The first thing we look at before buying a product is the brand’s website. Your website should speak for your brand in your absence and is your portfolio. It should have all the information your target audience needs to know about your brand.
In 2023, it is easy for anyone to create a website without any website designing, coding, and technical knowledge. As of now, there are 200 million active websites created by human beings like you and me.
Whether you are creating a website for your client or yourself to exhibit your brand, you can do it the right way with the right resources.
Different Ways to Create a Website
You can build your website in different ways. Of course, the first one is with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. You can further use SQL and other technologies. You can also create your website with a website builder or content management platform like WordPress.
Many website builders are available in the market these days. Some of the best and most recommended website builders are Wix, Squarespace, Weebly, and Site123. However, there are thousands of other website builders that you can also use.
In this blog, we will discuss how to build a website with one of the most famous content management systems, WordPress. At the end of this blog, you will be able to create a website for your brand and your clients using WP. So what are you waiting for? Let us get started.
Things You Need to Create a Website
1. Domain Name
To get started with creating a website, you need a custom and unique web address, like www.sitename.com. The domain name should speak for your brand and should be instantly recognizable.
2. Website Hosting
Web hosting is a service that hosts your website. Many hosting providers offer high-class hosting services to their clients. Some of the best web hostings are Namecheap, Hostinger, Bluehost, and Blue Geek.
3. WordPress
WordPress is the most popular content management system that is free, easy to use, and the most commonly used platform to create websites.
What is a WordPress Website?
WordPress is a free and open-source CMS (content management system) or website builder. Written in PHP and paired with a MySQL/MariaDB database, WordPress facilitates making simple and easy websites for your businesses and blogs.
WordPress templates can also be used to create a website by just plugging in your information. It can also be used to design plugins, add-ons, different themes, and much more.
Among all other ways to make websites, WordPress is the most popular and most used open-source platform.
Why Choose WordPress to Make a Website?
WordPress was designed as a platform for blogging and related publishing. But as it offers many advantages, WordPress is used for making websites also. In fact, one-third of all internet sites are created using WordPress.
Let’s have a look at the advantages of using WordPress for creating a website:
1. User-Friendly
You don’t need to be a tech nerd to create a website using WordPress. All you need is a domain name and web hosting account, and you can create a website within no time.
2. Flexibility and Adaptability
WordPress enables the creation of any type of website, from small businesses to eCommerce stores. WordPress is adaptable to all types of websites.
3. Themes and Plugins
In addition to offering a wide range of choices in the appearance and functions of your site, WordPress plugins are the specialized functions that cater to the specific needs of your website, such as contact forms, shopping carts, galleries, and more.
4. High Ranking
As almost every third website is created on WordPress and includes updated content, they include plugins and a variety of tools enabling them to create scheduled and optimized content. All this makes WordPress websites rank higher on SERPs than websites that aren’t made on WordPress.
Besides these advantages, other reasons that make WordPress popular are: WordPress sites are mobile-responsive, have a built-in blog, and offer great customer service.
6 Easy Steps to Set Up a WordPress Site
To set up a website using WordPress, you need to follow these 6 steps:
1. Choose a domain name
To get started with building a website, you need a domain name. As mentioned earlier, your domain name should reflect your brand. This name is used by your visitors when they want to visit your website.
Since there are many domain service providers, the pricing for the domain varies from $10 to $50 per year.
Few things to know before buying a domain name:
- The name you are choosing should be easy to remember.
- Numbers and symbols are a big no.
- Include your brand’s name and niche keywords.
- .com domain is the go-to option and ranks well on the SERPs.
Note: Don’t get disheartened if your specific domain name is not available. You can try things a little differently. There are millions of domain names registered, and many possibilities are still available.
Many online tools provide you with thousands of domain name suggestions that are available. Some of the most famous tools are Lean Domain Search, Instant Domain Search, and Namemesh.
2. Register the domain and sign up for web hosting
After purchasing the domain name, you will need website hosting. Are you wondering what web hosting is? Let’s discuss it briefly.
Website hosting refers to the service that hosts and stores all the data and files of a website on a server. If you do not have web hosting, your site will not be accessible to others.
