How to Set Up a WordPress Website in 5 Minutes
If you’re looking for a way to give your website a boost, you’ve probably considered investing in a quality wordpress theme. A wordpress theme is software that allows you to create and manage a professional quality website with little to no knowledge of HTML. The best part about wordpress themes is that they are very versatile and can be customized to fit almost any need or style.
Even though wordpress gives you great control over the look and feel of your site, it’s still not practical to learn HTML and CSS just to create a functional website. Luckily, there are services that can help you out. One of the most popular and trusted services is wpengine which offers a free version that allows you to create a simple blog. If you want to take full advantage of all the features that a wordpress theme has to offer, you can opt for their premium version which costs $19/mo.
In this article, we’ll teach you how to set up a wordpress website in 5 minutes or less. This method entails using a self-hosted WordPress website as opposed to a free blog on a shared hosting platform. You’ll also need to have an internet connection, a basic understanding of HTML and CSS, and know how to use a command line. Finally, we’ll teach you how to install and configure WordPress to its fullest potential.
Choose A Suitable Hosting Provider
When choosing a hosting provider, you’ll want to look for a company that offers a fast, reliable, and secure web-server. In addition, you’ll want to make sure that they offer support in case you encounter any issues with WordPress during the setup process. A reliable and supported host is essential if you want to have a successful wordpress website because they’ll have to assist you and/or help you diagnose any problems that you might encounter. Many webhosts offer unlimited storage space, bandwidth, and the standard email account (usually with @yourdomain.com). At the end of the day, you can’t have a dull website. If you’re looking for a reliable and cheap web host with a fast, dedicated IP, take a look at these providers:
Get A Better Sign Up Experience
During registration, you’ll want to have a quick, easy, and reliable way to get your domain name and a hosting plan signed up. Many web hosts offer an ‘Instant Deployment’ service which allows you to get a fully functioning website up and running in a matter of minutes. As you’ll be busy setting up your site, it’s essential that this process is as quick and painless as possible. In order to get the best possible sign up experience from your web host, use their drag-and-drop website builder. This tool allows you to build a professional-looking website in a matter of minutes. Once you’ve finished building the site, you can deploy it to your web host and continue configuring it. If you’re unfamiliar with using a website builder, this step will be a breeze for you.
Set Up The WordPress Database
The first thing you’ll want to do after getting a hosting account is to install and set up the WordPress database. To do this, visit your dashboard and click on ‘Databases’. In the next window, click on ‘Add New Database’ and enter a database name for your site (e.g. ‘blog’) and select the ‘WordPress’ database from the dropdown menu. Once you’ve entered the required information, click on ‘Create Database’ to finish setting up the WordPress database.
You’ll now have a database of all your content which can be accessed via the WordPress dashboard. From here, you can manage the structure and content of your site. For example, you can remove posts that are no longer relevant or add new posts to the archive.
Configure The WordPress General Settings
The next step is to configure all the general settings for your website. In the ‘General’ section of your WordPress dashboard, you’ll find a number of options that can be configured to fit your personal preferences. To fully understand what each setting does, enter your email addresses and take a look at the documentation. When you’re finished, click on ‘Update Site’ to make the necessary changes.
Some of the options in this section are as follows:
- Home – the general home page that will display on your site
- Static Front Pages – this option allows you to choose which static pages will be displayed on your home page
- Background Image – you can upload a new image to replace the standard WordPress background image
- Header – this is the area that allows you to add a header image above the fold (the area above the browser window)
- Description – this is the area that allows you to add a short description about your site
- Template – this is the area that allows you to choose the overall theme of your site
- Footer – this is where you can add a footer for your site
- Social Media – this area allows you to connect your site with various social media platforms (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc)
Create A User Account
The next step is to create an account for each member of your website’s audience. To do this, go to your WordPress dashboard and click on ‘Users’ in the left-hand navigation menu. From here, you can create a new user account or login to an existing one. If you’ve already set up a database with content, you’ll want to create new user accounts for the people who sign up for your site. This way, they’ll be able to access your content without finding the username and password stored in a log.
Install And Configure WordPress To Its Full Potential
The last step is to install WordPress to its fullest potential. To do this, go to your WordPress dashboard and click on ‘Tools’ in the left-hand navigation menu. Once you’re on the WordPress Tools page, you can click on ‘Install Jetpack’ to begin the installation process. This step will take you through the necessary steps to make WordPress functional on your site. Once finished, you can click on ‘Activate Jetpack’ to finish the setup process and begin using the powerful feature that is WordPress Jetpack.