How to Build a WordPress Website with the Premium Plan

If you’re looking for a free or low-cost option for building a WordPress website, you could always check out the WordPress.com VIP (very important person) program. With this option, you get a free site plus you can install plugins and modify content with no restrictions.

While this is a great option for those looking to build a quick blog or website for fun, at some point you may want to consider looking into the Premium plan.

What makes the Premium plan so special is that you get all the features of a regular professional-looking site, along with a few extra perks. For instance, you get access to special deals and discounts, a custom domain, and you can upgrade at any time with no lock in.

Let’s dive in and take a look at how to build a WordPress website with the Premium plan.

Step one: Choose a free domain

The first step is to choose a free domain. You have several options here. For example, you could use Bluehost, which is a widely-trusted web host that offers a free domain with every plan. Alternatively, you could use WordPress.com and install the WordPress software from the cloud.

Deciding which option to go with is all about what you are looking for. If you want a free domain, Bluehost is a great choice as they offer a one-click install with a free domain and you get to keep your domain even after paying for the hosting plan. You can read our full review on Bluehost to see how they compare to the competition.

Step two: Install WordPress

Once you have your free domain, you can proceed to install WordPress.

To do this, simply visit http://wordpress.com/ in your browser and click the Install WordPress button. When the install screen appears, click Continue Reading.

On the next screen, you will be asked to create a new WordPress database. (Note: This step is only necessary if you are installing WordPress locally.) Once created, click Next to continue.

You will now be brought to the License agreement screen. In this section, you are accepting the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy of WordPress.com. Once you click the Accept button, you will be re-directed back to the installation screen.

Click the Install WordPress button and your new WordPress site will begin downloading.

When the installation process is complete, you will be brought to a new screen where you can view and manage your site. Congratulations! You have just installed WordPress.

By clicking the Dashboard link at the top of the page, you will be brought to the dashboard of your newly installed WordPress site. From here, you can click on the Settings link to access the settings page.

Step three: Configure your site settings

On the Settings page, you will find a number of tabs that you can use to configure various settings for your WordPress site. In this step, you will want to look at the General settings section first.

Here you can change the site’s name, design, and other basic settings. You can also decide whether or not to give your site a tagline that will be used on all the posts and pages. A tagline is effectively a short blurb that appears below the title of a piece of content on a website or in a blog post. For example, the tagline for this article is “5 Tips for Making the Most of Your Next Vacation”.

You will want to make sure that your general settings are looking something like this when you’re finished:

Now that you have your settings configured the way you want them, it’s time to move on to the next step.

Step four: Activate WordPress

Once you have your settings configured the way you want them, it’s time to activate WordPress.

To do this, simply go back to http://wordpress.com/ in your browser and click the Activate button next to the WordPress name to enter the admin area of your site. When the activate screen appears, click Continue Reading.

On the next screen, you will be asked to enter a new username and password for the site. Enter a user name that you will remember and that has some meaning to you and your site (e.g., don’t use “admin” as a username because that is the standard WordPress username).

Once you have entered a username and password, click the Create Account button to finish setting up your WordPress site.

Congratulations! You have successfully built a WordPress site.

Step five: Customize your site

In the previous step, you set up the basic functionality of your site by configuring its settings and installing WordPress. Now that you have a functional site, you can begin to customize it with your own photos, logos, and other design elements. To do this, return to http://yourwebsite.com/ in your browser and click the appearance button at the top of the page.

Here you will find a range of pre-designed templates and themes that you can download and install on your site. To get started, click the Import Template button and locate the free Zen theme from Themeforest. You can read our review of the Zen theme to see how it compares to other free WordPress themes. Once imported, click Install Theme to begin using it on your site.

If you need a bit more functionality, you can always download a WordPress plugin.

WordPress plugins allow you to add additional features to your site, such as displaying the latest posts on your homepage, monetizing your content, or creating a mini-blog within your site.

For more information on how to use WordPress plugins, check out the documentation or visit the WordPress Plugin Directory to discover a range of fully-functional plugins you can use to enhance your site.

Step six: Promote your site and get the word out

The last step of the WordPress website build process is to promote your site and get the word out. To do this, return to http://yourwebsite.com/ in your browser and click the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) button at the top of the page. Here you can read about the best free SEO tools that can help you improve the organic traffic to your site.

Once you have begun optimising your site, you will notice a dramatic increase in its organic traffic within a few months. Make sure to keep up with the ever-changing world of SEO to stay ahead of the competition.

Conclusion

Creating a WordPress website with the Premium plan is relatively easy and straightforward. You get all the features of a fully-functioning site with a few extra perks. If you are looking for a free or low-cost option for building a site, you could always try the WordPress.com VIP plan. With this option, you get a free site plus you can install plugins and modify content with no restrictions. While this is a great option for those looking to build a quick blog or website for fun, at some point you may want to consider looking into the Premium plan. Thanks for reading! We hope this was helpful.