with how it looks and feels.
Author Bio: Donald Fomby is a professional copywriter, content creator, and editor working closely with the best dissertation writing services on the web. He is a passionate and dedicated writer who aims to provide his readers with practical, up-to-date tips, trends, and information. Donald spends his free time honing his article and case study writing approach through research and life-long learning.