Building a Website on WordPress

If you’re reading this, I assume you’re either a) a website owner who’s looking for advice on how to build the perfect blog or b) a person who’s just started their own website and wants to know where to start. If this is the case, then you’ve come to the right place. Let’s get into it.

Why WordPress?

WordPress is the most popular blogging platform because it’s extremely flexible and can be used to build anything from a private blog to a full-blown business website. It was launched in 2007 and since then, it’s been downloaded over 500 million times across all platforms. It is also one of the most secure and trusted platforms around thanks to its robust security measures and the fact that it’s completely free.

So why go from one of the most popular blogging platforms to a CMS (Content Management System) like Squarespace or Wix? Because unlike WordPress, which is a fully functioning blogging platform, these other CMSes are specifically designed for setting up a website. That doesn’t mean that you can’t use WordPress to build a basic blog though. It just means that you have to choose what you want to focus on: blogging or creating a business website.

What Does This Blog Post Need?

So you’ve decided to build a blog. Why should you pick WordPress? Well, for one thing, WordPress is extremely flexible and provides you with tons of free tools to get your blog up and running. Also, it has a thriving community of bloggers who can offer you advice on how to grow your audience and make money from your blog. Last but not least, WordPress continues to be one of the most popular blogging platforms, so if you want to be able to reach a lot of people, this is the perfect place to start.

Setting Up This Blog

Let’s get into the nitty gritty now and set up your blog on WordPress. First, you need to choose a theme for your blog. The theme you choose will dictate the look and feel of your blog. When choosing a WordPress theme, look for one that’s been around for a while and is reputable. Also, make sure that it supports the features you need. For example, does it have a shopping cart integrated into the backend. Does it support embedding video clips on your blog posts. These are just some of the things you need to think about before making a purchase decision.

Taking Your Blog To The Next Level

Once you’ve picked out the absolute essentials (a theme and a domain), you can start looking into the more advanced features that come with WordPress. These are plugins that can be installed to provide additional functionality to your blog. Some of these plugins can be very costly, so be sure that you need them before you go about spending money on them. Here are just some of the things you might want to look into:

• Product Reviews – If you’re into reviewing products and getting paid for it, then this is the perfect platform for you. With several affiliate programs that can be readily joined, you’ll be able to find products you can review and earn a commission on any sales that result from your reviews. Be sure to look into the various rewards that can be offered to you as a product reviewer.
• Video Reviews – If you’ve got a YouTube channel or a blog with lots of video content, then this platform offers you a perfect way to make money from your videos. You can take advantage of the fact that videos tend to attract and retain a much bigger audience than a standard blog post. If you’ve got a funny video or an explanatory video, it could easily go viral and result in millions of views. At the very least, it’ll be seen by thousands of people. The key ingredient to creating a viral video is content that is both informative and entertaining. If you want to create and sell your own products using a variety of online marketplaces, this is the perfect platform for you. All you have to do is create and share videos educating people on how to use your products or services.
• eCommerce – If you’re looking to create an online store where you can sell your products, then WordPress is the perfect choice. Not only does it have all the tools you need to build an eCommerce store, but it also offers a variety of built-in affiliate programs that can be used to promote and monetize your store.
• Shopify – Even if you don’t want to create an online store, you might want to take advantage of what Shopify has to offer. This platform allows you to create special discount codes that you can give away to your readers. These codes can be used to purchase products from your store at a discounted rate. When someone makes a purchase using one of your codes, you’ll receive a small percentage of the sale as a commission.
• Live Chat – Allows you to have real-time conversations with potential customers as they navigate your website. Whether you’re selling products or services, you can have live chats with potential customers to get them to engage with you using your telephone.
• Social Media Integration – If you want to add a social media component to your blog, then WordPress is the perfect platform for you. Several plugins that make it easy to integrate your Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter accounts into your blog. Simply install the plugin, activate the accounts, and start posting to all three platforms.
• Mobile-Friendly Design – As more people browse the web using mobile devices (i.e. smartphones), it’s become important to create websites that look good and function well on all screens. That’s why WordPress offers a variety of themes and plugins that make it easier to create a mobile-friendly website. In case you want to create a blog post for a print newspaper, this is the perfect way to ensure that it looks as good as possible when published.
• A/B Testing – Allows you to experiment with different headlines and blog posts to see which ones produce the best results. Once you’ve determined the winning headlines and blog posts, you can use them to attract and engage an audience.
• Analytics – Keep track of the different sites that link to your blog. Use this information to determine the effectiveness of your different blog posts and see which ones are driving the most traffic to your site. The benefits of analytics are numerous, so it’s well worth the effort to set them up.
• Commenting – Allows you to engage with your readership by encouraging them to leave comments on your blog posts. You can choose to allow or disallow comments on your blog posts. If you allow comments, you’ll have to moderate them or hire someone to help you out. The upside to allowing comments is that it encourages reader engagement and improves SEO (search engine optimization). When someone comments on your blog post, it’s evident that you’ve provided value and encouraged interaction.
• Caching – Allows you to speed up the load time of your site by storing previously viewed pages in a special place in your web server’s memory. When a visitor clicks on a link to one of your cached pages, the web server will download the file, thereby eliminating one more request to a remote server (which can speed up page loads by as much as 10–15%!).
• Dev Blogs – Short for “development blogs”, these are popularly used by developers to document their workflows, techniques, and insights as they build products for other companies and organizations. WordPress hosts several communities of developers who actively contribute to the platform, share their knowledge, and provide assistance. If you’re a software engineer who wants to keep people engaged with your unique insights, then a development blog is the perfect platform for you.

Now that we’ve covered the basics of building a blog on WordPress, it’s time to move into the next step and finally establish your blog as an authority in your industry. To do this, you need to write exceptional content on a regular basis.