WordPress Starter Kit and Blogging Guide: How to Start Your New Site on a Strong Footing

A good number of my friends have been asking me to guide them on how to get started with WordPress and Blogging, prompting me to create this detailed guide on how to do just that. Please ensure that you read it all through to the end as it covers the main points on how to get started on a strong footing and what to and not to do to speed up your new site’s growth. I have been blogging for the last four years now, and trust me I wish I knew what I will be sharing with you today. Therefore, before you get started and rummage your way through WordPress settings and options, read this WordPress Started Kit and Blogging Guide to get you started.

WordPress Starter Kit and Blogging Guide: How to Start Your New Site on a Strong Footing

Best WordPress Web Hosting: Flexibility at Low Costs

The first thing you will need for your new site is web hosting or the place where it will call home. I recommend Cloudways. Cloudways are a cloud hosting provider that allows a lot of flexibility. They bring together major big cloud companies’ platforms and allow you to tap into some of that power.

Cloudways offers Vultr, Digital Ocean, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Google Cloud servers. These companies are the leaders in cloud hosting as they host most of the big websites and platforms. Think of Google Cloud and its hosting of all Google Services and applications and AWS that hosts Amazon’s. You can read our guide on choosing the right web hosting provider for more on the factors to consider when choosing a web host.

Choosing the Right Web Hosting Provider: A Comprehensive Guide to Finding Your Perfect Match

We explore various aspects of choosing a hosting provider, answer common questions, and provide useful tips and hacks

Mania AfricaDavid Mania

Getting Started with Cloudways Cloud Hosting

• Get a Cloudways Server using the discount code: MANIAINC or using the button below:

• Create an account.
• You’ll then go to the dashboard and proceed as follows.

What to Start With: Step-by-Step WordPress Set Up Guide for New Sites

Starting Your Cloudways Server

I. Choose a Server

Digital Ocean and Vultr servers are more affordable but do not allow you to expand or contract their capacities and size.

AWS and Google Cloud servers are a bit pricier but you’ll have a lot of customization and flexibility. You can read more on why we recommend Cloudways.

Get Reliable Cloud Hosting from Cloudways - Our Recommendation

Cloudways are a cloud-hosting platform that brings together various cloud-hosting providers into their platform.

Mania AfricaDavid Mania

II. Choose a Yearly plan:

For web hosting, a yearly plan is best as it will cover the months where you may not have the money to pay for your hosting. It also protects you from $ to KES  (local currency) exchange rates that can change for the worst any time.

III. Start the Server:

On getting a plan, you can start the server. Enter the server dashboard and explore the functionalities first. Get a feel of everything and then visit the Help section for some guides on how to get started.

IV. Start a WordPress App:

Cloudways has deep integration with WordPress meaning you can start a WordPress (WP) app directly from their dashboard.

The WP app will be pointed to a subdomain.cloudways.com or something like that and that is not the best or recommended web address to use, therefore, you will need to get a domain name i.e. yourwebsite.com

What is a Domain Name and Where to Get One

V. Get a Domain Name from Namecheap:

The cheapest .COM domains or .APP or anything really come from Namecheap. They are also the most secure and for around $10, you can get one.

A domain name is the web address name of your site. Mine is DavidMania.com or Mania.Africa which are two separate ones for separate uses. Each domain is ‘bought’ for a  one-year period and is registered to you for one year but you can renew it either yearly or get one for 10 years.

• Get the Namecheap Domain using the button below:

On getting a domain, you’ll then need to set it up and point it to your WordPress app on Cloudways. You can search online a guide to do that but I’ll show you a way that makes managing the domain easier…

How to Point Your Domain to Cloudways via Cloudflare

VI. Open a Cloudflare Account: 

A Cloudflare account gives you access to the Cloudflare platform, which is a Content Delivery Network, CDN, Security, and Customization platform. A Cloudflare account is free but you can get a paid one if you want advanced features such as Firewalls and things like that. The good thing though, is that Cloudways have their own Firewall and Security features so your site will be protected. You’ll point your domain name to Cloudways’ servers using Cloudflare, which will be in-between your domain and Cloudways as a ‘proxy’. Cloudways also has a way for you to connect to Cloudflare.

Initial WordPress Set-Up Guide and How to Optimize WP Plugins

V. Start WordPress Customization: 

The next step after pointing your domain name to Cloudways is entering the WordPress dashboard and start customizing.

