The thought of creating your own website may seem overwhelming.
You might even think this task is impossible for anyone but a developer or a person with a background in web design.
Well, I have good news for you — there’s a software out there that’s so easy to use, virtually anyone can successfully create a unique and professional-looking website for their business, blog, or portfolio. It’s called WordPress.
But how?
This ultimate guide will cover a basic step-by-step process of creating your own WordPress website as well as a list of tips and tricks to remember while working with WordPress.
But first, let’s answer the question most people have when they begin thinking about their new WordPress website: What is the difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com?
Wordpress.org vs. WordPress.com
The difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com has to do with who is actually hosting your website.
You host your own website or blog on WordPress.org, through a third-party hosting provider. You also have to download your WordPress software, buy a domain name on a third-party site, and manage your server. It’s a much more hands-on experience than with WordPress.com. Also, your URL with a WordPress.org site will look like this: http://bit.ly/2PzN3yH.
WordPress.com offers to host your website for you. You also don’t need to download any software or manage a server. If you choose WordPress.com, your website’s URL will look like this: http://bit.ly/2RypCTZ. However, you have the option to also upgrade your WordPress.com account and buy a custom domain from a third-party provider (meaning your URL will look like this: http://bit.ly/2PzN3yH).
How to Choose Between WordPress.org or WordPress.com
You may be wondering whether WordPress.org or WordPress.com would be a better fit for you. Let’s review a few more of the pros and cons that come with both options, so you can make an informed decision.
Wordpress.org is ideal if you want full power over customizing and controlling your website. However, there is a lot more responsibility that comes with managing a WordPress.org website. You have to purchase and set up your own domain name, upload and install all of your custom plugins and themes, edit your website’s code, and manage your website’s security. WordPress.org is free to use, but you have to pay for everything else that goes into having a website.
WordPress.com is preferable if you’re looking for an option that has most of the hard work done for you. You’ll never need to manage your server, pay for your hosting, or buy a domain. There are also a number of customization options that come with a WordPress.com plan to help you make your website look the way you want it to.
WordPress.com has a free and paid version. If you stick with the free version, you can’t upload any custom themes or plugins, and you will have a WordPress subdomain. However, there is always the option to pay for premium upgrades and other plans that provide you with even more features and control, as well as the option to buy a custom domain through a third-party site.
WordPress for Beginners: How to Use WordPress
There are a number of ways for you to create your dream website with WordPress. Users generally find the software easy to use, but getting started can be understandably intimidating if you’re completely new to the process.
That’s why we have built this “WordPress for Beginners” guide. Below, we will cover how to start creating your website.
WordPress is one of the most popular CMS options available today according to TechRadar. Its ease of use and versatility enable the majority of users and business owners to create a website that works for their needs with the software. Here’s how you can do the same.
1. Select a WordPress plan
To begin creating your website, select a WordPress plan. As stated earlier, with WordPress.org, you only have one (free) plan option — but it requires you to buy your domain, hosting provider, plugins, themes, and everything else related to your WordPress site.
When it comes to WordPress.com, you’ll have to choose between the five plans they offer.
The main differences between the plans include the monthly fee, types of site customization, and access to marketing tools.
2. Set up your domain name and hosting provider
Setting up your domain name and choosing your hosting provider for WordPress typically happen around the same time in the website creation process.
Before we talk about how to complete those tasks, let’s cover the difference between your domain name and hosting provider.
Think about your domain name as your home address — it’s how your visitors are able to locate your website on the Internet. Your hosting provider is where your website is actually stored. Without a hosting provider, your site wouldn’t have space on a server to “live”.
Imagine your domain name is your home address and your hosting provider is your house. Your data files, which make up your website, are the furniture in your house.
Your domain name will look something like this: http://bit.ly/2Pxq7Al. Examples of some of the best WordPressing hosting providers are WP Engine and Kinsta, which you can learn more about here.
