How to Get Started with WordPress

How to Get Started with WordPress: The Ultimate Beginner‘s Guide

Are you thinking about starting your own website or blog but feeling a bit overwhelmed? You‘re not alone. The idea of building a site from scratch can seem daunting, especially if you don‘t have a background in web development or coding. But here‘s the good news—thanks to WordPress, virtually anyone can create a professional-looking website quickly and easily, no technical skills required.

In this comprehensive beginner‘s guide, we‘ll walk you through everything you need to know to get started with WordPress. By the end, you‘ll have the knowledge and resources to launch your own WordPress site and start sharing your ideas with the world. Let‘s dive in!

What is WordPress?

WordPress is a free and open-source content management system (CMS) that powers over 40% of all websites on the internet. It allows you to easily create and manage a website or blog without having to write code from scratch.

WordPress is incredibly versatile and customizable. With thousands of themes and plugins available, you can use it to build virtually any type of site—from a simple blog to a full-featured business website or online store. And because it‘s open-source, it‘s continually being improved by a community of developers around the world.

WordPress.org vs WordPress.com

When getting started with WordPress, one of the first decisions you‘ll need to make is whether to use WordPress.org or WordPress.com. While the two share the WordPress name, they are actually quite different:

• WordPress.org refers to the free, open-source WordPress software that you can download and install on your own web hosting. With the .org version, you have full control over your site but are responsible for your own hosting, security, backups, etc. This is the best choice if you want complete flexibility and ownership of your site.

• WordPress.com is a for-profit, paid hosting service run by the company Automattic. With WordPress.com, you don‘t need your own hosting and everything is managed for you. However, you have less control and customization options compared to the .org version. There is a free plan but features are limited unless you upgrade to a paid plan.

For most users looking to create a serious website or blog, self-hosted WordPress.org is the recommended choice. It requires a bit more setup but gives you full ownership and flexibility in the long run. The rest of this guide will focus on setting up a self-hosted WordPress.org site.

Choosing a Domain Name

Before you can install WordPress and start building your site, you‘ll need to choose a domain name. This is your site‘s permanent address on the web (ours is www.historytools.org for example).

Selecting the right domain name is critical, as it is a key part of your site‘s branding and identity. Ideally, it should be memorable, easy to spell, and relevant to your site‘s topic or niche. Spend some time brainstorming ideas and then use a domain registrar like GoDaddy or Namecheap to see what‘s available.

Some tips for choosing a great domain name:

• Keep it short, simple and easy to remember
• Use keywords relevant to your topic if possible
• Avoid numbers, hyphens and unusual spellings
• Go for a .com extension if available
• Protect your brand by registering variations of your name

Once you‘ve selected the perfect domain, go ahead and register it. You‘ll need to renew it yearly, but many registrars offer discounts if you pay for multiple years up front. With your domain locked down, you‘re ready to move on to hosting.

Choosing a Web Host

In order to install WordPress and make your site accessible to the world, you‘ll need to purchase web hosting. This is a server where all your website‘s files will be stored.

There are hundreds of web hosting providers out there and selecting the right one can feel overwhelming. For those just getting started with WordPress, we recommend going with a host that specializes in WordPress hosting and offers one-click installation to keep things simple.

Some of the top WordPress hosting providers for beginners include:

• Bluehost
• SiteGround
• WP Engine
• Dreamhost

When comparing hosting plans, you‘ll want to consider factors like price, performance, features, security and customer support. For a small blog or website, a basic shared hosting plan is usually sufficient to start. You can always upgrade to a more robust plan later as your site grows.

Most WordPress hosts offer a free domain name when you sign up, so you can kill two birds with one stone. Once you‘ve chosen a host and signed up for a plan, you‘re ready to install WordPress!

Installing WordPress

One of the great things about WordPress is how quick and easy it is to install. Most hosting providers offer one-click installation right from your hosting control panel.

For example, here are the steps to install WordPress on Bluehost:

1. Log in to your Bluehost hosting account
2. Click the "My Sites" tab on the left
3. Click the "Create Site" button
4. Enter your site name and tagline
5. Click "Next" and wait for the installation to complete

And that‘s it! In less than 5 minutes your WordPress site will be ready to go. You‘ll find a link to login to your new WordPress dashboard.

If your host doesn‘t offer one-click installation, you can always install WordPress manually by downloading it from WordPress.org and uploading the files to your host via FTP. But for beginners, the one-click route is definitely the way to go.

