WordPress is easily the most widely used content management systems (CMS) on the planet. By powering over 40% of the internet, it makes it easy for users of all skill levels to effortlessly create a website. Instead of requiring extensive coding knowledge, it functions similarly to older word processors. We will go over the advantages of using WordPress in our WordPress beginners guide, as well as giving you a step-by-step tutorial on how to use its dashboard, create pages and launch your website. Now let’s get started.
What is WordPress?
WordPress started as a blogging platform back in the 1990s. Since then, it has developed into a sophisticated content management system (CMS) that can create any kind of website, including forums, online stores, and membership sites. There are two versions of this platform: WordPress.com and WordPress.org. They have numerous variations even though the fundamental platform remains the same. The primary distinction lies in the way the two are hosted. Since WordPress.org is regarded as a self-hosted platform, using it involves purchasing a separate hosting plan. Alternatively, WordPress’s all-in-one platform with bundled hosting is available under the.com domain. For the purposes of this guide, we will concentrate on WordPress.org instead of WordPress.com, essentially due to the former’s additional advantages.
The Benefits of Building a Website with WordPress
WordPress is amazing for many reasons. First of all, the underlying software is open source, making it free to download. There are hidden charges associated with using the platform, including buying domain names, web hosting, themes, and plugins. The ease of learning WordPress, however, outweighs any cost concerns. Additionally, there are comprehensive tutorials and documentation from hundreds of sources to help you understand it, most of which are free.
Another advantage of WordPress is its ease of customization. You can deliver a unique browsing experience for your visitors with a variety of themes and plugins, whether you’re building an e-commerce site, blog, or large online community. Since WordPress is user-friendly, altering the layout, colors, fonts, and other design elements is simple. If you’re an experienced developer, you can customize WordPress to work anyway you want by using webhooks and custom code snippets.
WordPress beginners can easily manage the increased traffic and content as your website expands. Additionally, because it is search engine optimized, or SEO-friendly, your website will rank higher on search results ranking pages (SERPs) and drive in more organic traffic.
Setting Up Your Hosting Plan
Before exploring the WordPress dashboard, let’s discuss the significance of selecting a reputable hosting company. Picking the ideal hosting partner is critical to the success of your website. It truly has the power to make or break it. You need a web host that is safe, scalable, dependable, fast, and responsive. It must also conform to your budget. All major web hosts customize their packages to accommodate WordPress, given how popular the platform is. We suggest Interserver as a great option for any webmaster, amateur or professional.
Interserver’s hosting plans appeal to both WordPress newbies and professionals. Its monthly costs can suit any budget. Interserver frequently offers promotions, so there’s a good possibility you’ll find an incredible bargain. However, it’s not simply reasonably priced. With Interserver, you’ll receive excellent value for your money. You’ll have all the resources you need to maintain the functionality of your website with features like free emails, SSL, CDN, and migration.
Interserver are also strict on security. You won’t worry about DDoS attacks, malware injections, and other security concerns. Although Interserver is our preferred WordPress host, there are other excellent alternatives to consider. They include Bluehost, TMDHosting, Namecheap, Hostinger, and Hostgator.
Setting Up WordPress
We’ll guide you through installing WordPress, using the dashboard’s features, creating content, styling your site, and publishing it. After following these instructions, you’ll see why WordPress is ideal for beginners.
Step 1: Installing WordPress
Although you can install WordPress manually, your host makes it easier to do so automatically via the cpanel. After connecting your domain name to your web host, you can install WordPress in one click. Once you’re logged into the cpanel, scroll down to the Softaculous suite and click on WordPress.
Step 2: The WordPress Dashboard
When you first log in, the WordPress toolbar appears on the left side of the screen. It has every configuration and tool you’ll need to customize your website. Quick links for accessing or managing pages, modifying your website’s layout, helpful links, and blog entries about WordPress are found on the main dashboard panel. The Main tabs are:
- Updates
You can examine any plugins, themes, or core files that require updating by clicking on the Updates tab. Updating the software is necessary for both security and functionality. If not, hackers might access your website or worse, it might break. Make a backup of your website before updating any plugins, themes, or the WordPress core in case something goes wrong. Most reliable web hosts provide free backups. However, you might have to install a plugin for this purpose, depending on the host you select.
