If you're interested in making a WordPress website, you can follow our comprehensive guide to create one without the need to hire a developer.
WordPress’ ease of use is an advantage for small businesses looking to create their website. Some of the most popular websites in the world are built on WordPress, including TechCrunch, Mashable, and even the New York Times. It has grown into one of the leaders in creating fully customizable websites that can be built by anyone without even touching any code.
In addition to providing a fast and easy way to create a WordPress website of your own, the content management software platform also makes it simple to update and maintain your site. Once you’re set-up, the only thing you’ll need is to add new pages and posts and upload and replace photos and other media files as needed.
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WordPress
WordPress is a powerful open source online content management system (CMS) that makes it easy to build and manage a website.
What is WordPress?
WordPress is a powerful open-source online content management system (CMS) that makes it easy to build and manage a website. It was initially created as a simple blogging platform but has since become one of the most popular website builder software used today. WordPress allows users to easily create custom designs, upload multiple pages, add plugins for additional features, and even monetize their website with advertisements.
It is written in PHP, with JavaScript for client-side scripting, and MySQL or MS SQL for database back-ends. It is available for download free of charge and is highly customizable.
When it comes to deciding on the best website platform for your needs, WordPress is a great choice. It’s widely recognized as the leading platform for creating and managing websites.
With more than 810 million websites using WordPress, you know it has widespread success. It offers an easy-to-use interface that makes it easy to manage any aspect of your website without any coding knowledge as well as being highly customizable through its many plugins and themes available.
The user experience when working with WordPress is similar to the interfaces of popular sites like Facebook or Google Docs. Pages and documents can be easily created and published quickly with a few clicks of the mouse.
WordPress makes it super simple to keep the site up-to-date while offering users the ability to control every aspect of their content from SEO optimization to setting page visibility control options.
Why Use WordPress to Build Your Website?
WordPress is the world's most popular blogging platform. It is also the most popular website-building platform, used by more than 43% of all websites, and more than 65% of all websites that use Content Management Systems.
Building a website using WordPress is the right move for any individual or business that wants an affordable, flexible, and powerful website solution. WordPress is open-source software that's free to use, so there are no yearly or monthly fees associated with using it. It's the ultimate do-it-yourself platform for creating professional-grade websites and online stores.
WordPress is incredibly versatile: it can be used to run absolutely any type of website, from corporate portals to blogs and small businesses. Best of all, it’s fast, optimized, and secure — meaning your data is always safe and you'll never have to worry about server crashes or slow page load speeds due to a technical issue.
WordPress is SEO-ready out of the box, which makes it easier than ever before for your site to get noticed in the search engine results pages. Combined with some additional optimization efforts on your part, you can quickly see improved visibility for your content in SERPs.
With WordPress, any website can look like any other website, or completely different. WordPress supports hundreds of themes. Themes are sets of code that combine WordPress core code with CSS and other design elements.
It also supports a wide range of hosting environments, including shared hosting. WordPress makes your website easy to update. Adding new content to a WordPress website is easier than with a static website. With a static website, you need to update every page on your website, one at a time.
What do I Need to build a website?
To start your WordPress site, you will need the following three things.
- A domain name: a unique identifier for a website, such as google.com.
- WordPress hosting: is the location where your website files are stored.
- Allocate 45 minutes of uninterrupted focus.
Once all these 3 points have been decided on you can kickstart your website project.
Before you choose a domain or hosting, you need to check the cost of these items by comparing different web hosting and domain name providers. Understand though that these may not be the only costs associated with building your WordPress website. Let's take a closer look at how much a WordPress website can cost you to build.
How Much Does a WordPress Website Cost?
The cost of creating a WordPress website really depends on what type of website you are looking to build. A personal website can be very affordable – you could get a basic design and domain name for as low as $100 per year. On the other end of the spectrum, businesses may be looking at paying up to $30,000 for their website if they plan to scale it quickly with multiple features.
