WordPress checklist: 7 essential elements for your website

I know, you are more than decide to launch your website, that website you've worked so hard on for weeks or months.

But you're human, you get last-minute doubts and you start modifying parts of your website like a headless chicken. Yes, we have all been through that state of mind, wanting to change certain aspects of your website at the last minute is not the most advisable, that is why, in this post I tell you the 7 essential elements that you have to check in your WordPress.

Creating a website from scratch is not easy, certain guidelines must be taken into account, dividing them into three large blocks:

• Choosing a hosting and domain that allows you to work safely and comfortably.
• The layout of the website itself, that is, its design and creation of content marketing suitable for your readers or potential clients.
• Indexing with Google Analytics, take into account the loading speed and that it is a website optimized for the SEO.

Once you have these three blocks controlled, I begin to detail the 7 essential elements to enter the Digital Jungle like John McClane.

Choose the color palette of your website

The importance of colors in everything that surrounds us has its reason. I am sure that depending on the mood you have, you will choose one color or another to dress every morning before going to work. This is because colors themselves lead us to certain moods or others.

Color psychology is a field of study which has always caught my attention because if you look closely Our behavior changes depending on what colors as well as the different shades of them. 

Why am I giving you this tirade? You will wonder: whyChoosing the colors of your website will be key to making your readers or potential clients stay or leave your website faster than Billy El Niño.

With this phrase from Frida Kahlo I want to tell you that you should fall in love with your brand, no one knows it better than you.

"I paint myself, because I am the one I know best."

Types of Color Palettes according to your brand

Your website must contain a maximum of 3 colors so as not to hinder and worsen web usability by maintaining this palette in its entire structure: the same for your titles, buttons and backgrounds, That is why I am leaving you some tips and tools so that you know which one to choose according to your Branding:

• Harmonious color palette (one color with several shades)
• Palette with complementary colors
• Minimalist color palette

The tools to generate colors that I usually use to guide me and know which ones go best to one website or another are:

• COOLERS
• ADOBE COLOR CC
• COLOR LOVERS
• COLORPICK EYEDROPPER (this is a Chrome extension that I find very useful: it gives you the code directly)

Optimize images to improve website speed

Well, I see that you have already acclimatized, you have turned ON all your senses and tied the laces of your boots tightly.

We continue with another of the extremely important parts before presenting your website to Google: THE IMAGES. Yes, those great unknowns on many occasions. You will be surprised but on many occasions I have found websites and photographers' portfolios with terribly low loading speeds, and you will wonder why, little grasshopper: Indeed! none of the images were optimized.

How images and tools are optimized to achieve this

1. Whether you are a photographer at heart and you take them yourself or download them from an image bank, you have to make sure the sizes are right for a cover, banner, logo or sidebar image.
2. Optimize these images before uploading them to your website. You can pass them through Tiny.png  or by ImageOptim among many. Although the most professional thing is to do it with Photoshop.
3. Keep in mind that there is no point in leaving very cool images if they do not display correctly on other devices: Your images must be responsive (adapted for both computer, tablet and mobile). With Screenfly You can know if your website adapts to these premises or not.

Optimize the text structure of the web page

Here you must place special emphasis, The texts on your website must be scannable for the reader, What does this mean? There is no point in creating powerful valuable content if it is difficult to digest.

The texts should be well structured with paragraphs, as far as possible, short with no more than 3 or 4 lines (although it depends on what you are explaining, we don't want to sound like a telegram) they should have rhythm.

Make a good content marketing to reach your potential clients or subscribers with appropriate copy and keep the font size and color in mind, that is:

• Develop statements in paragraphs that are not excessively long.
• Use subtitles.
• Use bold to highlight main ideas.
• Insert images to make reading more fresh

I leave you a video of one of the best Copywriters: Maider Tomasena interviewed by Aula CM, who tells us how to use Copywiting on the blog or website:

Call to Action (CTA) or User Call to Action

"What would I be without you", It could be the title of the new single of the summer, but no, this is the mantra that many bloggers have.

 A Call To Action is an essential element when we want the reader and user of our website or e-commerce to do what we want, that is, indicate "the next step."  Whether it is subscribing to your newsletter, finishing the shopping cart or leaving a review or comment. 

To write an attractive and powerful call to action you must keep in mind who you are addressing, have good copy and choose the right location.

Google Analytics and Search Console for web metrics

This point may be one of the most important because you already know that: What cannot be measured cannot be improved.

Before "dissuading search engines" you must create an account in Google Analytics: to do this You just have to have an account (or create one) in Gmail…YEAH! Once inside you just have to make a few small adjustments and that's it. And why is it so important? Well, Google Analytics allows you to know:

• Not only the profile of the users who come to your website
• Demographic profile
• What devices do they connect from?
• The time they are visiting your website

And a looong etc.

On the other hand, in order to know precisely the demographic data of your audience and what keywords they use to find you, you must index Google Analytics with Search Console, it's simple:

1. When you register with Analitycs and choose the domain, it will take you to another screen where your tracking ID and a code will appear. You can insert this code or ID into your template.
2. You install a plugin, and that's it! but be careful if you format or update it, you may lose the Analytics code

Safe website, don't risk it!

And lastly, and as they say, but not least, it offers security and how? You already know that this May 25th comes into effect the new GDPR law and your website or blog must comply with the premises, especially (as is surely the case) if your objective is the subscription or sale of an online product.

With this law we are protecting users, their rights and giving them greater confidence.

And you, are you ready for the Digital Jungle? I hope these 7 elements for your WordPress have been useful to you, if you have any other points to monitor, don't forget: Leave us a comment!