Exploring the WordPress Dashboard

Now that you have WordPress installed, it‘s time to familiarize yourself with the WordPress dashboard. This is the back-end interface where you‘ll configure your site settings, customize your design, write content, install plugins, and more.

When you first log in to WordPress, the dashboard can look a bit overwhelming. But don‘t worry, you‘ll quickly get the hang of it. The left-hand menu is where you‘ll find all the key sections of your site:

• Posts are where you‘ll write and manage your blog content
• Media is your library of uploaded images, videos and files
• Pages are for static, timeless content like your About and Contact pages
• Comments is where you moderate remarks left by visitors
• Appearance is for customizing your site‘s design and layout
• Plugins allow you to add new features and functionality to your site
• Users is for managing user accounts if you have multiple authors
• Tools offers some handy utilities for importing/exporting data and more
• Settings is where most of your site‘s configuration options live

Take a few minutes to click around and explore the various settings and options. If you‘re not sure what something does, you can always hover over it to view a tooltip with more info.

Customizing Your Site‘s Appearance

One of the first things you‘ll want to do with your new WordPress site is customize its appearance to match your personal style and brand. The great thing about WordPress is that you don‘t need to be a designer or know how to code in order to make your site look great. You can completely transform the look and feel of your site with just a few clicks.

In WordPress, the overall design of your site is controlled by your theme. The theme determines the layout, color scheme, fonts and other stylistic elements. There are thousands of free and paid WordPress themes available, making it easy to find the perfect look for your site.

To find a theme, click on "Appearance > Themes" in the WordPress dashboard. You can browse the featured and popular free themes, or search for something specific. When you find a theme you like, hover over it and click "Install". Once it‘s installed, click "Activate" to make it live on your site.

After activating a theme, you‘ll want to take some time to customize it and make it your own. Most themes have various options you can configure to tweak the colors, layout, homepage settings and more. You can access these options by going to "Appearance > Customize".

Click around the theme customizer and experiment with different settings to see how they change the look of your site. You may also find options to upload your own logo, tweak navigation menus and more. The exact options available will depend on your specific theme.

If you want even more control over your site‘s appearance, you may want to consider using a page builder plugin. Page builders provide a drag-and-drop interface for designing pages and give you pixel-perfect control without having to touch any code. Some of the most popular page builder plugins are:

• Elementor
• Beaver Builder
• Divi Builder
• SeedProd

Adding Functionality with Plugins

One of the best parts about using WordPress is the huge library of plugins available to enhance and extend your site‘s functionality. Plugins are like apps for your WordPress site—they allow you to add all sorts of features, from contact forms to e-commerce to SEO optimization and more.

To browse and install plugins, navigate to "Plugins > Add New" in your WordPress dashboard. You can sort by featured, popular, or search for something specific. Be sure to read the descriptions carefully and check the reviews to get a sense of the plugin‘s quality and reliability.

Some must-have plugins to consider for your WordPress site:

• Yoast SEO for search engine optimization
• WPForms for creating contact and other forms
• MonsterInsights for Google Analytics tracking
• UpdraftPlus for site backups
• WooCommerce for selling products or services
• Jetpack for security, performance and growth tools

Before you install a plugin, make sure it is compatible with your version of WordPress and that it is actively maintained by the developer. Too many outdated or poorly coded plugins can slow down your site or introduce security vulnerabilities.

Writing and Publishing Content

Now that your WordPress site is set up and looking good, it‘s time to start publishing some content! This is the fun part, where you get to share your ideas, stories and expertise with the world.

WordPress makes it incredibly easy to write and publish content. Posts are the default content type and are what you‘ll use for blog-style content. To write a new post, simply click on "Posts > Add New" in the WordPress dashboard.

You‘ll see the WordPress editor, which is very similar to a word processor. Start by adding a title and then write your post in the main content area. You can format your text, add links, images, videos and more using the toolbar buttons.

On the right-hand side of the editor, you‘ll see a bunch of settings and options for your post:

• The Publish box is where you‘ll find the "Publish" button to make your post live. You can also schedule a post for future publication or save it as a draft if you‘re not ready to publish yet.

• The Categories box allows you to file your post under one or more categories to keep things organized. Be sure to select at least one category for each post.

• The Tags box is for adding keywords that describe your post. Think of tags as micro-categories that make it easier for readers to find related content.

• The Featured Image is the primary image that will be shown at the top of the post and in post previews. Browse your media library or upload a new image.

Before you hit publish, be sure to preview your post and check for any typos or formatting issues. You may also want to configure your post‘s SEO settings using the Yoast SEO plugin we mentioned earlier. This will help optimize your post to rank higher in search engine results.