Regardless of your budget, we recommend starting small and scaling up as needed. This will save money in the long run and make sure that you're not overspending on unnecessary features right out of the gate. The structure of the costs of building a website are as follows.
- Domain Name: Around $16.99/year
- Website Hosting: $7.99/month
- WordPress Theme: A theme can be between $29 - $100
- WordPress Plugins: Elementor is $59/year
There are however a lot of themes and plugins you can start your WordPress website for free with. This is a great place to start for beginners since you will have to try out a lot of combinations to find one that works best for you as your website grows.
How to Create a Website in 5 Steps?
With the right tools and some knowledge, you can create an impressive website you'll love to showcase. This guide covers 5 steps to build your WordPress website:
1. Setting up your WordPress Website
Setting up the right website platform is one of the most critical steps in building a successful website for a business or hobby. WordPress is the best choice for most users due to its range of incredible features that can be easily customized and adapted. It’s incredibly user-friendly, allowing users of any level to quickly get up and running.
For just about anyone, it is the go-to platform with thousands of themes, add-ons, and plugins ready to use. And its flexibility doesn't stop there; it's also free for anyone wanting to download and create their own website without any restrictions.
Working with WordPress makes customizing a site easy with drag-and-drop elements for all different kinds of design styles including personal blogs, portfolios, ecommerce sites, news websites, magazine sites – you name it
Moreover, those who already have experience working with web development will find that working with WordPress takes very little time due to its robust functionality.
We suggest our readers explore our guide on why you should use WordPress further if they are still considering their options when it comes to choosing a website platform.
Pick a Domain Name
A domain name is a unique name that identifies a website. It is what visitors will type into a browser's address bar to go to your website.
Domain names must be unique. So even though you want example.com, someone else may already have that domain. The domain name for this blog is www.teckohost.com.
There are many registrars where you can buy a domain name. When you buy a domain, you have several options for how it will be named. Some registrars let you name your domain after whatever word you want, just so long as it isn't already taken. Other registrars let you choose from a list of names that have been registered before.
Domain name registrars almost always charge a small fee to register a domain name. That fee can be as little as $7.99 per year and is usually higher. But if you use your domain a lot, it may be worth paying the fee, because this allows you to control it forever, even if you move your blog to another registrar later.
When you register a domain, you get three pieces of information: the name, the nameservers, and the DNS records. The nameservers are the servers in the domain name registrar's network that will translate domain names into IP addresses. The DNS records are used to send traffic to your website.
2. Choose a Hosting Package and Set Up
You need to have a host before you start building your website. Choosing a hosting provider for your WordPress website is an important decision and one that should not be taken lightly. There are many providers to choose from, with costs ranging from free to hundreds of dollars per month. It is essential to research each option carefully before making a selection.
Consider the type of website you want to create and the features you need such as security, storage, and technical support. Additionally, look into the uptime guarantees for each hosting provider - this will determine how reliable your website is over time.
When selecting a hosting provider it is also important to think about scalability - ensure there are options available if your website traffic increases or when you eventually upgrade to a premium version of your WordPress site.
Many hosting providers offer additional tools and services that can help improve reliability and performance, so take some time to evaluate these options before choosing the right provider for your needs. Ultimately, the goal should be finding a hosting provider that offers the best combination of features, tools, and prices for you and your business. Once you have chosen a hosting plan, you will then install WordPress and move the the next step.
3. Choosing a WordPress theme
Let's explore what a WordPress theme is, how it affects your site, how to pick one, and some ways you can customize how it looks.
What's a WordPress theme?
A WordPress theme determines how your site looks and behaves. For example, you can change your site's layout, fonts, and colors by switching to a different theme. Don't worry—a theme change won't remove content (like images, links, and text) you added to your site. It only affects the way that content is displayed.
Who makes themes for WordPress?
Just about anyone can create a WordPress theme. A theme author can choose to offer it for free or charge a fee for you to use it. Find the theme that works best for you, your business, and your site.
What type of theme should I pick?
