Basic WordPress Setup & Plugin Installation

.This setup process will be different from host to host. But generally speaking, you should be able to follow the three below steps. This setup guide is intended for those who are technically inclined and are somewhat familiar with hosting and websites but may never have set up a WordPress installation before.

Please Note: If you require assistance you should contact your website host's support service. As mentioned previously, this is a generalized guide using a basic GoDaddy account. Most technical details will vary from one host or hosting package to the next so if you have made it this far and are not feeling confident, you should seek professional WordPress assistance.

Please Note: If you purchased a managed WordPress hosting package, you likely can skip the Install WordPress Step

Almost all web hosts have what's called a 'cPanel' or 'CPanel Admin'. You'll need to access this cpanel which will contain many different tools and shortcuts for managing the different aspects of your hosting account.
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Within the list of options, you'll have a Marketplace or Web Applications section that will contain a WordPress option. Once you find it, open it and follow the instructions or buttons to complete the installation.
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(generic GoDaddy Hosting Panel Shown)

Installation Options

Most of the default options your host defines should be left as-is, like automatic updates, security settings, etc...there are only a couple of specific considerations you should make:

1. Domain and Location

Two of the options you'll have for configuring your WordPress site are its domain and location. You want to make sure that your domain is the one you would like to use, but the location is optional.

Generally speaking, if your website has no other purpose than to be your real estate search website, then you should install WordPress into the root directory, leaving any folder or directory field BLANK.
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The only time to specify a directory is when you will have a home page that is not real estate search related which is possible, but rare.
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Having a home page means that visitors would need to access the /homes/ directory on your website before being able to search; they would need to click something before getting to the search tools. Consider this decision very carefully because the more clicks you put in the way, the less leads you will generate. Use your default kvCORE website as a guide as it's designed to generate the most leads possible.
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​2. Website Title & Tagline

The Website Title & Tagline is what will be seen by website visitors if they bookmark your site or if you share your site on social media platforms, like Facebook. You should define what your website is as concisely as possible since this will correlate with the number of leads you will generate.
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After filling out the basic WordPress configuration form, you will then be redirected to your WordPress installation.
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Your WordPress control panel is always located at the /wp-admin/ directory within the directory you chose to install. For example:
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​http://yourcustomwebsite.com/directory(Optional)/wp-admin/
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Immediately after installation, you should be able to click on the wp-admin link or a get started button of some kind. This will take you to the WordPress Setup Wizard.

The first time you load /wp-admin/ you'll be presented with a setup wizard.

After clicking 'Start Wizard' you need to fill out all of your contact information. Please be as complete and as accurate as possible, as it will help with your website's ranking and relevance.

Remember to link all your social media accounts!

Theme Selection

When selecting a theme, DO NOT choose a theme with a sidebar! You can see a sidebar theme in the screenshot below with an 'X' as an example. A sidebar is a left-hand navigation menu and if you choose a theme with this left-hand navigation, your listing search and display pages will not look right.

Choose any of the other available themes to continue; the 'Lyrical' theme was chosen for this example.
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After choosing a theme, please wait for the WordPress app to configure it.

After the install is complete, depending on your host, there may be an instructional tutorial. We recommend you follow it to get more familiar with the WordPress site editor.

When you are ready, close the control panel to access the WordPress Dashboard by clicking the 'X' in the top left corner.

The first thing you will need to do in /wp-admin/ is run an update on the default plugins. To do so, click on the Plugins tab to the left.

Filter out the plugins that need updates.

Select all of the filtered plugins and apply the update action.

Now you'll install the kvCORE plugin.
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​TIP: If you're not starting in the Plugins section, navigate to the Plugins tab on the left of the /wp-admin/ section.
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Click Add New at the top.

On the far right-hand side, search for kvCORE.

Then install it from the tile that appears from your search.

Once it's complete you'll see the install report on your screen. Click 'Activate Plugin' when you see the button.

That's it! Your kvCORE plugin is installed.

Now that you've installed the WordPress Plugin, click here to start setting it up!

Related Articles

WordPress Plugin: About the Plugin

WordPress Plugin: 2-Setup

WordPress Plugin: 3-Customizing Your WordPress Site

WordPress Shortcodes

Have more questions? Please reach out to Customer Support via the blue chat bubble to the right or by emailing kvcore@insiderealestate.com!

(Keywords: WP, WordPress, plugin, website)