VI. Install Plugins:

Plugins are sort of mini-apps and configurations that allow you to customize, enhance, and tweak your WordPress site. The thing is, though, that you will only need to install as few as possible as they can weigh down your site and make it slow. The rule of thumb is to only install 5 i.e., only the most essential.

Recommended plugins to install are:

Recommended WordPress Plugins for Beginners

1. Sitekit by Google – Allows you to connect most of Google Services to your WordPress and the most crucial at first will be Google Analytics, which will help you see the performance metrics of your site, the number of visitors, views, visit durations, etc.
2. Cloudways Cache – The next app I would recommend is Cloudways Cache app which uses Varnish Cache to cache your website’s content.  A cache is kind of a picture in memory (snapshot) that captures files and content on your website for a set amount of time. It works by allowing browsers to have a snapshot of your site and store it, so that when the user comes back, that stored memory (cache) will allow them to access the site faster, making your site fast and enhancing the user experience. It also saves your website from a lot of resource- strain as it means that not everything will have to be recaptured/’redownloaded’  when a user comes back to your site another time.
3. A Mail Plugin such as WP SMTP – Depending on your immediate needs, you could consider getting an e-mail plugin that will allow your WP site to send you email notifications. This is useful as it allows you quick knowledge if something is wrong or if a change has happened and maybe you have not initiated it and your site could be under attack.
4. Elementor Plugin – A quick way to design your website is to do it using a design plugin by the name of Elementor. Elementor is such a strong design platform and will allow you to design your website’s front-end or ‘outer face/view’ much more easily and faster.
5. Cloudflare Plugin – If you want to, you can connect your site to Cloudflare via the Cloudflare Plugin and have it get some of the benefits that Cloudflare offers directly. These include additional caching which caches your content across Cloudflare’s extensive network of CDNs or Content Delivery Networks.

What is Cloudflare Caching?

• Essentially, Cloudflare takes a snapshot of your site and stores it in servers around the world 🌐. When a user in New York visits, for instance, they are shown the cache memory or snapshot that Cloudflare took, while Cloudflare looks to see if there’s newer content on your site. This makes your website load much faster and improves the user experience. The good thing is that Cloudflare Caching, like a good number of their features are free.

6. A CMP Plugin – A CMP is a Consent Management Platform which is a platform that offers you a permissions and policies banner that you can install to your site. A CMP is vital as it ensures you follow the law when it comes to privacy and even jurisdictional legal requirements that web owners must have permission to process the data of their users.

I’ll recommend those 6 plugins for now, but please make sure you install a maximum of  5 and if you must add more, they shouldn't be more than 8. There are thousands of plugins that can do thousands of things but please just keep it simple and you’ll be glad you did. Users can be very picky with web speeds. 🚅

Setting Up Google Analytics and Search Console

VII. Set Up Google Analytics:

The next thing you want to do is set up Google Analytics. You’ll use your normal Google email or Gmail account to sign up for Google Analytics. As we said earlier, it gives you insights and data about your content and is a must-have to understand how users are interacting with your website and content.

VIII. Set Up Google Search Console:

Using the same email, you should next set up Google Search Console. This is the platform that allows you to connect your site to Google Search. What happens is that you connect your site to Google Search Console and Google will periodically scan through your content, making you eligible to appear on Google Search depending on the structure, functionality, and search engine optimization (SEO) signals of your site.

Google Analytics and Google Search Console work together and you can link them. Remember to use the SAME Gmail account so that you'll be able to do that. 🔗

Designing Your WordPress Site for the First Time Using Elementor WordPress Plugin

IX. Get Designing:

The next thing is to really now get designing your new WordPress site. Here, you will choose a theme from WordPress’ theme database, or ‘app store for themes’ if you like. There are free and paid themes but first go for free. WordPress also comes pre-installed with several free themes including 2023, 2022, 2021, etc. as default WordPress themes are named by year.

After picking a theme, and having installed the Elementor plugin, you can get tweaking your site’s design and see what Elementor can do. You can shift elements, create new ones, create graphics, cards, etc. but always make sure you SAVE YOUR WORK. Otherwise, you will lose customizations if you don’t save.