There are many inexpensive as well as premium hosting providers available to host your website. You need to do a lot of research and choose the best one because it is an essential investment for your website.
Imagine you are creating a site, and suddenly you face an error and the customer service of your hosting provider is not replying. Terrifying, isn’t it? So, you need to choose the best domain hosting provider. Here are a few desirable features of a good domain hosting provider:
- A free domain name for one year with an SSL certificate.
- Support for WordPress.
- Email accounts.
- Unlimited bandwidth, i.e., unlimited traffic.
- Should have extensive customer support and live chat.
Here are some of the best hosting providers offering all the features mentioned above and more:
- Namecheap
- Blue Geek
- Hostinger
- BlueHost
- SiteGround
3. Set up WordPress via cPanel
Once you have completed purchasing your domain name and hosting, you are ready to go. Now, you need to install the content management software that we’ll be using i.e. WordPress.
Although there are so many content management systems available, WordPress is the most recommended one because it comes with thousands of editable themes and free add-ons that help you create dynamic websites.
Installing WordPress is easy, and most web hosting providers allow installing WordPress in one click. All you need to do is:
- Log in to your hosting provider account,
- Go to the cPanel, and
- Search for WordPress and click on Install.
Wait for a few minutes and tada WordPress is installed, and now you can start building your website with WordPress.
Note: You also need to verify your SSL/HTTPS settings. Adding an SSL certificate is important as it allows users to use your website securely.
Most hosting providers automatically add SSL when you create a new website or install WordPress. You can also check your SSL status in the security section in the cPanel. It might also take a few hours to set up your SSL certificate completely.
4. Customize website design and structure
Now that you have installed WordPress, you can start adding your theme, customizing it, and launching your site. Do not worry. We have got you covered. Follow the steps mentioned below and get started like a pro:
Choose the theme of your site
The first thing you need to do after setting up WordPress is to choose a theme that suits your brand and niche. WordPress is a content management system that comes with millions of website themes. All you need to do is choose the best one and start customizing it according to your needs.
Since you are creating a website with WordPress for the first time, we recommend you go ahead with browsing for themes from wordpress.org. Check for themes in the “most popular” section because it has high-quality and most-used themes.
Install the theme you like
Once you have finalized the theme, you can go ahead with installing it. Follow the steps given below to do so:
Step 1: Go to your WordPress admin interface. Log in with your username and password.
Step 2: From the sidebar, click on “Themes” available under “Appearance”.
Step 3: Go to “Add new”.
Step 4: Browse for the theme you like. Go ahead and install it.
Step 5: Once the installation is complete, click on the “Activate” button.
Step 6: Wait for a few seconds, and tada! Your installation is complete.
Add a logo
A logo is an essential part of a brand, and it “needs” to be there on the website. It is recommended to add the logo on the top left corner of the website to get the viewers’ attention.
You can add the logo by going to the “Customize” option in the Appearance section. Then click on “Header” available in the left sidebar, followed by clicking on “Site identity”, and upload your logo. You can also add your logo from the Dashboard.
Are you wondering how to create your logo? Many online tools will allow you to create a customized logo in just a few steps without designing skills. Some themes allow you to customize the font and the theme color according to your choice.
Add a sidebar
WordPress also allows you to add sidebars easily. All you need to do is to go to the Customize option available under Appearance and then click on the “sidebar” option under General to get started.
There are three options available: no sidebar, sidebar to the left, or sidebar to the right. It is always recommended to add the sidebar to the right. Once you have selected the sidebar you need, you can click on Publish.
Add widgets
One of the best things about WordPress is that it allows you to add widgets for FREE. WordPress has many free widgets, like calendars, archives, recent posts, and post categories.
You can add widgets from the Widget option available under the Appearance tab. You will find all the widgets available on the left, and on the right side, you will find all the widget areas supported by your theme.
You can add widgets to the footer and your sidebar. All you need to do is drag the widget into your preferred sidebar and footer area.
Adding all the features mentioned above will help to make your website professional. However, you can customize your site according to your needs by going to the “Customize” option, available under Appearance.
