WordPress Website Components Checklist

WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems (CMS) in the world, powering millions of websites across the Globe. It’s popularity is largely thanks to the innovative and flexible user experience it provides.

Even if you’re just starting out with WordPress, or you’re already well-established and looking to keep up-to-date with the latest trends, there are dozens of components that you need to be aware of in order to ensure that your WordPress website functions at its very best.

CMS

The content management system (CMS) of your WordPress website is one of the most important aspects to consider. Without a good CMS, you won’t be able to fully optimize your site for SEO or ensure that your content is maintained fresh and accurate.

Fortunately, WordPress itself is a CMS, and it comes with a built-in scheduler that allows you to set up automated content updates, so you don’t have to worry about keeping up with the content yourself. This is one of the main reasons why WordPress is so popular – it means content can be updated and changed easily by anyone with access to the site.

Still, it is worth noting that not all CMS’s are created equal, and you should consider the options carefully before making a decision. Ultimately, the right choice for your business depends on your existing ecosystem and how you want content to be managed. For more information on choosing a content management system for your website, check out this blog post from the WordPress team themselves.

Scheduler

The WordPress scheduler is responsible for making sure that all of your content is timely and accurate. To ensure smooth operation, you’ll need to set some time requirements and scheduling preferences carefully.

You’ll typically want to set aside some time in the morning to ensure that content is posted by the time it’s due. It’s also worth noting that some content, like posts and pages, will become “sticky” and appear at the top of your blog’s home page, so ensuring that future posts are also scheduled to appear in this central location is a good idea.

You should also consider what will happen if there are issues with your email provider or a major downtime with one of your servers. In these situations, it would be a nightmare to try and track down all of the pieces that make up your WordPress website, and ensure that everything is functioning correctly. The scheduler allows you to do this automatically by importing all of the data from your website’s backend into a more readily accessible format – like a Google Sheets doc or Excel file.

Login

The WordPress login is a very important part of your site, as it provides the means for site members to access restricted areas of the site (e.g. your site’s backend).

If you’ve ever installed WordPress, you’ll know that it comes with a default login screen. However, if your site is going to be used by non-techy readers, then it might be a good idea to consider an easier to use login platform. For example, Mozilla Persona provides a very user-friendly option for logins, as it requires only a username and password instead of a complex login form.

There are many other options for logins as well; the point is, no matter what platform you choose, it needs to be as straightforward and intuitive as possible. If a reader cannot easily understand how to navigate and use your login, then they’ll have a hard time accessing restricted areas of your site.

Site URL

Your site’s URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is a critical part of your site, as it provides the means for web browsers to access your site’s content. It needs to be easy to remember and not misleading.

The best practice is to use hyphens (-) instead of spaces ( ) in your URLs. This makes them appear shorter, and it provides several advantages, like easier scanning of links and the potential to have more than two words within a URL. It also allows you to have a more descriptive, SEO-friendly URL than having a space in it.

When entering the URL of your site into a web browser, you should see a page that looks like this:

• Your Site Name (e.g. my-custom-website.com)
• Your Website’s Country Code (e.g. US)
• Your Website’s City (e.g. Seattle)
• Your Website’s State (e.g. Washington)
• Your Website’s Street (e.g. 12th Avenue)
• Your Website’s Zip Code (e.g. 98102)

If you’re using WordPress and set up your site with a professional-looking header, then it’s a good idea to install a site-wide theme customizer, so you can easily change the appearance of your entire site with just a few clicks.

Content Width

The content width is the width of your site’s content, typically expressed in pixels, and it determines the size of the sidebar and the column that holds your blog’s latest content. You can choose the width of your content columns manually or use a built-in autowidth feature to have WordPress automatically determine the content width based on the size of your browser window – which automatically turns off when your browser window becomes larger than a given breakpoint.

The best practice for a content width is to leave at least 30 pixels between the edge of your content and the sidebar or footer – this makes it easy to have a readable and clean layout, even on smaller screens.

Sidebar Width

The sidebar is a small area located along the right side of your blog’s home page, where you can put a variety of content, like recent posts, upcoming events, featured products, and more.

You can decide the width of your sidebar manually or use a built-in feature to have WordPress determine the sidebar width based on the size of your browser’s window – which automatically turns off when your browser window becomes larger than a given breakpoint.

The best practice for a sidebar width is to leave at least 15 pixels between the edge of your content and the footer – this makes it easy to have a readable and clean layout, even on smaller screens.

Footer

The footer is the area at the very end of your blog’s home page, which contains important information like your website’s address, social media links, copyright notice, and more.

You can decide the width of your footer manually or use a built-in feature to have WordPress determine the footer width based on the size of your browser’s window – which automatically turns off when your browser window becomes larger than a given breakpoint.

The best practice for a footer width is to leave at least 15 pixels between the edge of your content and the edge of your footer – this makes it easy to have a readable and clean layout, even on smaller screens.

Mobile Menu

The mobile menu is a small drop-down menu that appears on small screens when you’re viewing your site on a mobile device. It allows readers to access your site’s most important features without having to visit each individual section or page.

You can decide the width of your mobile menu manually or use a built-in feature to have WordPress determine the width of your mobile menu based on the size of your browser’s window – which automatically turns off when your browser window becomes larger than a given breakpoint.

The best practice for a mobile menu width is to leave at least 15 pixels between the edge of your content and the edge of your mobile menu – this makes it easy to have a readable and clean layout, even on smaller screens.

Search Box

The search box is a box that allows users to search for content that appears on your site – like articles, products, or events.

You can place the search box anywhere on your site, but the best location is at the top of the right sidebar, next to your website’s social media links. This ensures that your site’s visitors can easily find what they’re looking for, even while on one of your site’s other pages.

The best practice for a search box width is to leave at least 30 pixels between the edge of your content and the edge of your search box – this makes it easy to have a readable and clean layout, even on smaller screens.