What to Write First on Starting Your New WordPress Blog

X. Get Writing:

The next best thing after you have finished or at least made your site appealing visually, is to get writing. For SEO purposes, the first thing you will write is your description explaining who you are, what you intend to do with your site, and what are your interests, etc. It is important to make your profile relatable and casual while still explaining your intent and very importantly, your expertise/credentials.

Mania SEO - Mania Africa

All our articles touching on Search Engine Optimization, SEO. We look into various SEO approaches and activities, report on recent developments in the field, and offer insights from our experience learning and undertaking SEO activities.

Mania AfricaDavid Mania

The Importance of a Comprehensive Site Description for Blogging

Next, you will write the site’s description. Here you’ll explain the topics you’ll cover on your site and what users can expect. You will also write the name of your site here. It is crucial to name your site to reflect what you will be writing about. It is also recommended that the site name aligns with your domain, for easy identification by users but also search ranking. Site names should be relatable and hint at what the site covers.

Next and very importantly, you will then write your privacy policy and cookies policy documents. These should detail what data you collect, how you use it or intend to use it, and how users can opt out of their data being processed or stored by your website or you, as the web owner.

Crucial Blogging Tips I Wish I Knew When Starting My WordPress Blog

Next, you will write your first post. Here are some guidelines to help you kick it off on the right foot.

Recommended Blog Post Length

Always ensure your blog posts are at least 300 words long. Google Search and other search engines will only index (scan for the purpose of showing on their search platforms) blog posts that are at least 300 words long. Your sites can be much longer but please do not post anything less than 300 words if you intend to have it end up on Google Search and other search engines. When you do, they’ll most probably reject it and you’ll end up wondering why it is taking you months or even years to see some traffic from search. 😬

Write for People: Don't Chase Search Engines and Algorithms

Write for people, not for SEO or Search Engines. The best and fastest way to have impact blogging and grow your site is to write high-quality, people-centered content. Let me repeat that: write HIGH-QUALITY, USER-CENTERED content. That is the single most important thing you could do to ensure your site succeeds. There are MILLIONS of websites out there covering all manner of topics, what will make you stand out is writing high-quality content that is centered on readers.

Trying to write for search engines will get you nowhere and you’ll end up wasting your time and money chasing Google and other search engines’ traffic. It is not worth it and no one has ever mastered the search algorithms. I myself have been writing on this and other blogs for over 4 years and I am nowhere near ‘mastering’ search. It is not something that you need to worry about while starting; for now, concentrate on your content.

The Key to Success in Blogging: Solve a Problem and Give Value

Every blog post should be solving a problem;  be it curiosity, the need for information, a search for knowledge on a particular topic, or entertainment. Remember,  SOLVE A PROBLEM. If you give value to your users through high-quality blog posts, then they will GIVE VALUE back to you with a loyal readership and all the perks that come with that.

How To Structure Your First Blog Post for the Best Results, User Engagement,  and SEO

A good structure of a blog post is as follows:

1. First-Level or Main Heading (Heading 1 or H1): Every blog post’s title is its H1. Make it impactful, promise something, and deliver it with your content in the post.
2. An introduction: Introduce your topic and tell the user what they can expect. Please ensure that you do not put a heading here saying INTRODUCTION. It is unnecessary hear.
3. A Second-Level Heading (Heading 2 or H2): Very important that before going to the next paragraph you introduce it and share a snippet or quick hint of its contents using the H2 heading. This is very important. Headings should always reflect the contents of a paragraph. Don’t be tempted to write headings trying to get the attention of the search algorithms. They will see the misrepresentation and ‘punish’ your site for it.
4. The body of your text (Paragraphs): The body of your text is where the action is. Deliver on the promise made in the post’s Main Title (H1) and in the introduction. Even better, over-deliver and have users leaving your site not only satisfied but also likely to bookmark your site and come back and read the piece of awesome content again.
5. Level-Three Heading (Heading 3 or H3): For every paragraph with a sub-section, you’ll add a third-level heading or H3 heading. This is not only good for user experience, ease of reading, and overall content breakdown and understandability, it is good for SEO too. And yes, I saw I wrote hear on the second point in this section. Did you?  That is a reminder to you to always read through your content after writing. Never post anything that you have not read. It could ruin your site in many ways.

Should You Use AI or Other People's Content?