Keep testing and meddling with the theme. You will get hands-on practice, and definitely, you will be able to create the best one.
5. Add pages and content
Pages are indispensable for a website. We cannot imagine a website without different pages. In simple words, web pages are similar to word documents. Creating web pages with WordPress is very easy and can be done in minutes. Some of the mandatory pages for a website are:
- Home page: It is the first page of your website. This page explains everything about your website. It is the most important page and should be super creative to motivate the visitors to go to the next page.
- About Us: This page should explain everything about your company and your website.
- Services: This page has a detailed description of all the services your company provides. You can add subpages to this page as well.
- Blogs: List of all the blogs on your website.
- Contact Us: This page will have your brand’s contact information making it easier for visitors to contact you.
You can add a new page by going to the “Page” option available on the dashboard’s left side and go to “Add New”, as shown in the image below:
Once you have created your pages, you need to add the content. The WordPress editor is very easy and allows you to add different text and graphics quickly.
Note: Most of us do not know the difference between “Posts” and “Pages” on WordPress and end up confused. Pages are the web pages; the home page, contact us page, services pages, and much more. The posts page is the posts that we create, also known as “blogs”. In simple words, your posts page will have all the blogs that you write.
Another important thing that you need to change is the homepage settings. You can choose what you want to display on the homepage of your site. It can be the blogs you write, i.e., the posts page in chronological order, or setting a static homepage detailing your highlights. Do not forget to do this!
You can change this setting by clicking on customize —–> Home Page Settings ——> and choosing HomePage or Post Page, depending on your choice.
Here, we have set the homepage as the static page and the posts page as the blog page as demonstrated in the picture mentioned above. You can do it according to your needs.
6. Navigation menu
Once you have created the pages of your choice, the step is to add website menus. The menus are very important because it allows visitors to navigate between different pages. Click on the “Menus” option available under “Appearance” and go to “new menu”. Here are the steps to create a menu:
- Add a title. Though the title doesn’t matter, it is recommended to add a name because it helps differentiate between different menus.
- Select the pages you want to display in the menu bar.
- Once you have selected the pages, click on “Add to menu” to add your menu bar pages.
- Drag and drop the menu to arrange them in the order of your choice.
- Set a display location for your menus.
- Once completed, click on “save menu”.
That’s it! You have completed the basics required for creating a website with WordPress without any technical knowledge. Amazing, isn’t it?
Conclusion
Of course, WordPress is an ocean of possibilities. Endless. You can work on it extensively and create a unique and eye-catching website. You can add contact forms, images, videos, carousel images, galleries, and much more. Keep tweaking your site, and you will get there eventually.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is WordPress the best way to build a website?
Yes, WordPress is the best way to build a website as you do not need to be a technical expert to create a website on WordPress. All you need is a domain name and web hosting account to use WordPress to create a website. As WordPress is user-friendly, therefore, almost every third website on the Internet is created on WordPress.
2. Can I build a WordPress site for free?
Yes, you can build a WordPress website for free. All you need is a custom domain name and web hosting provider, which costs money to create a website on WordPress. WordPress is an open-source platform, which means it’s free to use, build upon, and redistribute the software in any way you like without paying any fees.
3. Why is WordPress so difficult?
WordPress is easy to use by non-technical persons as its user interface is intuitive and friendly. You can simply download a WordPress theme to add a new design to your website. To add a new function, like a contact form, you just need to install a WordPress plugin.
4. Is coding required for WordPress?
WordPress is a flexible content management system that allows multiple users to create and run a website without coding. WordPress uses the programming language PHP so users are not required to have knowledge of coding to build a WordPress website.
5. How much is a domain in WordPress?
The registration fees of domain names depending on the domain registrars. The prices range between $12.99 to $28.00 per annum, depending on how long you register the domain for. On purchasing any WordPress.com annual plan, you may register a new domain for free for one year. You can also connect a domain from another provider for free with any WordPress.com plan. If you are not ready to add a custom domain, you can create your site and add a domain later.
So what are you waiting for? Get started right away!
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