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Have you been wondering how to create a WordPress website? Do you have some incredible content that you want to share with the world? Maybe you’re an expert in a particular field and want to give back by educating others. Or maybe you feel like it’s time to take your blog to the next level. If so, creating a website is probably your best bet.
If you are reading this article, I am assuming that you already know what WordPress is, but might not know how to go about creating your first website with it. The good news is that establishing a WordPress site isn’t nearly as complicated as some people make it sound. In fact, with just a bit of preparation and some insider knowledge, anyone can do it!
What is WordPress?
WordPress is the world’s most popular content management system (CMS) that makes it easy for you to create and publish beautiful websites and blogs. It is a state-of-the-art software application that allows you to do everything from creating posts, to building menus and designing your website. It is one of the most powerful blogging and website-building tools available today. There are over 74 million websites using WordPress and more than 30% of the top 10 million websites are powered by WordPress.
WordPress is a toolkit that you can use to build almost any kind of website imaginable. From online magazines and newspapers to eCommerce stores and personal blogs, almost everything can be built with WordPress! It’s a great choice for beginners because it’s easy to use, but also has plenty of functionality to keep experienced users happy.
Why Create a Website with WordPress?
There are a number of reasons why you might want to create a new website with WordPress. Perhaps you’re starting a new blog or want to take your current one to the next level by building a robust online presence. Whatever the case may be, there are many benefits to doing so. Some of the most notable are listed below:
Accessibility
Websites are the most effective way to share your content with the world. It is far more accessible than other methods, such as printed magazines or newspapers. Plus, you don’t have to worry about printing costs!
Building an Audience
Research shows that nearly half of all people use the internet to get their daily news. Therefore, if you want to reach a large audience, a website is the best way to do so. Creating a website enables you to build an engaged community around your content. As a result, it can help you build a loyal audience.
How to Create A WordPress Website: Getting Started
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s first talk about what you’ll need to get the ball rolling. Here’s a list of the things you’ll need to create your first WordPress website:
Hosting
Hosting is the service that powers your site. It’s essentially the “infrastructure” required to make everything run smoothly. When choosing a host, make sure that you go with one that is reliable and trustworthy. Hosting accounts are available for as little as $3 per month. Although this may seem like a lot of money, it is an essential part of running a successful website. If you opt for a cheap host, you’re likely to run into a lot of problems down the line. This can put a severe dent in your business, especially if you’re just starting out.
Our recommendation at ElementPress Design is Siteground. It’s what we personally use and they offer a range of services with options from a single website to hosting for agencies. Their sign-up could not be easier.
Step 1: Choose a Hosting Plan
Siteground offers three tiers of hosting fitting different needs.
- The StartUp plan is perfect for people with one website.
- The GrowBig plan is a great value for money offer, including the option for multiple websites and the Ultrafast PHP that greatly improves website speed.
- The GoGeek plan is perfect for people with e-commerce and larger sites, or more geeky development needs like more server resources and GIT integration.
Step 2: Choose a Domain Name
You can choose to buy a new domain, or sign up with an existing domain. Siteground offers a wide range of domain extensions at awesome prices.
Step 3: Review and Complete the Order
When signing up for hosting, it is usually cheaper to sign up for longer periods of time. If you are serious about your website, our recommendation is to sign up for three or more years.
A Domain Name
The domain name is the name of your website. It is what people will use to get to your site, such as examplewebsite.com. You can purchase a domain name from a variety of different places. However, the most common place to do so is through a domain registrar.
A Theme
A website theme is essentially the design of your site. It could have a modern, minimalistic design or an old-school, newspaper-style theme. It all depends on the type of website you want to create. You can purchase a website theme from any number of places online. However, we strongly recommend that you purchase it from a WordPress theme marketplace. There are many free and paid themes available. The problem with free ones is limited support and functionality. If you want to choose a free theme, we recommend OceanWP. OceanWP offers almost unlimited customization and great integration with the Elementor page builder to make your life 10x easier.
Content
The best websites are the ones that are useful and engaging. If you want to achieve this, you’ll need to create fresh, unique content. There are many different ways to go about doing this. You could create blog posts, write tutorials, or even create videos.
3 Mistakes to Avoid When Creating Your First WordPress Website
As with anything, many people make the mistake of going in headfirst without any prior research or preparation. While this can certainly be fun, it can also lead to severe problems down the line. To avoid these problems, it’s important to do your research before you dive into creating your first website. Here are three common mistakes that first-time website creators often make:
Not Doing Your Research
There are plenty of different WordPress themes and hosting providers out there. If you don’t do your research, you could end up making poor choices that hurt your business in the long run. To avoid this, take the time to research your options. You can use online reviews, such as those found on ReviewCentral, to help you decide.
Being Too Disorganized
If you’re too disorganized when building your website, you could end up wasting a lot of time and money. It would help if you created a plan of action before you even think of building your website. Otherwise, you’ll end up wasting time and money as you try to figure out what to do next.
Ignoring Security
One of the most important aspects of creating your first website is making sure that it is secure. You need to avoid making any mistakes that could put your data at risk, whether it’s your customers’ data or your own. Almost all hosting services (including Siteground) offer a free SSL certificate for your WordPress websites. It is vital to install this and double-check it is working.
Conclusion
Creating a website is something that nearly anyone can do. With the help of this guide, you’ll have everything you need to get started. It’s important to remember that this is just the beginning. Once you have your site up and running, it’s time to make sure that you keep it maintained. To do this, make sure that you stay on top of your analytics and that you update your content on a regular basis. For more information on how to get your site found on Google, check out our post on optimizing your web pages to rank higher on search engines like Google.
If you still feel lost and need help setting up your website or simply don’t have time to do it yourself, drop us a line, and let’s see how we may be able to help.