Analyze, SEO, Market and Enhance Website Security

Having a website up and running with lot of pages and posts does not mean that your website will be successful. Popularity of a website depends on lot of factors, and proper optimization plays a crucial role in elevating a mediocre website to a top ranked website. The main areas that need proper attention include the following.

  1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
  2. Speed Optimization.
  3. Database Optimization.
  4. Website Performance Analysis.
  5. Social Media Marketing (SMM).
  6. Website Security.
  7. Website Backup.
  8. Website Upgrade.

Let’s analyse in detail each of these points and how critical each of these factors are for a successful website or blog.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

As most of the traffic to a website (around 90%) comes from search engines, high ranks for major keywords in search engines like Google is a must for getting visitors to a website. There are several best practices associated with Search Engine Optimization. The main document to refer here is Google’s webmaster guidelines. SEO, without doubt, plays a differentiating role between two equally good websites. Links from other reputed websites in the same niche area is a major positive factor for SEO. Other important factors include content quality, proper use of keywords, sitemaps, .htacess file permissions, robots.txt permissions etc.

Speed Optimization

A fast loading website has more chances of retaining an incoming visitor than a slow website. The website should perform well with mobile devices too. For proper speed optimization, suggestions from Google’s Page Speed Insight tool as well as Yahoo!’s Yslow plugin are really helpful. Caching, compression, combining Javascript and CSS files etc are some of the major suggestions to increase the speed of a website.

Database Optimization

Optimize the WordPress Database either using plugins or from web host control panel. Find the slow queries and re-write them so that the CPU load is less.

Website Performance Analysis

For any webmaster, day to day analysis of website performance is essential. The best available tools include Google Webmaster Tools and Google Analytics.

Social Media Marketing (SMM)

Create social media profiles and pages for your website or blog in websites like Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Twitter etc. Share your posts and photos in these social media networks. A website popular among social media has every chance of attracting a good visitor base. Other networks that worth checking include Digg, Delicious, Pininterest etc.

Website Security

Website security is one areas which beginners tend to neglect. But website security is very crucial for every small and big websites, and a slight neglect may cause unpredictable harm. Secure your web host password as well as WordPress password. Rename your admin username as well as wordpress tables. Use WordPress security plugins to block IPs after repeated failed login attempts. Host your website only in reputed hosts and ensure that your website backups are up-to-date.

Website Backups

Backups correspond to copies of the website taken in a different location. Take copies of all files and databases in your website. In case of a WordPress blog, you can either use plugins or depend on Web Host backup. Schedule the backups as a cron job, and keep backup copies in Dropbox or in desktop.

Website Upgrade

Website upgrade corresponds to adding significant features to the existing website. You can make change in layout, navigation etc in higher versions. In case of blogs, the WordPress software platform itself can be upgraded, say from version to 3.7 to 3.8. Updates may also be available to themes and plugins. Make sure you backup everything before going for an upgrade. In case of WordPress upgrade, you may lose changes, if you had made any in WordPress core files.