Source: WP Engine
How to pick domain and hosting providers
Again, WordPress.org requires you to create your own domain and find a third-party hosting provider for your website. WordPress.com allows you to decide whether or not you want a custom domain depending on the plan you choose, but you will still have to find a third-party hosting provider.
There are hundreds of third-party hosting services, such as GoDaddy or Bluehost, that provide you with the ability to create custom domain names. Your hosting provider is important because it impacts your website’s speed, security, and reliability.
There are hundreds of hosting providers to choose from, but the good news for you is we put together a list of 19 of the best WordPress hosting providers to help you decide what will work best for your own website. All 19 of these providers meet WordPress’ three hosting requirements (listed below). If you still have an interest in looking at other hosting providers for your site, make sure they meet the following criteria:
- PHP version 7.3 or greater
- MySQL version 5.6 or greater OR MariaDB version 10.1 or greater
- HTTPS support
Side note: If you are new to WordPress.com but have already purchased and created a domain name elsewhere, no problem — you’ll have the option to transfer or map it to your WordPress website.
For the sake of this guide, let’s assume you do not have a domain or hosting provider at this point. Here’s how to start creating your website on a third-party hosting site like Bluehost.
First, head to Bluehost’s website and click “Get Started”.
From here, you’ll be taken to Bluehost’s pricing page to choose from four different plans.
Once you choose your plan and click “Select”, you’ll be taken to another page to sign up with a domain name.
Source: Bluehost
Once you select your domain name, you’ll be brought to a page to complete your account and billing information for your purchase.
After confirming your account and purchasing your domain, you will gain access to your hosting dashboard where you’ll be able to install WordPress.
3. Install WordPress
If you are using a hosting provider outside of WordPress, you’ll need to install the CMS to connect your new domain to your website.
This time, let’s use GoDaddy as an example. (Don’t worry, no matter the hosting provider you choose, this process looks similar.)
To start, log into your GoDaddy account, click “Web Hosting”, and then “Manage”. You will be brought to a screen with your account details.
Source: GoDaddy
Scroll down and under “Options & Settings”, you will see an area titled “Popular Apps”. Click on the WordPress app to begin the installation.
Source: GoDaddy
After installing WordPress, there will be a few questions to answer related to the domain you want to use, the directory where you want to install WordPress, and your admin information.
After about 24 hours, your website will be installed to your hosting account, and GoDaddy will send you an email confirmation.
Now that you have your domain set up and WordPress installed, we need to set up your “Primary Domain” within WordPress, so your visitors are see your website when they search your URL.
In WordPress, go to “My Site” and click “Domains”. Select the custom domain you want to make primary.
Source: WordPress
Then, click “Make Primary”.
Source: WordPress
Confirm you meant to make this change by clicking “Update Primary Domain”.
Source: WordPress
Verify the update was successful by looking for a green box with a checkmark that says “Primary Domain”.
Source: WordPress
Onto step four — making your website look nice.
Side note: If you choose to use a managed WordPress hosting service like WP Engine or Kinsta, you won't need to go through this process as those services were built specifically for WordPress and will have WordPress installed for you.
4. Choose your theme
You can customize your website using WordPress’ themes and templates, which contain a multitude of layouts, formatting styles, colors, fonts, and other visual options.
WordPress automatically provides you with a default theme that looks rather plain. Sure, you can keep it, but your website visitors may not be so impressed. A custom WordPress theme, whether it’s paid or free, will make your website appealing to your buyer personas as well as ensure it looks professional.
Similar to the wide range of hosting providers available, there are also hundreds of themes and templates to choose from. That’s why we’ve put together a guide to 20 of our favorite themes and templates and categorized them by purpose. Whether you’re looking for a theme versatile enough for multiple different business types, or one suitable for your ecommerce site, portfolio, blog, or niche business, there’s a theme that will work for your specific needs. If you can't find one that's right for you, you can build a custom website using a tool like Elementor.
To find a theme that works best for you in WordPress.org, head to your admin dashboard. Click “Appearance” and then “Themes”.
You will then be brought to another screen to browse all available themes or search for a specific one you have in mind.
