Importing a WordPress Website from an XML File
If you’ve been putting off creating an online store or portfolio because you think it’s too complex, you’ve come to the right place. We’re going to walk you through the steps to get your site set up and live in just a few hours.
You’ll need to have a WordPress site and an FTP account to get started. Once you have those, the rest is pretty much plain sailing.
Step 1: Create a WordPress Site
There are plenty of cheap web hosts that offer one-click WordPress installation. It’s great if you’re just getting started and don’t want to spend a large sum of money on web hosting. When you install WordPress using a web host like this, it’s typically easy to update the content on your site whenever you want. This is because all you have to do is log into your WordPress dashboard and make changes to the content.
If you want to launch a professional website or blog, however, you should consider paying for a web host that offers more features. These features will come in handy if you decide to implement a more advanced WordPress installation in the future. Some web hosts offer free backups, for example, which is extremely useful if you’re ever hacked or your site gets seized by the IRS.
Regardless of whether you’re just getting started or you have some experience, it’s important to choose a web host that you’re confident will be around for the long haul. This way, you’ll be able to enjoy your site without worrying about whether or not you’ll be able to keep up with the hosting requirements. If you’re looking for an additional feature that will help you with the daily routine of running a blog, take a minute to read one of the many reviews about the best web hosts for bloggers.
Step 2: Login to Your WordPress Dashboard
Your WordPress dashboard is the place where you’ll spend most of your time when setting up your site. It usually gives you an overview of the tasks that you need to complete to make your site live up to your expectations.
You’re going to want to log into your WordPress dashboard and set up your site with a simple username and password. If you want to keep things professional, you can choose a unique username that will identify you as the owner of the site. For example, you can use your first name or a word associated with your business as your short-hand for the username.
Once you have a simple login for your WordPress dashboard, it’s time to move on to the next step.
Step 3: Fill in the Details
Now that you have a login for your WordPress dashboard, you can start editing the details of your new site. You’ll want to make sure that you fill in all the necessary information, including your full name, email address, and a password that you’ll use for the site. You should also consider creating a separate password for your WordPress dashboard to keep your personal information secure.
You’ll also want to check off the boxes to indicate that you accept the terms and conditions of WordPress and that you’re not a commercial website. You’ll see those terms and conditions when you first log into your account, but it’s good to keep them in mind when you’re filling out the details of your new site.
You can use your personal email address for the site’s email address if you want, but it’s not necessary. It’s better to use an email service like Google Apps or Office365, as these services offer the ability to route mail for your domain through a professionally designed email address. (Don’t forget — you can always change your email address at any time through the settings panel in your WordPress dashboard.)
Once you have all the necessary details filled in, it’s time to move on to the next step.
Step 4: Choose a Theme
The next step is to choose a theme for your site. This is the skin (i.e., the look and feel) that will give your site its unique personality. As you may have guessed, there are literally hundreds of free and premium WordPress themes available for download from the WordPress repository. (Themes are like pieces of jewelry — you wear them every day and they make your blog or website unique and custom-designed.)
When choosing a theme, it’s important to keep in mind that not all free themes are created equal. Some themes may look extremely professional, but because they were created using pre-designed elements that are already included in the theme, they may not look as unique as you want your site to. You also need to make sure that the theme works well with the rest of your site’s design.
To help you choose the perfect theme for your site, we’re going to give you a list of tips and tricks.
Tip 1: Look For Themes With Good Support
One of the best things about WordPress is how much its community and support staff are willing to help. If you ever run into problems while using the software or need help with anything else, all you have to do is look for the forums or contact the support team via email or phone. (You can also catch the occasional helper by word of mouth, but it’s generally best to go the extra mile and ask for help rather than hunt for it instinctively.)
As a general rule of thumb, always choose a theme with good support. This means that when you download the theme, you should be able to find plenty of guides, tutorials, and walkthroughs that will help you get setup and started on your site without too much trouble. If you have problems, however, you’ll have to look for solutions on your own or wait for others to respond to your queries.
Tip 2: Consider All The Options
If you’re considering using a free WordPress theme, it’s important to take all the necessary factors into consideration. This means that you should look for a clean and simple design that will suit your needs, as well as one that is flexible enough to work with other themes or templates that you may want to use in the future. (For example, if you decide that you want to use a different style sheet or CSS to style your site, you can easily do so by editing a single file. This allows you to take advantage of the theme’s styling while also improving the user experience on your site.)
If you have a specific design idea in mind that you’d like to see implemented in your site, it’s important to find a theme that is flexible enough to accommodate your needs. For example, if you want to use a background image on your site that is larger than the frame that accompanies it, you can’t do this using a simple one-column theme. You’ll either have to find a theme with a sidebar or get creative and use CSS to create a custom layout for your site. (Creating a custom background for your site is another option; you can find a lot of free stock photos online that you can use for the purpose.)
Choosing a WordPress theme is a lot like buying a car. You need to make sure that it suits your needs and is built with quality. The last thing you want to do is purchase a vehicle that was built with low quality parts and won’t last long. The same goes for choosing a WordPress theme — make sure that you get quality advice and don’t waste your time with themes that won’t last.
Tip 3: Test The Theme
Once you’ve found a theme that you like the look of, it’s time to test it out. Before you use the theme on your site, you should try out a couple of sample blogs to see how it looks on different types of sites. This will help you choose the right look for your own website. (Ideally, you want to find a theme that works well with your existing blog or website design.)
As with any new technology, different devices (e.g., tablets, laptops, and cell phones) and browsers (e.g., Safari, Chrome, and Firefox) can present certain challenges when trying to view a website. For example, some browsers might require that you enable javascript to be able to view a web page. You can find a decent list of tips and tricks for optimizing your WordPress website on Search Engine Land.
Tip 4: Consider An E-Commerce Store
If you’re looking to create an online store or marketplace, you have a wide array of options to choose from. Not only does WordPress come with a built-in e-commerce store that you can utilize, but you can also find plenty of third-party e-commerce stores that you can use to build your online marketplace.