How to Get Started with WordPress

WordPress is an open-source, flexible content management system (CMS) that offers plenty of high-value themes and plugins. Unless you want a highly customized website feature or layout, no coding skill is required to use this most popular CMS to create, modify, and edit your WordPress site. How do you get started with this content management system? Here are the steps that you need to follow:

1. Choose Domain Name

The domain name is your permanent business address on the internet. Whenever your customers want to get to your website, they can type the address on their browsers and search. Numerous companies are selling these names at an affordable rate on the internet. But you can also use some for free.

2. Purchase Web Hosting

Since WordPress.org is a self-hosted platform, you need a third-party to host your website for you. The trick is to choose a reputable and affordable hosting service. After identifying the best hosting company and paying the required fees, you will be able to start the installation process.

3. Install WordPress

Most hosting companies give all the tools that you need to install the WordPress software. Many others are also willing to guide you throughout the entire installation process at no cost. If you choose, you can google for the necessary steps that you need to follow to install the free software in no time. What’s more, you can also look for a hosting company that automatically installs WordPress for non-techy users to their sites or blogs. Once the software is entirely set up, you can start customizing your website’s appearance to make it your own.

4. Pick WordPress Theme

Personalize your website by picking one of the most attractive themes that give you the power to control the site’s appearance. There are thousands of pre-made WordPress themes that you can use for free. But you can also install paid themes. To activate your new theme, go to the WordPress dashboard, click on Appearance» Themes, and follow the straightforward instructions.

5. Install WordPress Plugins

Install the necessary plugins to add new functionality to your blog or website. In the free WordPress Plugin directory alone, there are more than 55,000 plugins. Avoid unnecessary plugins as they could adversely impact your site’s speed. Some of the plugins that you likely need are:

Yoast SEO
Google Analytics for WordPress
Wordfence Security
UpdraftPlus
Optimole
WPForms

6. Create Basic Pages

Regardless of the purpose of your website, there are individual pages that you will have to create. These pages include:

About
Contact
Home Page
Privacy Policy
Store (If you want to sell online)
Portfolio (where you showcase past work)

To add these pages or any other, go to the WordPress dashboard and click “Pages” and then “Add New.” After editing the pages, click “Publish,” and that’s all.

Final Thoughts

We have presented the critical installation steps here. That is all you can do to start a WordPress website. The best thing is that the instructions are easy to follow, and you can use them to create your site yourself without hiring anyone.

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