How to Make a WordPress Website in an App
You’re probably familiar with WordPress. WordPress is a free, open-source content management system that powers some of the biggest websites on the Internet. Nowadays, you can use WordPress to build completely customized websites with ease.
WordPress makes it incredibly simple to develop a website because it offers tons of free templates and stylish plugins that you can use to build your dream site. Let’s take a quick look at how you can use the power of WordPress to create an online store, or a blog, or anything else you can think of!
The Need For Speed
One of the biggest advantages of WordPress is that it’s a free, open-source tool that can be downloaded and installed directly into your web host account. Many web hosts, including Bluehost, offer pre-built WordPress versions, or you can install it yourself with just a few clicks. Let’s take a look at how to do this quickly and easily.
To get started, visit https://wordpress.com/ and click the big green Install button in the middle of the page. You’ll be landing on the WordPress website’s home page. At the very top of the page, you’ll see a tabbed menu with links to the different features of WordPress. Click on the Get Started button to continue to the WordPress dashboard.
Once you’re on the WordPress dashboard, you’ll see a search bar at the top. Type in the niche of product or service that you’re in and the number of articles you want to read about the subject before you make a purchase. (You can also use this search bar to search for specific products, like iPhone XS Max.)
From the dashboard, you can click on any link in the top menu to go to a specific section of the WordPress website. For example, if you’re looking to build a e-commerce store, you can click the Store section to get to that part of the site. This section of WordPress features over a dozen free templates that you can use to build your store. (You can use these templates to build a small or large store; you’re not tied to one size.)
Template Tips
Before you start building your awesome website, you’ll need to pick a template. What is a template, you ask? A template is a pattern that you can use to build your site. The templates on WordPress are pretty basic, but you can easily customize them to fit your needs.
To get the most out of the templates on WordPress, your first job is to read the documentation for each template. That way, you’ll know exactly what you’re getting into. For example, let’s say you choose the ocean theme from the dashboard. When you click on the Template tab, you’ll see a long list of features for the ocean theme. (You can also find all the template features on this page, but since the ocean theme is one of the most popular templates on WordPress, odds are you’ve already seen this page.)
The documentation for each template will tell you what you need to know about customizing that template. Take your time going through each of these templates’ documentation, and you’ll be equipped to build a gorgeous website.
Plugins
WordPress is extremely powerful when it comes to online stores because it offers many of the features you need to launch and manage an e-commerce store. To continue with the example above, if you click on the E-commerce WordPress plugin’s link from the Dashboard menu, you’ll go to the WordPress website’s plugin directory. Here, you can download over 40 different e-commerce plugins from the WordPress repository.
Most of these plugins will do exactly what you want them to do. Some of the plugins, like the WooCommerce plugin, even have mobile apps that you can use to manage your store from anywhere. Let’s take a quick look at what the mobile apps offer before you make a decision.
The WooCommerce mobile app allows you to manage your store and its products from anywhere. Using the app, you can add new products, edit existing products, and change their prices. (It’s also possible to use the app to create coupons and deal alerts.)
The mobile apps for both Shopify and Magento allow you to manage your store’s content and orders, display your products, and track sales. (They also offer online marketplaces as well as shipping and billing capabilities.)
If you decide that WooCommerce is the right choice for your needs, you can install the app directly on your phone and start using it. Alternatively, you can install it on your computer and use the Chrome extension to connect to the app while you’re online.
Get Inspired
WordPress is a very versatile tool. Not only can you use it to create blogs and online stores, but you can even use it to build websites for small businesses or organizations. (You can use WordPress to build a microsite for a museum or cultural organization, for example.)
When you choose a theme for your WordPress website, you’re not necessarily stuck to it. You can always change the look and feel of your site whenever you want. One of the great things about WordPress is that it offers a theme customizer that gives you a sneak peak at exactly how your website will look when it’s complete. (You can use this tool to tweak the colors, layout, and fonts of your website.)
To get started, navigate to your WordPress dashboard’s Appearance section, and click on the Themes link. You’ll land on a page with a long list of different themes that you can download and install directly into your WordPress account. Each one of these themes will give you a completely different look and feel for your site. Choose one that speaks to you, and start building your dream site. (You can also use the theme customizer to make small changes to any of the site’s template elements, like the fonts, colors, or layout.)
As you can see, WordPress is an extremely powerful tool that can help you build almost anything you can imagine. Not only can you use it to power your blog or e-commerce store, but you can even use it to build a fully customized website for your business or organization. Not sure what you can build with WordPress? Don’t worry, you’re not alone.
As you continue exploring the different features of WordPress, you’ll find many more ways this tool can help you build your online presence. Whether you want to create a fully integrated e-commerce store or just a simple blog, WordPress has you covered.