The idea of making your website could seem overwhelming. You could even assume this task is not for anyone, only for a developer or someone with a background in website design. Well, I have excellent news for you, there’s a computer code out there that’s really easy to use, and just about anyone can, with the possibility to produce a novel and professional-looking website.
WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that helps you to host and build websites. It contains plugin design and an example system, so you can customize any website to suit your business, blog, portfolio, or online store. This site builder offers you all the building tools to form a website for any type of business. There are sixty design choices you can choose from. It is a straightforward way to collide with the services you love, like Eventbrite, Pinterest, OpenTable, Calendly, Mailchimp, YouTube, and more.
Once you have the right tool in hand, you’ll be able to surpass your imagination.
This guide provides a basic step-by-step method for creating your own WordPress website and a list of tips and tricks to keep in mind when using WordPress.
Its ease of use and versatility allow most users and business owners to create a website that fits their needs. Plus, it is the number one choice on many lists of the best website builders for blogs.
So let’s look at the steps you need to take in order to create a stunning website with WordPress:
1. Choose a WordPress plan on WordPress.com only
As mentioned earlier, WordPress.org only has one (free) plan option, but you need to purchase a domain, hosting provider, plugins, themes, and everything else related to your site. WordPress.com requires you to choose from five plans offered. The main differences between these plans are the monthly fee, type of website customization, and access to marketing tools.
This builder lets you edit your website on the front end and see the output in real-time. Use out-of-the-box elements, create simple to complex layouts, and introduce different styles to your website in minutes. The drag and drop system of this page builder makes it very easy to create and design pages or edit existing pages.
2. Add posts and pages to your website.
Adding content to your website usually takes the form of posts and pages. Posts are more likely used for blogs and portfolios because they automatically place the latest website content on top. Pages are static, which makes them more attractive to business owners. Where added content stays in the same place.
For now, you can only stick to Pages and Posts. First, decide if the post or page will serve as the home page for the site.
To add a post to your site, go to your admin dashboard, click Posts, then Add New. You can add a title for your post, place a photo, change formatting, insert page elements via blocks and shortcodes, etc. Click Save Draft to save your changes as a draft or click Publish to publish right away.
First of all, add a title, then you can insert photos, and videos, add content, and more. Follow the same steps to create multiple pages on your website. When finished, click Save Draft or Publish.
3. Install the plugin.
Plugins are software that adds functionality to your website and improves your user experience. With over 55,000 plugins available, there are options for almost every type of website and user. Some of the most popular plugins available are HubSpot WordPress Plugin: Easily add popups, forms, and live chat to your WordPress website.
I’ve been using Cloudways since January 2016 for this blog. I happily recommend Cloudways to my readers because I am a proud customer.
Depending on your host, you may already have some plugins installed. Please note that the plugin must be activated after installation for it to work. Click Add New to add a new plugin. Browse to the desired plugin, click Install Now, wait a few seconds, and click Activate.
4. Share your creations.
Build your own audience by publishing virtually anything. WordPress site builder makes it easy to publish your work with tools for nearly any content format, from blogging and podcasting to portfolio and service presentations, to classes and events. Then share it with your friends and followers, send it out as a newsletter, or syndicate the content to your social channels and your platform. Join our growing community. Best of all, you own everything from your content to your audience.
5. Gather information from examples on the WordPress website.
When you start customizing your website, it can be overwhelming with all the options available. Rather than starting from zero, it’s helpful to take inspiration from other WordPress sample websites. 99% Invisible is a popular podcast focused on design and architecture. It is sleek and modern, offering visitors easy navigation for quick access to each podcast episode.
Ways to Make Your Blog Stand Out
Tips that will help you stand out!
Choose the Fast WordPress Web Hosting
What is a Fast Provider? One with enough storage to load the website quickly. The amount of data on each page will always affect the load time, but with that in mind, you need a web host that allows fast loading.
Why install Google Analytics on WordPress
Google Analytics is one of the must-have tools for WordPress website owners. This allows you to see where your users are coming from and what they are doing on your site.
The password-protected WordPress admin directory
You can make it harder for hackers to access your WordPress site by adding another layer of authentication.
Allow Users to Subscribe to Comments
Usually, when users leave comments on your site, they have to manually revisit the same article to see if you or other users have responded to the comment.
Display excerpts (post summaries) on the homepage and archive pages
As you may have noticed, all popular blogs display article summaries on their homepages and archive pages rather than full articles. This will make these pages load faster, increase page views, and eliminate duplicate content on your site. That said, most WordPress sites automatically generate pages for each category and tag.
Display Random Header Images in WordPress
Most WordPress themes have built-in support for displaying header images on your website. However, you can also upload multiple header images and allow the theme to display header images randomly.
Splitting long posts into pages WordPress
Is very easy, just find and apply the code wherever you want to split your post to the next page.
A Final Take
WordPress is one of the most flexible website builders if you have a background in drag-and-drop website builders. The plugins can really push the boundaries of the kind of website you want to build. Because WordPress can do so many things, you’ll find that the learning curve is much higher and harder to master.
WordPress is at its best when it can reach its full potential. Not the best choice for a website builder if you want to create a basic website without learning at least basic coding skills.
A drag-and-drop website builder is all you need if you want to create an attractive website quickly and easily.