Once you discover the perfect theme, simply “Install” it to begin customizing it and adding your own content, posts, and pages. Each theme has different steps required of you during the customization process, so be sure to follow them closely. Each theme’s website (which are often accessible through the WordPress theme and template library) has helpful information as you work through the customization process.
5. Add posts and pages to your website
When you add content to your WordPress website, it’s displayed in the form of posts and pages.
Posts (or “dynamic pages”) are typically used for blogs and portfolios because they automatically place your newest website content at the top. Pages are static which is why they often appeal to business owners — the added content always remains in the same place.
Start by deciding whether you want a post or page to serve as the homepage (or any page) of your website. To add a post to your website, go to the admin dashboard, click “Posts” and then “Add New”. You can add a title for your post, insert photos, or change the format.
Source: First Site Guide
Click “Save Draft” to save your changes as a draft or click “Publish” so the post immediately goes live.
If you’re looking to add a page to your website, you’ll work through a very similar process. In your admin area, click “Pages” and then “Add New”.
Source: The Hard Refresh
First, add a title to your page. Next, you can insert photos, embed videos, and add content. Follow the same steps to create multiple pages for your website.
Source: The Hard Refresh
Don't forget to click “Save Draft” or “Publish”.
6. Customize your website
There are a number of ways to further customize your website. Let's review a few of the options.
First, create static or dynamic pages under the “Settings” tab in your WordPress admin page.
Consider using a static page if you’re a business owner who prefers having content remain in one place on your website. For example, it wouldn’t make sense for your “About Us” page to contain content that moves around — you’d want that content to remain in one location for consistency. Consider using a dynamic page if you’re a blogger who prefers having your newest content appear at the top of your pages. This way your visitors can easily find your latest posts.
On the left side, click "Settings," then "Reading." Choose between your latest posts or a static page.
Source: WooCommerce
Your site title also can be customized — to do this, head to your admin dashboard. Under the "General"tab in “Settings”, add your website title and tagline.
Source: Softaculous
The navigation bar is customizable, too. This enables your visitors to easily find information on your website.
You can add a navigation bar by going to your admin dashboard, clicking “Appearance” and then “Menus”.
Source: Wordpress
From here, you can determine how you want your bar to look, how many pages you want to include, what you want to title those pages, and what order you want them to be listed in.
Click here for more information on your WordPress site settings and customization options.
7. Install your plugins
Plugins are pieces of software that add functionality to your website. They also enhance the user experience. With over 55,000 available plugins, there are options for most every type of website and user. Some of the most popular plugins available include WordPress Contact Form, Yoast SEO, TablePress, The SEO Framework, HubSpot Conversion Tools, and Pixel Caffeine.
To begin installation, head to the “Plugins” section in your admin dashboard.
Source: SiteGround
Click “Add New”.
Source: SiteGround
Browse or search for your desired plugin and then click “Install Now”.
Source: SiteGround
Get the WordPress CRM plugin that helps you organize, track, and nurture your leads.
8. Optimize your website to increase page speed
Website performance is a critical part of the user experience. If a page takes too long to load, your visitors will move quickly to another site. So, you don't want to frustrate visitors with slow speed times.
You can improve your website's performance by enabling browser caching. Browser caching is storing your website's data to your visitors' browsers. That way, your content doesn't need to be processed for it to appear, which increases the website speed.
To enable caching for your website, install and activate a caching plugin. There are more than 1,900 available under Plugins > Add New.
Let's install and activate WP Fastest Cache. On the plugin's page, click the box next to "Enable". Then, click "Submit" at the bottom of the screen.
That's it! This caching plugins will help increase your website's performance.
9. Get inspiration from WordPress website examples
As you begin to customize your website, you may feel overwhelmed by all the possible options. No worries, you can grab some inspiration from other highly engaging WordPress websites.
In the example below, 99% Invisible is a popular podcast that focuses on design and architecture. Their website is a sleek, modern design. It offers easy navigation for visitors to quickly access each podcast episode.
