How you can create a WordPress web site
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WordPress has officially passed the 39% mark and makes up over a third of the entire web.
It's like the Oprah Winfrey of the web hosting world – reliable, has a loyal user base, an excellent reputation, and is hugely popular around the world. Hence, it makes perfect sense to build a website on WordPress.
Building a website may seem scary if you're not a "techie," but trust me when I tell you times have changed. It's now faster, cheaper, and easier than ever.
In this guide, I'm going to tell you how to create a WordPress site in under 60 minutes.
Ready?
Your two-minute cheat sheet
Not having enough time to go through the entire article? Here is your quick cheat sheet.
Disclaimer: This is just the gist of all of Shebang. So don't look for too many details here. These are below.
Although you have several web hosting provider options, I recommend starting your WordPress website journey with Bluehost. It's very reliable, has fast load times, and is good for your budget.
The first step is to set up your account with Bluehost. The whole thing is pretty simple and just involves choosing a subscription plan, registering your domain name, and getting the deal done. That's it!
Next, you'll need to install WordPress (Bluehost will do this for you) and familiarize yourself with the interface. Then you need to choose a theme for your website that best fits your brand and also makes things functional. My favorite is ThemeForest, but you can also stick to the official WordPress directory.
Make sure to adjust your permalink structure so that your links are more readable and optimized for the SERPs. This is very important. Please don't skip it. You can also install plugins to expand your website's capabilities. However, this is strictly optional.
Finally, all you have to do is create awesome content that will attract visitors to your website.
Voila! You now have a WordPress website that looks beautiful, has amazing content, and is ready to handle the traffic.
Now let's see in more detail how it all works.
Step 1: Choose a domain name
Your domain name is your identity on the Internet. This is how your audience will find you and identify your brand. This is precisely why you should choose something that reflects your brand and is easier for users to type in their browser and find you.
However, you have complete freedom to choose your domain name. You can choose any name as long as it is available and not registered by other companies.
Here are some tips on choosing a great domain name for your website:
- Make it brandable and unique sounding
- Make sure it is memorable
- Hold on short
- Keep it simple to spell, pronounce, and type
- Add niche related words. For example, if you want to sell pizza, it makes sense to add pizza somewhere in the domain.
Think about it: Doesn't www.pizzahut.com sound better than pizzasellingplace.com? I agree.
You can use Domain Wheel, a free website name generator, to come up with more ideas if you're looking for inspiration. Just enter a keyword related to your niche and the tool will give you tons of suggestions to inspire you.
After you have a potential domain name, you need to check its availability. With around 1.8 million websites online, it can be a bit of a challenge to stay original, but it's definitely worth the effort.
Since we all love free things, subscribing to a web hosting service lets you register your domain for free.
Speaking of domain registration …
Step 2: Choose a web hosting provider and register a domain name
There are hundreds of companies selling web hosting services and tons of companies that you can register a new domain name with. But wouldn't it be more convenient to choose a company that offers you both services?
A typical example: Bluehost.
This web hosting provider is reliable, beginner-friendly, inexpensive AND gives you a free domain name – take it from someone who has built many websites for their clients in their career.
Also, let's not forget that Bluehost is one of the few companies recommended on the official WordPress.org website.
Sold on Bluehost? Great!
Here's what to do next:
Visit the Bluehost website
Go to Bluehost in your web browser.
Choose your hosting plan
You will see three hosting plan options on your screen:
- basic – From $ 2.95 per month
- plus – From $ 4.95 per month
- Choice Plus – From $ 5.45 per month
When you're just starting your website, you can choose the cheapest plan – Basic – and get a piece of the internet. Remember, the only way to get the $ 2.95 price is if you opt for a three year subscription.
Register your domain
Once you've selected your subscription, Bluehost will prompt you to set up and register your domain.
Here you see two options:
- Create a new domain
- Use a domain you own
Choose Create a new domain Option and enter your chosen name from step 1. I also recommend choosing a .com extension to give your website a more professional touch.
Enter your personal details and account details
Next, you will need to provide your personal information to set up your account.
If you scroll down, you will see the Package Extras section. Be sure to check only the fields that you think make sense for your website.
For me, choosing Domain Privacy + Protection is a must because personal information like name, email address and phone number does not appear in public databases. After all, spending a few cents more is nothing when it comes to security.
