As one of the top tools for building websites, it is easy to set up a WordPress website in 30 minutes or less. Take a look at the steps below! If at any time you feel overwhelmed, contact my brothers. They are WordPress Developers and can help you with your website. 702-917-0755.
Why WordPress?
A website is essential to the success of any business in the modern world. When people look for products or services, they turn to the internet for help.
Think of a website as the front door to an online store. It needs to grab the attention of the visitor while not being too complicated.
That is where WordPress can help. For those who might not know, WordPress is one of the most popular options when it comes to building websites.
There are several reasons why so many people trust WordPress to construct a beautiful website. Some of the top reasons include:
WordPress is free to use but you’ll need to pay for hosting. WordPress allows users to take control of their websites easily, including the ability to install advanced plugins. Anyone can download WordPress free of charge and build a website using it, but if you want it to appear on search engines, you’ll need a host like WP Engine.
WordPress is easy to learn. It has been designed so that even people who have no experience designing a website can download the software, follow the steps, and create a website that has been tailored to meet their needs as well as the needs of their visitors.
WordPress can be adapted to nearly any website. There is a common misconception that WordPress has been designed purely to build blogs; however, this is not the case. WordPress can be used to build websites for not only blogs but also businesses, portfolios, eCommerce sites, eLearning modules, forums, and more.
WordPress can support a long list of file tips. Some of the most common categories that WordPress can host include images, documents, video files, audio files, and more. Specific file types that WordPress can support include JPG, PNG, GIF, DOC, MP3, PDF, MOV, AVI, and more. This makes WordPress one of the most versatile options on the market.
Domain Name and Hosting
The first step in building a website involves picking a domain name. This is the URL that people will use to visit the site. Usually, this is done through a domain registrar like Godaddy.
There are plenty of hosting services that vary in the tasks they cover and how they create their contracts. Take a look at some of the hosting options and use them to find a domain name that isn’t taken!
Of course, not all domain names are the same. In order to find a good domain name, some of the most important factors to consider include:
Find a domain name that is brandable. This means that it should be unique, with nothing else like it on the market. This makes it easy to memorize.
The shorter the domain name is, the better. This makes the domain name easier to remember.
Try to find a website name that is easy to type. This makes it hard to mess up. Potential visitors shouldn’t be wondering about how to spell the domain name correctly.
Try to include keywords that are related to the industry. For example, if the business sells candy, try to include keywords about candy and sweets!
Then, select a hosting plan, which usually comes in either monthly or yearly billing options. Some of the factors that will play a role in the hosting plan include:
- The number of websites that need to be hosted
- The amount of space the websites are going to take up
- Whether additional features, such as automated backup, are included
In general, a longer hosting plan is going to cost less per month but will be more expensive overall. If the website is going to be up for years to come, a longer plan will be cheaper in the long run.
Install WordPress
The next step is to install WordPress.
If you are choosing managed WordPress, you can get your platform at WP Engine.
Log in to the hosting account (from the step above), find the WordPress script, and install it! During the install process, WordPress should ask for the name of the administrator, the name of the blog or website, and an email address they can reach out to for updates.
When this is finished, WordPress should provide a link to the new site as well as a password. Don’t forget to change the password!
Explore the Dashboard
Once WordPress has been installed, the dashboard should come up. Take a look at some of the sections, which should include:
Posts: This is where articles are posted
Media: This is where pictures, videos, and other media are stored which might include pages, comments, plugins, and users
Settings: This is where administrators can control how comments are posted and how the articles are structured
It is important for people to take a few minutes to familiarize themselves with how the WordPress dashboard works; however, it is designed to be easy to use.
Check out this article on how to use Tags and Categories and WordPress Taxonomies.
Select a Theme
There are plenty of default themes for websites that WordPress uses. For many websites, one of the default themes will work well. They look professional and make the content easier for people to read. There is also the option to use customized themes for those who have a different idea in mind.
The steps involved to pick a WordPress theme include:
Find the right theme. While it is a good idea to take a look at the themes that WordPress offers, there are other options as well. There are a lot of free and premium services that can be added to WordPress itself.
I like Studiopress Themes on Genesis Framework such as Essence Pro! It’s a wide theme with big, beautiful blocks. Another popular theme, especially for how fast it is, is Generatepress. And another favorite is the Astra Pro theme.
Then, install the theme. Go to the “appearance” section on the WordPress dashboard. Then, select the “themes” option. From here, there is an option for “add new.”
After this, add the name of the theme. The theme should pop up on the screen. From here, click the install button and the process should begin.
Once the theme has been installed, there are options to customize the theme as well.
Some of the options involved in customizing the theme include the image that sits in the background, the title, the text, and even the URL addresses of the various buttons on that specific page.
In addition, there is a “features” area that can be added to the theme. You might like to read this article about setting up your WordPress Menus.
This is a great place to explain more information about the company. Some of the areas that might be placed in this area include information about the team, testimonials, an option to subscribe, and even a link to the blog!
These are just a few of the customizable options that are available using WordPress themes.
Check out a couple of WordPress Plugins like ConvertKit and OptinMonster that can help grow your email subscriber list from your blog. If you are interested in using a page builder, check out Elementor Pro. You can build your subscriber list with built-in pop-ups, slide-ins, and hello bars.
Add Content to the Site
Once a theme has been selected, it is time to add content! Think about adding a home page, an about me page, and a contact page.
These are some of the pillar pages that all websites should have.
Then, add a few articles or posts using the “new page” or “new post “ button. This allows people to create new subpages for the website.
It might also be a good idea to explore some of the WordPress plugins.
These can provide tools and advice on how to drive more traffic to the website. Some of the top plugins that are available for WordPress include:
SEOpress: This is one of the most important WordPress plugins for every website. The idea of this plugin is to accelerate search engine optimization, helping to tailor blog posts and articles to meet the desires of search engines.
Google Analytics: The most popular search engine is still Google. This plugin is used to integrate the website with Google Analytics, allowing the two to work in harmony to increase the website’s online visibility.
Wordfence Security: WordPress is one of the easiest tools to use when it comes to building a website; however, this can also leave websites vulnerable. This security plugin helps patch many of these holes.
Updraft Plus: Updraft Plus is used to complete automatic backups of the website and its contents. It is important for websites to protect their data. This means backing up data appropriately.
Optimole: Images play an important role in the appearance of every website. It is important to make sure these are optimized for visitors and search engines. This plugin helps make this happen.
These are a few of the most popular plugins available for WordPress. Think about how these might benefit the website and the business’s online presence.
These plugins can automate many of the processes that IT teams and marketers used to do manually.
WordPress is an Effective Website Design Option
Once the first page is finished, the WordPress website will be up and running! This is a brief overview of how users can get a WordPress website up and running.
Those who have never set up a website before might be intimidated by this idea; however, WordPress makes the process incredibly easy. It is free, open-source, and provides a step-by-step process for how users can set up a website easily. In some cases, this might even be done in 30 minutes or less!