6. The Need to Be Careful with AI and Plagiarism. One of the things that you should avoid like the plague is plagiarism. Plagiarism is when you copy someone else’s or another entity’s content and post it as your own hoping to gain from it. This is not only legally wrong, it could render you a pariah to not only the search engines but also your most esteemed readers. Also, avoid scraping content which is where you go to other sites, copy what they have written, and then compile it as your own, please avoid that.

• On using Artificial Intelligence or AI for your content, you should know that AI makes a lot of factual mistakes and errors and if you post something that is factually incorrect, it is you and your site who’ll suffer the lost trust from users, and the search engines. They hate copycats. A note to also avoid spamming.

Mania AI - Mania Africa

All our articles on the topic of Artificial Intelligence. We look into recent AI developments, their impact on society, and how we can channel them to the betterment of the future of the human race.

Mania AfricaDavid Mania

7. Fourth-Level  Heading (Heading 4 or H4): For content that is a sub-section or is within content under a H3 level heading, ensure you add a H4 heading. The headings should encapsulated within one another when necessary, starting with H1 all the way to H5 which is the recommended depth. You can go further if you need to. Write those in-depth posts.
8. Fifth-Level Heading (Heading 5 or H5): For content that is a sub-section of a sub-section of a sub-section i.e., within a level four or H4 heading’s content, always ensure you add a H5 heading. Most backend/site dashboard editors will allow you to add headings.
9. Only add ONE H1 Heading. Please note that you should only add one level one or H1 heading to every post. The H1 heading should always be the MAIN TITLE of the post and only that.
10. BREAK DOWN your content. Your new WordPress site is not an old boring book on the shelves of some dusty library. It is your ‘domain’, your land, your kingdom. Always make sure you write visually appealing and informative content. You can enrich your content by adding images (including the post/main image which is highly recommended) and other elements such as embedded videos, tweets, gifs, etc.

Tips for Embedding Images, Videos, and Social Media Posts

When embedding something, however,  please ensure that you do not ‘overload’ the post. Posts with too many embeds or images end up being too slow and positing a negative user experience. Also note that it is highly recommended that you do not embed very large pictures, both size-wise and in terms of storage, for that very reason. They are ‘heavy’ for your site and will most probably slow it down.

For every image that is not yours and is not copyrighted by another entity, ensure you credit the source. Also, research 'Alt Text' as for every image you embed, it is recommended that you include Alt text. It's used for assistive reading for the people who use screen readers. You can read more WP optimization tips in our 7 Essential WordPress Optimization Techniques post.

Maximizing Your WordPress Site’s Performance: 7 Essential Optimization Techniques

By staying on top of your site’s performance and implementing the strategies outlined in this article, you can ensure that your WordPress site continues to perform at its best.

Mania AfricaDavid Mania

Use something like PicsArt to edit them. Also always ensure you respect the copyright of other entities and not use their images as your own. You can search stock images for free-to-use images for your posts.

Paragraph Structure, Post Links, and Headlines for the Best SEO Results

11. Your paragraph’s structure you should entail a max of 15 sentences and I mean MAX. The recommended number of sentences is 10 but if you can't avoid it, let them be 15 short sentences. Nothing more to say other than; most users have shifted to mobile browsing and nobody will read through a blog like a novel, at least not with the small screen of their phone.
12. For POST URL or LINK: Ensure that you make the post’s URL or link UNIQUE but also make is so that it is somewhat READABLE.  The reason for doing this is that, together with your headings and content, it tells the search engines that you are topic about a specific and unique topic. This is signaled by having your KEYWORD or keywords in all these places. You can read more about how URL length affects SEO.

Does URL Length Affect SEO? Best Practices for Optimizing URL Length and Relevant Keywords

By following these best practices, you can improve your site’s visibility and attract more organic traffic from search engines.

Mania AfricaDavid Mania

Best SEO Practices: Avoiding Keyword Stuffing

Do not keyword stuff. Yes, you can add keywords but make sure they are absolutely necessary and not too many (keyword stuffing). Also, do KEYWORD RESEARCH before you even get started writing. You can do that on places like Google Trends or using Google’s Keyword Research tool in Google Ads. Did you notice “you are ‘topic’ in the last point? 🤭 Please ensure you read through your content. I cannot emphasize that enough.