When you're done, click Submit to complete your purchase.
Step 3: Let Bluehost Install WordPress for You
At this point, you have a hosting service provider and a domain name. Congratulations!
The only thing missing is WordPress.
Of course, you can install WordPress manually. But why would you do it when you can get Bluehost to do it for you – for free?
After the sign-up process is complete, check your inbox for an email from Bluehost. It contains details that will show you how to log into your customer profile and start working on your website.
Once you're signed in, Bluehost will show you an easy-to-use wizard that will guide you through the process of installing WordPress on your hosting setup.
Alternative possibility:
You can also install WordPress by going to the My sites Section. Click on that Create site Click the button and the installation will begin automatically. Enter your new website name and username / password and your WordPress website is ready to go.
Step 4: choose a theme or design for your website
One of WordPress' biggest USPs is theme support.
Themes are interchangeable designs that let you change how your WordPress website looks with the push of a button. For example, this is what your website looks like by default:
You can change the look of your website by choosing another popular free theme (I chose Hestia). It now looks like this:
Find out why theme compatibility is WordPress' biggest unique selling point.
Choose a topic you like
There are hundreds – if not thousands – of WordPress themes.
You can get started by checking out the official directory on WordPress.org. That being said, there are several other theme shops and marketplaces like ThemeForest. These are third party websites that offer free and premium themes to change the way the website is presented without changing the content.
You can go through the different websites and choose a theme that you like the most.
Install your chosen theme
If you choose a theme from the official WordPress.org directory, all you have to do is press To install right now. This is how it works:
Go to Look, followed by subjectsand then click on Add new. Enter the name of the theme you want to install in the search bar, then click To install Button under the desired topic.
After the installation, click activate to activate the thing on your website.
If you want to use a theme purchased from a trusted third party, the steps are slightly different.
Here's how you can install a premium theme on your website:
- First, download the new theme's zip file.
- Log into your WordPress dashboard and go to Look, and then subjects.
- Click on that Add new Possibility. You will then be redirected to the WordPress theme dashboard.
- Select the blue button at the top of the screen Upload topic. When prompted, select the zip file from your computer.
After a success message, a link is displayed that you can use to activate your team. That's it!
While some themes are free, premium themes vary in price. There are options starting at $ 10 and options up to $ 200. You can choose an option that best suits your budget and preferences.
Step 5: install plugins (optional)
You can install plugins to improve the functionality of your website. Think of these as applications for your mobile phone.
You can refer to our best WordPress plugins guide to zero-down options, but you are free to choose the ones that appeal to you the most. From optimization to website traffic analysis to security, you can find tons of options for each category.
However, don't go overboard when installing plugins. This causes your website to slow down, which in turn can lead to lost traffic.
As they say, there is too much good.
Step 6: configure important site settings
Setting up permalinks is very, very important! This is exactly why you should do this immediately after launching your WordPress website.
The permalink structure determines what your website links will look like. Think of this as a representation of your site structure. For NeilPatel.com it looks something like this:
A good permalink structure tells your visitor exactly where they are on your website (in our example in our blog section), while a bad structure does the opposite. Having the right permalink structure is also critical to improving your SEO rankings.
There are many ways you could go wrong. That's why I've put together a three-step guide to help you get it right:
- In your WordPress dashboard, click the settings from the side menu and go to Permalinks.
- In the General Settings box, click Custom structure.
- It doesn't make sense to choose it Numerically This will only confuse your visitor. Also, it doesn't serve much for SEO purposes.
- Enter the tag string "/ blog /% postname% /".
When you're done, click to save to Save the changes.
Step 7: set up important web pages and promote your site
With your website ready, you can now focus on creating quality content that will help you increase your traffic and conversions. First, create important websites like Info, Contact Form, Privacy Policy, Portfolio, and Store (if applicable).
Would you like more information and step-by-step instructions? Check out my guides on how to start a blog and make money blogging.
I really can't stress enough the importance of having optimized content on your website that is relevant to your niche. So make sure you do a thorough research to get everything right.
Conclusion
That was all it took to build a WordPress website.
In the end, you have a domain name, web hosting provider, and a running website. Keep experimenting in your niche and you will soon build a loyal fan base who values your opinion or loves your products / services.
Have you already started your website? Who is your favorite web hosting provider of all time, if so?
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