Plugins

There are a few critical plugins that every good WordPress blog should have. The first one is the Google sitemaps plugin. Install the plugin then head to Settings > XML-sitemap and run the plugin. It will automatically generate a sitemap and submit it to Google for you. This will help your search ranking as your new blog grows. It works in the background and you can leave it be after creating your sitemap.

The next plugin I install is the All in one SEO plugin. I’ve tried a couple SEO plugins, but this one is by far the best. Once you install it, head over to Settings > All in One SEO to activate it. There are a number of options you can pick from to configure you plugin. It’s a good idea to leave most of them as is. However, I prefer to check off the option that automatically converts any post tags to meta keywords. To use the plugin, start a new post and scroll down to the bottom. You’ll see some fields there that you need to fill in: one for a title, and one for a description. I usually copy my post title into the title field. Then I enter a good description about the post content. Make sure you do that on every one of your blog posts.

Another useful plugin I’d recommend installing is maintenance mode. This plugin allows you to throw up a splash page if you are, for example, working on your theme and you want to hide your blog from the public.

The next plugin I install on every new blog is the WordPress database backup. Believe me, this is very handy if your database becomes corrupted down the road, or you need to recover your posts for another reason. Install the plugin and head to Tools > Backup. Once you’re there, configure the plugin to email you a backup once a week. Then just keep your backup files somewhere safe, incase you need them.

The last plugin I recommend activating is Akismet. This plugin comes bundles with WordPress, so you simply have to activate it. You’ll have to get an API key from the Akismet website, and if you say your blog is for personal use, you can get one for free. I highly recommend using this plugin to filter out spam comments. I had a client recently launch a blog I designed for them. They didn’t activate the plugin and after a month they had over 1,000 spam comments which brought their blog to screeching halt! Not to mention the poor person who had to go through and delete them all. You’ve been warned! :)

If you’re planning on offering free downloads from your blog, I’d recommend signing up for a free CloudApp account. It’s not a plugin but it’s quite handy for hosting files, and it gives you a simple way to offer downloads to your readers. It also includes a count of how many times each file is downloaded which is handy. That’s about it for plugins that I would recommend installing for all new WordPress blogs. What do you think? Do you use any other plugins that are a must for your WordPress blog?

MiniCard

Here’s another great little theme that you can easily use for a resume website, or a lifestream. There’s a free or premium version available. If you opt for the premium version, it will cost you £25. It includes some ajax stuff and some different color options.

Preview | Download

BebackWP by Wordspop

I came across this handy theme recently and thought I would post a link. It’s a slick, coming soon theme for your WordPress blog. Super easy to just turn this sucker on while you are working on updating your theme or doing other blog maintenance.

Preview | Download

View Live Demo — Download from Templatic.com

Developer’s Description

“Want to start a quick website streaming live news on some ongoing hot topic, event? Or maybe you just want to stream all the twits from one popular twitter user. PremiumThemes.net releases one more wonderful theme – “LiveTwit” that does exactly the same. Upon checking FloodFeed website, I realized – often times it happens that some tragedy, unfortunate event or at other such moment, a site like flood feed comes handy. Usually, twitter users are first to post about any such event. So, I created this free theme that helps you create such out of the box site in wordpress.”

Further Resources

• 7 Easy Ways to Add the Official Twitter Button to your WordPress Blog

Theme Process Checklist

1. Creative brief
2. Information architecture
3. Photoshop comps
4. Slice comp, saving images
5. Setup database on server
6. XHTML/CSS homepage template coding
7. Browser testing
8. Cut XHTML/CSS comp intp .php template files
9. Upload & Install WordPress on server
10. Upload theme files to server
11. Install Maintenance Mode plugin and enable it
12. Tweak admin settings
13. Import post formatting template file for testing
14. Install and configure plugins
15. Test all theme template files
16. Install Google Analytics tracking code in footer.php
17. Browser testing
18. Run through WordPress theme and development cheat sheets and checklists, making any necessary changes
19. Browser testing
20. Disable maintenance mode plugin and take website live

Creative brief

Having the client fill out a creative brief is critical in the design process. Many times, designers will jump into the job with only some of the details. Trust me, don’t do this. In the end, it’ll mean additional work when you have to go back and change things. In the near future, I’m planning on posting a creative brief template you can use for your projects.