Source: 99% Invisible
The Houston Zoo's website displays its main attraction on the homepage. The magnifying glass icon on the top menu bar makes searching the site effortless.
Source: Houston Zoo
Awesome Motive, the creators behind several WordPress projects, engages their visitors with a polished, yet simple website. It features subtle animation to grab people's attention.
Source: Awesome Motive
WordPress Website Tips and Tricks
There are a number of WordPress tips and tricks to make your website as impactful and user-friendly as possible — we’ve listed 20 of them below to help you do just that.
1. Focus on the basics and create a great user experience with a WordPress theme that complements your business and website content.
2. Use dashes and not underscores when naming your files in WordPress. Google looks as underscores as joiners, meaning your file will look like one big word. That won’t help you with your SEO. Use dashes to make it obvious there are separate words. (For example, use http://bit.ly/2RsIXWv, not http://bit.ly/2PzN3Pd).
3. Use WordPress’ online support for any questions or concerns you may have while creating or using your website. There are a number of forums and ways to reach out to WordPress experts listed on their website.
4. Use Image Alt Text to your advantage. Image Alt Text can be used to improve your SEO and Google rankings.
5. Keep your sidebar as organized as possible. Stick to the essentials and think about what your website visitors and buyer personas really need quick and easy access to.
6. Back up your website regularly, so if you ever lose access or have technological difficulties, you have everything you need to completely restore your content. There are a number of plugins, such as Snapshot Pro, made specifically for backing up your WordPress content.
7. Learn and understand SEO basics to ensure your website is completely optimized so you can boost your conversions.
8. Create a custom homepage. As mentioned earlier, WordPress will provide you with a default homepage. Take the time to create your own with a theme that works for your business — remember, this is your visitor’s first impression of your business, blog, or portfolio.
9. Keep an eye on your website’s performance and know what is and isn’t working for your visitors. There are a number of useful WordPress plugins, as well as Google Analytics software, to help with this performance.
10. Include an “About Us” page on your website to show your visitors you’re a trustworthy person and/or business. “About Us” pages are known to be the second most-visited pages on websites (after homepages) — so introducing yourself is important.
11. Make sure your site is secure to ensure there are no hackers gaining entry. Again, there are plenty of plugins such as WP Defender to help you with security.
12. Create custom permalinks. Permalinks are the permanent URLs that you plan to keep static for the foreseeable future. They’re important because they improve user experience and enhance your Wordpress website SEO.
13. Create a custom navigation bar (as we reviewed earlier) to make your site easy to use for your visitors.
14. Include excerpts on your blog posts so people don’t land on your blog page and see your entire piece at once. By only including excerpts on your blog page, you make room to list all of your blogs in one location. Visitors can then read the excerpts and click-through to read the posts they are most interested in.
15. Structure your website in a way that makes sense for your business, visitors, and buyer personas. For example, use posts if you’re a blogger and use pages if you’re a business owner.
16. Remove “Comment” and “Share” buttons from specific pages of your website. You don’t need (or want) a “Comment” or “Share” button on your “About Us” page, or any of your service pages for that matter.
17. Consider what your website looks like on mobile. It’s no secret people are searching the Internet while on their phones, tablets, and other mobile devices these days. Consider using a plugin to help you achieve a responsive, mobile WordPress design.
18. Use visuals and video content when possible to break up the text on your website pages.
19. Update your WordPress site and plugins regularly. WordPress will tell you when updates are released. This will keep your website looking fresh and working efficiently.
20. Use social proof to show your new website visitors how many other people have already subscribed to your site and content. There are plugins to help you do this in a matter of minutes.
Conclusion
Having a great website matters. It’s how you connect with your visitors and leads, create a positive first impression with new users, and boost conversions. The good news is creating your own website doesn’t have to be a daunting process … at least not with WordPress.
The easy-to-use CMS offers completely customizable plans suitable for all needs. With no prior knowledge necessary, you can start building your own site for your business, blog, portfolio, or online store immediately.
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