Setting up WordPress on a local test server

Essential files and templates for your WordPress theme

• The header, footer, sidebar, and loop
• Templates – index, archive, page, single post, search results, etc.

Frameworks and child themes

Creating and customising a child theme

• Adding additional menus
• Adding widget areas / sidebars
• Creating a custom home page template

Adding custom functions – some useful code snippets

• Adding additional image sizes
• Changing the default post thumbnail size

Adding plugins

• Some useful recommended plugins
• TinyMCE Advanced
• WP Smush-It
• WP-Paginate
• Contact Form 7
• Nivo Slider
• WordPress SEO by Yoast
• Gecka Submenu
• Remove Comments Absolutely
• Google Analyticator
• Redirection

Customising plugin output with CSS

• Contact Form 7
• WP-Paginate
• Nivo Slider

Adding users and user roles

SEO Considerations – using WordPress SEO plugin

• Permalinks
• Titles
• Post content

Final steps before launch and things to check post-launch