These quick tips aren’t going to get a post all to themselves, but they are worth sharing, nonetheless.

As I add more quick tips to this page, I’ll keep you informed.

#1 – PLUGINS: It’s easy to load and update plugins right in the WordPress Dashboard, but it’s a good idea to also have copies of all your plugins on your own storage. There may come a time when you need to go directly to your server and reload a plugin and having it readily available will save you a ton of time. In order to load directly to the server, the plugin has to be unzipped, so that’s why you want to have the plugin on your own storage. If you do decide to start this practice, don’t forget to update the plugins on your hard drive/removable drives when WordPress instructs you to update the plugins through the Dashboard.

#2 – PERMALINKS: By default, when you first load and begin to use WordPress, every link WordPress creates on your behalf begins with your URL and  then ends with a unique code, which doesn’t tell anyone what the actual page is about. Not only does this hose your search engine optimization, it leaves your potential visitors guessing and could cost you readers and/or subscribers. One of the first things you want to do, after a fresh install of WordPress, is go to Settings > Permalinks and change the structure of your links to at least include the title of your post/page. The choice for Day and Name is my personal favorite.

#3 – AFTER THE DEADLINE PLUGIN: If you’re looking for something more robust that WordPress’ built-in spell-checker, the After the Deadline plugin is for you. According to the plugin site:

After the Deadline helps you write better and spend less time editing. Click the proofread button in the visual or HTML editor toolbar to check spelling, style, and grammar.