Quick Guide to Creating a WordPress Website
WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS) in the world with over 90 million users. It is a free and open-source tool that can be used to build websites.
If you’re looking for an easy to use tool that allows you to build a professional-looking website with little to no technical expertise then WordPress is the perfect solution.
In this article, you will discover the basics of creating a WordPress website, from setting up your domain name to building out your content.
Why WordPress?
The benefits of using WordPress as your CMS are countless. Not only does it make setting up your website quick and easy, but it also handles the heavy lifting of content management for you, which frees up more of your time to focus on other areas of your business.
In a nutshell, WordPress is the perfect solution for anyone who is looking to build a website. It is incredibly flexible and has a large community of users who are ready and willing to help you get set up and running with the basics, or if you’re a developer, you can use the extensive APIs to extend its functionality.
What Is a CMS?
A content management system (CMS) is a tool used to maintain information on websites. The most popular CMSes in use today are WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. In simple terms, a CMS allows you to add, edit, and remove content (text, photos, videos, and more) from your website without needing to be a web developer or having any technical knowledge.
CMSs are incredibly useful for website owners who are looking to update content frequently or who need full control over the content of their website. For smaller businesses who only want to keep the basics on their site and don’t need to update it frequently, using a hosted WordPress platform is the perfect solution.
Hosting Versus Buying A VPS
There are two primary ways to get your WordPress app up and running: buying a virtual private server (VPS) or hosting your site with a company like Bluehost or Wix.com.
If you’re looking for a one-stop-shop to take care of all the technical aspects of running your website, then a VPS is the perfect solution. A VPS gives you access to a high-quality, fully featured Linux server that you can install WordPress and any other apps or services you might need on. VPSs are the best choice for those who want total control over the functionality of their site.
Buying a VPS is the most economical option and the most convenient, especially if you’re looking to get started. With a VPS, all the technical details are taken care of by the company you purchase the product from. There is no need to look for a web host that offers VPSs or to research how to install WordPress manually.
Manual Installation vs. The Dashboard
When it comes to installing WordPress, there are two primary methods. The first one is manually via FTP or through the use of a third-party app like Filezilla. The second method is via the WordPress dashboard, which allows you to easily install and set up WordPress in a matter of minutes.
Manual installation requires you to have root access (i.e., access to everything) to your server, which is often difficult for beginners who have just signed up for a hosting plan. With WordPress being one of the most flexible and customizable CMSes available, you can make the switch relatively painless. However, if you’re looking for a robust and feature-packed CMS that can be tailored to your needs, then the WordPress dashboard is the way to go.
Domain Name And Web Hosting
A domain name is a string of text that goes to the point of the website; e.g., www.example.com. When people click on this link, they will be directed to your website’s home page, where they will see a splash page with the name example and a link to www.example.com. This is commonly referred to as a ‘domain park’ or a domain drop, and is extremely useful for those who want to create a memorable brand for their site. Additionally, you can also utilize your domain name to secure your email correspondence via services like Gmail, Yahoo, and others.
The second part of the equation is the web hosting. Web hosting is the place where your site actually resides, and it is where visitors will come from and where you will send emails from. You have a few options here, including shared hosting, which provides you with multiple sites (e.g., blog.example.com, product.example.com, etc.) and is the cheapest option, or you can go with a VPS, which I mentioned previously. The final option is to use a DIY (do-it-yourself) web host, which you can find tutorials for on the internet. Building a simple web host is fairly straightforward and allows you to have full ownership over your site.
Regardless of which one you choose, make sure that you purchase a reliable web host that offers a money-back guarantee.
Setting Up Your WordPress Site
Once you have your domain name and web hosting, it’s time to set up your WordPress site. You can do this via the WordPress dashboard, which can be accessed from your website’s URL (e.g., www.example.com).
The first thing you need to do is sign up for a WordPress.com account and then click on the ‘Create a new blog’ button. A new screen will pop up where you can enter the details of your blog.
Make sure to use an appropriate password (at least 8 characters with a mix of numbers and letters) and click on the ‘Create blog’ button.
Once WordPress has created your blog, it will email you a confirmation containing the link to edit it.
At this point, you can either use the blog’s description to explain the purpose of your blog or you can type in a few words that will become the blog’s tagline. Either way, make sure that you make this line unique and compelling, as this is the first thing people will see when they arrive at your blog’s front page.
The next step is to go back to your email and click on the confirmation link to activate your account.
Once activated, you can navigate to your blog’s dashboard to edit its content and see how it looks.
From your dashboard, you can click on the ‘Add new page’ or ‘Post’ button to add content to your blog, like a ‘Welcome to My Blog’ page or a ‘Contact Me’ form.
As a beginner, the best option for you is to create a small blog just to get your feet wet. This will help you understand what is going on and you can always expand your site as you learn more.
What To Include
When it comes to making a website for your business, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. These include the kind of information you want to make available, the target audience you are serving, and the hierarchy of information you want to present (i.e., what is the most important information first?).
The first thing to include is an About page. An About page is a short piece of text that will appear at the top of every webpage on your site, whether it is a blog post or a webpage.
If you have a retail store, you might want to include a Shop page. A shop page is essentially a category page for your products. You can put all your products in this page and it will be accessible from every page on your site.
A Contact page is a common place for customers to get in touch with your business. You can put your contact details here, along with a contact form (e.g., a form with the heading ‘Contact Us’) so that customers can get in touch with you via email.