- Posts Tab
This tab allows you to modify already-written posts or add new ones. Additionally, you can customize your blog’s categories and tags, which is an excellent way to structure your content, improve search engine optimization, and make it simple for visitors to quickly find the information they are seeking.
- Media
WordPress includes a media library that allows you to upload and edit files in various formats, including video, audio, photos, and text.
- Pages
The dashboard has a set of tools to help you grow your website by adding pages. Although pages and posts are largely similar, they differ in various ways. Pages will display in the primary menu, making it simple for users to explore your website. Another distinction is that posts support categories and tags, while pages do not.
- Comments
WordPress automatically adds a comment area to each post you publish on your website. Visitors to your website have the ability to leave opinions on your content, which stirs the curiosity of other readers, thereby increasing overall engagement. Nevertheless, comments are only useful if you take the necessary measures to effectively moderate them. In addition to WordPress’ in-built spam filtering system, there are various plugins you can install for this purpose.
- Appearance
The Appearance tab in WordPress contains some of the most useful functions. They include the ability to install and customize themes, add widgets to show essential information, and make navigation menus. These tools will change according to the theme you select.
- Plugins
Plugins give WordPress beginners the ability to extend the platform. They let you add features like live chat support, performance tracking for your website, and hundreds of additional capabilities. The plugins tab displays the list of plugins that are installed on your website at the moment . Plugins are viewable, manageable, and deletable as needed. With a few clicks, you may install new plugins or search for new ones in the WordPress repository using the Add New option. Developers can modify the code of activated plugins using a plugin editor option, depending on the theme you have installed.
- Users
You may manage the users on your site through the WordPress dashboard’s all users section. In addition to adding, editing, or deleting users, you can also define their roles and permissions. You can change each user’s bio, contact details, and gravatar image by selecting their profile. Pro tip: membership plugins, such as Memberpress, allow you to restrict content depending on membership level.
- Tools
The dashboard’s tools section provides resources for controlling and maintaining your website. To stay in compliance with GDPR, you can export or erase user data, check the security and operation of your website, import or export WP posts, pages, and media using an XML file, and browse the applications that are available.
- Settings
You can customize your website’s title and tagline, home page, default media sizes, privacy, and more under this section. Since it would be too detailed to cover here, we’ve provided links to some useful articles that will guide you through the process.
Step 3: Themes
A WordPress theme gives your website its identity and plays a major role in growing your brand. You want a potential buyer (or reader) to be visually engaged and able to access the information they need when they visit. It is crucial to choose the ideal WordPress theme for your requirements. There are two methods for installing your new theme when you’ve found the ideal partner. You can upload a paid theme, such as Divi from Elegant Themes, or search for and install a free theme from the WordPress repository.
Divi is a fantastic choice for most WordPress beginnerss due to the variety of features it offers. You can install one of over 2000 predefined layouts to design your website or design layouts with the aid of Divi AI. Additionally, Divi offers the Theme Builder, which enables you to design templates for your search results, e-commerce pages, header, footer, and more.
To install a theme, start by clicking the Appearances tab on the WordPress dashboard. Click on the Themes option, then Add New Theme.Wordpress allows you to either upload a new theme to the dashboard or search the available directory. It’s easier to search for your required theme and install it from the dashboard. Once you’ve found it, click on Install to start the process. When your screen refreshes after installation, click on the Activate button, which will make your theme live.
Step 4: Plugins
Plugins are another building block of WordPress websites. The niche you’re aiming for will determine how many you need or what they can do. The possibilities are endless since thousands of plugins are accessible via the WordPress repository and independent retailers like the Divi Marketplace.
Plugins do a good job of extending the functionality of your theme. Examples of tasks that plugins perform include search engine optimization, spam filtration, email marketing, improving website security, and speeding site loading speeds.
After following these four steps, your website will be ready for new content. For more details, read our post on how to add content and publish your website.
Conclusion
WordPress is a strong and flexible content management system that can build various types of websites. Most WordPress beginners find it relatively easy to learn and master. With the help of a sizable community of outside developers, guides, and plugins, you can personalize your WordPress website and make it uniquely yours. Choose a reputable WordPress host, such as Interserver, to get the most out of the platform and make it easier for you to maintain your website. In order to create a unique website, don’t forget to invest in a premium theme like Divi from Elegant Themes.
