What Is a WordPress Website Design?
WordPress is one of the most popular Content Management Systems (CMS) used around the world for publishing blogs and other types of websites. In case you’re unfamiliar, WordPress is a free and open-source CMS that can be used to build websites, blogs, and other online content that’s designed to be user-friendly and engaging.
The fact that WordPress is free and open-source makes it an ideal CMS for startups and other organizations that are always on the lookout for affordable yet high-quality web solutions. In particular, WordPress is extremely popular amongst entrepreneurs and business owners who are looking to build a blog or website that will function as a professional communications platform for their business.
Differing Perspectives
Depending on which part of the world you’re in, you may see WordPress used in vastly different ways. In the United States, for example, WordPress is often associated with bloggers and digital nomads who use the CMS to quickly establish their own personal brand and connect with potential customers.
In other parts of the world, such as India, WordPress is most often used by larger organizations with bigger websites and social media presences, who leverage the CMS to maintain their existing platforms and grow their audiences online.
Regardless of the approach, CMS platforms like WordPress can help businesses of all sizes and backgrounds better engage with their audiences and attract online customers.
The Basics Of A WordPress Website Design
If you’re new to WordPress or just learning the platform, you may be wondering what exactly goes into designing a WordPress website. While there are a few extra steps that go into creating a high-quality web design for WordPress, the process itself is actually quite simple.
To start, you’ll need to pick a theme for your site. There are thousands of free and premium WordPress themes available, and it’s usually a good idea to go with a theme that is already equipped with a built-in content editor (a WYSIWYG), so you don’t have to hire someone to help you with web design or take the time to learn how to use a content management system to create and update content.
After you’ve picked your theme, you’ll want to integrate Google Analytics into your website so you can track the behavior and performance of your website visitors. You can do this through the WordPress dashboard, and for a detailed walkthrough, check out Google’s Analytics tutorial for WordPress.
Next, you’ll want to configure your WordPress installation so it uses SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) for the login and for sending over secure documents and files. For more information about the positive effects of using SSL, check out this blog post by Let’s Encrypt.
Then, you’ll want to set up your website to accept payments via credit card or PayPal, depending on your business model. You can learn more about online payments and integrate them into your website in this blog post from Shopify.
At this point, you’re ready to begin designing your WordPress website. To get started, simply click the “Create a free account” button at the top right of your screen to get to the WordPress dashboard. From there, you can click the “+” icon at the top left of the dashboard to access the WordPress website creation tool. Finally, simply provide your website’s URL in the “Site URL” field and your choice of a “Site name” in the “Site name” field, and you’re good to go.
As you can see above, the WordPress website creation tool provides you with a wealth of options for how your website will look once it’s built. For the purposes of this article, we’ll be focusing on the design aspects of creating a WordPress website, so continue reading and feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
What Is A WordPress Website Plus Design?
While the steps above provide you with a solid foundation for creating a WordPress website, it’s important to note that the process is slightly different if you’re also pursuing a design for your website. In that case, you’ll want to use a separate tool or app to design the look of your site, instead of using the WordPress website creation tool mentioned above.
To start, you’ll need to create an account with a web design tool that’s specifically geared towards entrepreneurs and business owners who are seeking to build a professional online presence for their business. Once you’ve done that, you can access your dashboard, where you’ll find a variety of tools for designing your site. From there, you can choose the theme you want for your site, along with a color scheme and any other design elements that may be important to you.
Then, you can upload a logo for your site, as well as images and text for the design elements that you choose. Once you’ve done that, you can test out your design by clicking the “Preview” button at the bottom of the dashboard.
If you’re happy with how your site looks, you can click the “Publish” button at the bottom of the dashboard to publish your design and begin creating your site.
Further Considerations
If you’re seeking to design a WordPress website for a client, it’s important to take a few things into consideration. First, make sure you’re versed in using the CMS and familiar with its terminology. Additionally, make sure you’re aware of what your client wants for their site and that you stay within the parameters of that request. Also, when dealing with larger clients who have deep pockets, make sure you let them know what you’re working on and ask for their input on the project from time to time.
WordPress is a powerful tool and can be used to build a variety of websites, not just blogs. For that reason, it’s important to make sure you choose a theme that can be used for several different types of sites. That way, you can be sure you’re covering all of your bases and don’t have to worry about an inappropriate theme causing problems for your client later on.