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Can You Use a WordPress Website Without Paying for It?

April 2, 2023 By WP Helpline Off

When you create a new WordPress website, there are five things you need to do:

  • Setup your hosting
  • Install WordPress
  • Configure WordPress
  • Create a login
  • Set up a security key

Before you can start making money from your site, you need to take time to do these things. However, even after you’ve done all of that, you can’t actually start making money from your site without some additional steps.

Many people think that they can just launch a WordPress website, set up a PayPal account, and start making money right away. They don’t realize that they need to take some additional steps to actually start profiting from the site. In this blog post, we’ll discuss some of those steps and what you need to know if you want to start making money from a WordPress site.

Step One: Setup Your Hosting

The first step is to set up your hostING. This is the online service that you’re going to use to make your website live. When you setup hosting for your WordPress website, you’re giving your website to some webmasters or servers to host for you. They’ll install WordPress on your behalf and handle all the technical aspects of making your website live.

You don’t need to have your own hosting service to get started with WordPress. You can use a service like Bluehost, which offers 1 free domain and $2.95 per month. Or you can use a service like WordPress.com, which offers 1 free blog per month. No matter what you choose, make sure that you’re staying within the recommended limits.

Step Two: Install WordPress

After you’ve set up your hosting, the next step is to install WordPress. This is the blogging platform that you’re going to use to create and manage your blog. WordPress is a free and open-source software, which can be downloaded from the WordPress.org website. Once you’ve downloaded the WordPress software, install it on your hostING.

The best way to learn how to use WordPress is by using the built-in WordPress tutorial. This will walk you through the steps of using WordPress to create your blog. If you’re new to WordPress, watch the tutorial until you’ve mastered it, then read the WordPress documentation to learn more.

Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can move on to Step Three.

Step Three: Configure WordPress

The next step after you’ve installed WordPress is to configure it. This is where you set up your site’s appearance and add plugins that can enhance your site’s functionality.

There are several plugins that you can use to configure your WordPress site. Some of the more popular ones are:

  • All-in-One SEO: Allows you to set up single-page SEO for your site (Search Engine Optimization), which helps your site stand out among the thousands of other blogs on the web.
  • Akismet: Lets you post comments on your site and automatically cleans them of spam.
  • Activate Google Analytics: Installs the Google Analytics plugin so you can track the traffic to your site. (You can also install the free Google Analytics standalone app from Google Play.)
  • ATOM: Allows you to create a feed of your blog post’s content, which enables you to distribute your blog’s content to social media platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn.
  • BBPress: Provides a way to integrate your site with the popular Blogger platform.
  • Batch Photo Album: Creates photo albums based on sets you can choose from (e.g., birds-of-paradise, flowers, landscapes, etc.). The albums can be downloaded as a collection and then embedded on your site.
  • Contact Form 7: Lets you create contact forms for your site using the popular WordPress plugin.
  • Disable Comments: Disables comments on specific blog posts or pages so that users can’t interfere with the content.
  • Display Image Larger: Enlarges the images on your site when visitors click on them.
  • Full-Screen Image: Enlarges the images on your site when visitors click on them.
  • Group Captcha: Lets you integrate Google’s reCaptcha service with your site.
  • SEO For Bloggers: Provides SEO benefits for your blog.
  • Sidebar Slider: Enables you to create a side bar with images and text that automatically slides out from the left when a user opens a page.
  • Simple Auto-Downloader: Automatically downloads and installs the WordPress plugins listed in the URL, which makes it easier for new users to get started.
  • Simple Steps For New Bloggers: Helps first-time bloggers get started with WordPress.

As you can see above, there are numerous plugins that can help you configure your WordPress site. However, you don’t need to use all of them. You can use the simple steps outlined above to get started.

Step Four: Create A Login

Even after you’ve configured your WordPress site with all the basic information, you can’t actually use it to make money online without having a way for users to log in and make a purchase. To create a login for your site, you’re going to use a plugin called Loginify v2. This is the only plugin we recommend using to create a login form for your site. 

The best thing about Loginify is that it’s extremely easy to use. Once you’ve downloaded it from the WordPress.org website, you can enter your email address and create a login for your site.

When a user logs in for the first time after creating an account, they’ll be automatically redirected to a thank-you page that displays a quick guide to help them navigate the site more easily.

There are also several other plugins that can help you create a login for your site. If none of the above plugins work well for you, you can create a login manually using PHP and JavaScript.

Step Five: Set Up A Security Key

In light of the recent spate of data breaches, hacking attempts, and spam emails that users receive daily, you might want to set up a security key for your site. This is a simple way to protect your site from unauthorized access and hackers. 

To set up a security key for your site, you’re going to use the free WordPress plugin, Keep Safe. This plugin creates a small key (called a secret word) that you’ll need to memorize. 

When a user tries to access an area of your site that they should not be seeing, they’ll be asked to enter the secret word. If they enter the right word, they’ll be allowed access. This plugin also enables you to create a forgotten password feature, which allows users to request a new password if they forget the one they registered with.

Security keys aren’t perfect, but they’re a simple way to add an extra layer of security to your site. And with the growing number of hacks and data breaches, simple is sometimes exactly what we need.

So there you have it. These are the steps you need to take to create a viable WordPress website. Once you’ve done all of that, you can start making money from your site. 

If you need additional help or you want to learn more, check out the WordPress website or contact one of our experts by phone or email.

Or, if you’d just like to stay in touch – sign up here to receive periodic news and helpful tips on how to make the most of your WordPress site.

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