When you‘re happy with your draft, go ahead and hit the publish button and celebrate your new post! You are now officially a blogger. Remember that consistency is key when it comes to blogging. Create an editorial calendar and aim to publish new posts on a regular schedule to keep readers coming back for more.

Promoting Your WordPress Site

Creating great content is just the first step. In order for people to find and read your brilliant blog posts, you need to put some effort into promotion and marketing as well. Luckily there are many ways you can spread the word about your new WordPress site.

Some effective strategies for promoting your WordPress blog:

• Share your posts on social media networks like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Be sure to engage with others in your niche and include relevant hashtags.

• Send out an email newsletter to your subscribers whenever you publish new content. You can use a plugin like MailPoet to easily manage your email list.

• Comment on other blogs in your niche, making sure to leave thoughtful remarks and include a link back to your site. This can help drive referral traffic and build relationships with other bloggers.

• Guest post on other relevant high-traffic sites. This can introduce your work to a whole new audience and build backlinks to improve your search rankings.

• Optimize your posts for search engines using the Yoast SEO plugin. This will help your content rank for relevant keywords and drive free, targeted traffic from Google and other search engines.

• Run a contest or giveaway, asking readers to take an action like sharing your post in order to enter. This can drastically increase your blog‘s reach.

• Repurpose your blog posts into other formats like videos, infographics, slideshows or podcasts. This allows you to reach new audiences on different platforms.

The key is to be persistent and consistent with your promotional efforts. Set aside some time each day or week to work on getting your content in front of as many eyeballs as possible.

Making Money with Your WordPress Site

Many successful bloggers and businesses use WordPress to earn a substantial income online. There are a number of ways you can monetize your WordPress site depending on your traffic, niche and goals.

Some of the most common ways to make money with WordPress include:

• Advertising: Once you have a decent amount of traffic, you can join an ad network like Google AdSense or AdThrive to start displaying ads on your site. You‘ll earn money based on the number of impressions/clicks the ads receive.

• Affiliate Marketing: If you review or recommend products on your site, you can earn a commission whenever a reader makes a purchase through your unique affiliate link. Many companies like Amazon, Target and Walmart have affiliate programs you can join.

• Sponsored Content: Brands may pay you to write a post or review featuring their product or service. Always be sure to disclose sponsored content to remain transparent with readers.

• Selling Digital Products: You can sell your own ebooks, courses, photographs or graphics right from your WordPress site. Easy Digital Downloads or WooCommerce make it easy to deliver products and process payments.

• Offering Services: If you have a skill like writing, design or web development, you can use your WordPress site as a lead generation tool to attract clients and customers for your freelance services.

• Creating a Membership Site: Using a plugin like MemberPress, you can lock premium content behind a paywall and charge readers a one-time or recurring fee to access it. This can be a great source of steady income.

The ways you choose to monetize will depend on your specific niche and audience. If you‘re just getting started, focus first on creating great content and building up your traffic. As your audience grows, you‘ll have more opportunities to monetize your WordPress site.

Keep Learning and Have Fun

WordPress is a powerful tool with a ton of possibilities. What we‘ve covered in this guide is really just the tip of the iceberg. The good news is that because WordPress is so popular, it has a huge community of users and developers who are always sharing their knowledge and pushing the platform forward.

As you continue on your WordPress journey, be sure to take advantage of the many resources available for learning and getting help:

• WordPress.org has a great collection of documentation in the WordPress Codex
• The WordPress support forums are a great place to ask questions and troubleshoot issues
• There are hundreds of WordPress blogs that share tips, tutorials and news about the platform
• Local WordPress meetups and WordCamps are a great way to learn and connect with others
• Many web hosts have robust help centers and support for WordPress-related questions

Above all, don‘t forget to enjoy the process. Blogging with WordPress is a wonderful way to express your creativity, connect with like-minded people and even build a business. Let your personality shine through and have fun experimenting with all the options and features WordPress offers.

We hope this beginner‘s guide has given you the knowledge and inspiration to launch your own WordPress site. To recap, here‘s a quick step-by-step rundown:

1. Choose a domain name and web hosting plan
2. Install WordPress with one-click installation
3. Customize your site‘s appearance with a theme
4. Add functionality with plugins
5. Write and publish awesome content
6. Promote your posts to reach a wider audience
7. Explore ways to monetize your site
8. Keep learning and have fun!

Now roll up your sleeves, fire up WordPress and start publishing. The world can‘t wait to hear what you have to say!