Information architecture

Before you get to far into your project, make sure you create a wireframe and/or a sitemap for the entire theme. Show your client the sitemap and get them to sign off on it. This will save you a potential headache down the road.

XHTML/CSS homepage template coding

I’m not sure if other theme developers do this, but before I start doing any php template coding, I prefer to code the template in XHMTL. That way I can work out any CSS and/or layout bugs. Once my XHTML template is complete, I cut it up into the WordPress template files.

Browser testing

I prefer to test in the following browsers, I would suggest you do the same. MAC: Safari, Chrome, Firefox, and Opera. PC: IE6-8, Safari, Firefox, Chrome, and Opera.

Cut XHTML/CSS comp into .php template files

Below is a list of template files I use when creating a theme. This is only a suggestion, you’re free to use whatever template files you prefer.

1. 404.php
2. acrhive.php
3. author.php
4. category.php
5. comments.php
6. css folder (for additional stylesheets like print.css)
7. footer.php
8. functions.php
9. header.php
10. images folder
11. index.php
12. loop.php
13. page.php
14. screenshot.png
15. search.php
16. searchform.php
17. sidebar.php
18. single.php

Tweak admin settings

When you’re setting up a new blog, there are few admin settings you should tweak. First head over to Settings > General and fill in the fields. Next, head over to Settings > Writing. I like to increase the size of the post box to 30 lines for easier post writing. I’d also suggest setting a default post category. Third, go to Settings > Reading and set how many posts you would like to appear on your homepage. Finally head to Settings > Permalinks and choose a link structure for you blog. I personally prefer to use the Month and Name option.

Import post formatting template file for testing

WPCandy.com has a great sample WordPress content file you can download for free. Once you download it, import the file into your blog and it will create a number of sample posts that show a number of post styles. Check out the above link for more info and to download the file.

Install and configure plugins

At this point of the process, I recommend you install, configure and test all of your plugins. Below is a list of plugins I install on all my theme builds. Feel free to use them if you like:

1. askimet (comes installed)
2. All in one SEO pack
3. Contact Form 7
4. Google XML sitemaps
5. WordPress Database Backup

If you have any questions about this process, feel free to post them below. Thanks for reading.

Features:
» A script that pulls images automatically from the post body, then resizes them with TimThumb for the homepage
» Support for sticky posts, comment pagination, threaded comments, wp_logout_url, and the rest of the new features of WP 2.7
» Featured categories – a custom control panel sets featured categories with a configurable number of headlines, which appear on the homepage
» 125×125 ad support via the WP125 plugin and its companion widget
» Multi-level dropdown menus
» Better custom archives – a custom template that displays posts by month, plus pagination
» Better author archives
» Gallery, inline image and caption styling – there are styles for all the various ways you’d insert an image in a post

» View the Demo
» Download

Features:
» Minimalist: Very clean, spacious and easy to read.
» Lightweight, for speed.
» Ad-friendly: The columns are sized specifically to accept standard ad formats.
» Easy to install: You can install without plugins, though five plugins are recommended and included.
» Flexible: Includes an optional home page.

» View Screenshot
» Download

Features:
» Professional design
» Easy to administrate
» Highly customizable
» Meets usability and readability standards
» Minimal layout

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Features:
» Random loading header image
» Excellent typography
» 3 column layout

» View the Demo
» Download

Features:
» Yet Another Photoblog plugin integration
» Auto image resizing
» Images are cached for faster load times
» Widget enabled sidebar and footer
» Easy navigation by pictures

» View the Demo
» Download