Spring is here! Kinda…we’re…we’re getting there, right?
Anyways, while you’re stuck inside hiding out from the polar vortex and deadly allergens and whatnot, you can spend time cleaning up your blog for a productive year.
1. Update WordPress, Plugins, and Themes
It’s time. Hit the update button. Update it all. Go crazy. Maybe make a back-up first if you’re the cautious type. I recommend using BackUp Buddy. Don’t forget to delete inactive plugins and themes completely to clean up your install!
2. Remove Unattached Media from WordPress
If you head over to the WordPress dashboard in media–>library–>unattached you can see all the photos and other files that are on your WP site but aren’t being used by any posts or pages. Delete the ones you don’t need (like any images being used by your theme but not in a piece of content) to declutter your website and free up web space.
3. Update Your About Page
It’s probably time to update your “about” page. Maybe you aged, maybe you changed your company name, maybe you haven’t uploaded your most recent selfie yet. Go revise how you’re presenting yourself to strangers, or else they’ll start bringing up things from the past. And the past is awkward.
4. Fix or Update Content with the “Search and Replace” Plugin
I changed my domain name from coreyfreeman.me to authenticcorey.com, and realized instantly that I had a couple of internal link issues. So I used the plugin “search and replace” to update the content. You could also use this to remove old shortcodes you’re not using anymore or update affiliate links.
5. Check Your Mobile Optimization
People are reading your blog on their phones, tablets, and tiny portable chromebooks. I promise. I do it all the time. Before bed, in lines, at the doctor’s office. You need mobile optimization.
Use a tool like Viewport Resizer to test your design on a variety of screen sizes. If you’re not ready for mobile, you might want to consider switching to a framework like Headway Themes that offers easy mobile optimization built-in.
6. Clear Out Database Junk
You can use the plugin WP-Optimize to clean out database junk like old plugin options, saved revisions, spam comments, pingbacks, and trackbacks. The plugin will also optimize your database tables for you.
7. Stop the Spam with Conditional Captcha
If you’re not a fan of commenting systems (e.g. Disqus) like me, you can beef up spam protection on the default WordPress comments with Conditional Captcha for WordPress. It only displays Captcha to comments marked as spam, and can be used with Akismet and ReCaptcha to supercharge your spam blocking powers. I use it on all of my sites and never worry about spam again.
8. Recommended WordPress Plugins
It’s not all about cleaning out. Sometimes it’s about making things more efficient. Here are some recommended plugins you can use to make your site awesome.
Relevanssi – makes the search results for the default WP search way better.
Limit Login Attempts – locks out users who fail to login a certain number of times, protecting against brute for attacks.
Yoast SEO – comes with all of the SEO capabilities you need, and basically gives you the power to deactivate all those other possibly unnecessary SEO plugins.
Google Analyticator – integrates your WP site with Google Analytics and displays a stats summary right in the WP dashboard.
Tweet Old Post – automatically tweets old content, automating promotion for your archives.
Subscribe to comments reloaded – allows visitors to get email updates when replies are posted to their comments, bringing them back for conversation.
Bonus: Looking for a New Host?
I didn’t want this to seem like a part of the requisite cleaning tips. But, if you’re looking to switch hosts, I highly recommend Media Temple. They’re who I use to host and I rarely have issues with website loading.
Double Bonus: Ready for a New Look?
If you’re fed up with your current theme and you’re looking for an easy DIY solution, consider going with Headway Themes. It’s basically photoshop for WordPress.
What Are Your Spring Cleaning Must-Do’s?
What are you doing to get your blog ship-shape for a great rest of the year? Share your tips in the comments below!
(Photo by Arvee Marie)