How to Write Attractive Headlines

You should also write CATCHY, CLEAR, emotionally appealing, and PERSUASIVE headlines. Your headline is like your Instagram post. It must be perfect. Beware of overdoing is though, as that could lead you to much trouble. Make it sweet but not too sweet and then over-deliver in your content. Our guide on Mastering YouTube Titles has some tips on how to write better headlines for SEO.

Mastering YouTube Titles: Boost Your Search Results with These Expert Tips

Uncover the secrets to creating irresistible YouTube titles and boost your YouTube Search rankings

Mania AfricaDavid Mania

As I said earlier, remember to SAVE YOUR WORK or you’ll end up losing your first piece of content before it even gets out there.

How Often Should You Write Blog Posts?

• The next best thing to do is to CREATE CONSISTENTLY. Your blog LIVES OR DIES ON YOUR CONSISTENCY or lack thereof. Think of it as social media where users will run away if you don’t update them with the latest of what you offer be it news, commentary, your opinions, entertainment, etc. If for some reason you find it difficult to write consistently, you can hire a writer on a platform such as Fiverr and for a few bucks,  get the content you need written for you.

• SHARE your work on SOCIAL MEDIA and elsewhere. Another important thing that you could ignore (to your detriment) is sharing your work on social media and with FRIENDS and family. ENGAGE your audience on and off your website and GOOD THINGS will come to you sooner rather than later. This is how you will create a community that will give you feedback, recommend content topics, analyze your content, and share it with their friends, and so on. Marketing your blog is the fastest way to get where you are going. You can read our content marketing and website promotion guide for more

The Ultimate Guide to Content Marketing and Website Promotion: Tips, Hacks, and Useful Advice

A deep dive into everything you need to know about content marketing and website promotion

Mania AfricaDavid Mania

How Long Will It Take to Succeed in Blogging?

I think I have covered most of what you need to get started. Please understand that blogging is not a GET RICH QUICK scheme but rather a CONTINUAL GROWTH process. It will take some time.. at least months or even years before you can earn anything from your content. Therefore, instead of trying to get the search engines looking, try and create HIGH QUALITY CONTENT CONSISTENTLY and you’ll be in the green in enough time i.e. not too early that you may slump and lose commitment and not too late that you may give up. 

That’s it. I hope this guide was helpful to you and has effectively guided you to start your new WordPress site on the right footing. You can do this and there is always comfort in knowing that no one has mastered anything about blogging, especially in today’s world of social media. That reminds me: find the link to the RSS feed (a file with links and the html of your latest posts ) of your site and put it down below in the footer (bottom area) of your site.

The Importance of a Call-to-Action (CTA) in Blogging

Make sure that you add links to your about, contact, privacy policy, cookie policy, and social media pages. Also, link through to your others posts whenever you write, and also to posts by other bloggers. A good way to get growing is to also post on others’ people’s blog (guest blogging) and ask that you include a link to your site. If you are a good writer and would like to guest blog here on Mania.Africa, reach out to us via the contact page (‘Contact Us’ on the top menu /|\). That is what we  call a call-to-action (CTA); always have those. A CTA should be clear and ask users to do something like share, subscribe, or even visit your new video on YouTube. Even ‘put it down below in the footer on your site’ is a CTA, if you can see it. 😉 Hint: it’s on the last paragraph which is a good size unlike this one which is too long… remember your paragraphs should be between 10-15 sentences long MAX. >>||<<

CTA Example

On that note, kindly share this post with someone you know who may be interested in starting a WordPress Site and is looking for key blogging tips for beginners. I am also a WORDPRESS DEVELOPER and I can assist you through this entire process. Reach out via our Contact Us page.  You can also hire someone to help you design your site on Fiverr.

Going for a WP developer is essential if you want extensive customization. Read more on Why You Need a WordPress Developer for Your New Site.

Why You Need a WordPress Developer for your New Site

Getting into WordPress creation and development yourself can be daunting, especially if you don’t have an IT or web development background. As such, not knowing where to start could be the best reason why you need a WordPress developer.

Mania AfricaDavid Mania

My last words are; think of your new site as a MAHOGANY TREE. It may be such a small seed now but if you do the right things and ‘things right’, it will surely GROW. Namaste and God Bless.

Stay tuned for more WordPress Guides and Tutorials. Also, consider sharing this post by grabbing the quick link in your browser’s search bar or by just using the .< button. Cheers :][:

>> Sign up below to get this post as a pdf. 🔽