There are thousands of free and premium WordPress themes to choose from. Themes come with a variety of colors, styles, and additional features, which can make selecting the right theme for your site feel overwhelming. Here are a few tips to help you select your theme:
Look at websites from your industry and take note of the features you like and the ones you don't.
Consider which colors you want to use. Does your brand or logo use a certain color you want on the site, as well?
Do you want the main navigation along the top or down the left side of your site?
What type of fonts do you want to use?
How do I find and install a new theme?
After you have an idea of what you want from your theme, here's how to find, install, and activate your new theme.
Search and install a theme from within your WordPress dashboard. The WordPress repository has a number of free themes you can puck from. You just go to the Dashboard> Themes> then choose a theme and click the install button. After it's installed, activate the theme to start using it on your site.
Note: You might select a theme that is bundled with a parent theme. This "child theme" works the same way as a regular theme. Advanced users can learn more about child and parent themes.
Use your preferred search engine to find companies offering free and premium themes. When you find one you like, download the theme .zip file and install it from that file through your WordPress admin dashboard. To make the new theme visible on your site, activate the theme.
4. Understand your WordPress Dashboard
Since you are now ready to customize your WordPress website, take into account your WordPress dashboard. You should find yourself in the back end of your website. On the admin panel, you will have control over what your website visitors see. A good website is all about creating a good experience for users. And it's no different with WordPress.
In WordPress, your dashboard is where you go to start creating. It's where you will enter your blog posts, pages, and settings, and it's where you manage your website.
5. Customize Your theme?
Themes should allow some customization options for the colors, fonts, and other design elements. However, some theme authors may limit theme-specific settings to very basic options or none. Here are a couple of ways to see what can be changed with your theme:
Use the theme customizer built into your WordPress dashboard. Often you can change some of your theme's features using this tool. The options vary from theme to theme.
Look through the official documentation provided by the company that developed the theme.
You can only customize the currently active theme. Customize your theme with colors, typography, favicons, and more.
Remember to sign up for Google Analytics to collect data on Website visitors and Google Search Console to identify and fix any errors your website may experience.
You will get your website running in these steps.
6. Create Your Website Pages
Creating web pages is an essential part of building a website. For example, it is common to include a homepage, services page, pricing page, about page, and contact page on the average business website. WordPress makes creating these pages easy.
From the WordPress dashboard, you can access all of your pages from the left-hand vertical menu under “pages”. To create a new page, click “add new” and use either the classic editor or the block editor to get started. You can customize each page any way you like with text, images, videos, and more.
If you do need help customizing or have any other questions related to creating pages in WordPress, there are tons of helpful articles online as well as forums and communities of experienced WordPress users who can help answer your questions.
8. Write Your First Blog Post (Optional)
Writing blog posts on a business website is a great way to draw in potential customers and help improve search engine visibility. WordPress is a popular platform to use for creating and managing blog posts. It’s easy to get started, and with the right plugins and SEO tactics, you can make sure your post reaches its intended audience.
The first step in using WordPress to write a blog post is selecting “posts” from the left panel of your dashboard. This takes you to your post list where you can add a new post. Enter the title of your post, then start typing the content into the editor below it.
You can also schedule when you want the post to be published by entering a date or choosing “publish immediately” if you want it posted right away. If you don’t feel confident about writing high-quality content on your own, consider hiring an experienced writer who specializes in creating web copy for businesses.
Once your post is ready, preview it through WordPress or save it as a draft so that it can be edited later.
9. Market Your WordPress Site
One of the most important steps in building a successful website is marketing it to ensure visitors come to your site. Without marketing, there’s no getting found online and without people finding your website it’s impossible to get visits leading to revenue. There are many website marketing strategies that businesses can use to promote their sites and gain visibility on search engines and social media channels.
A great place to start when marketing your website is by submitting your URL to Google Search Console to help it rank more quickly. Additionally, creating relevant social media accounts and including links in posts can also be incredibly effective in gaining visibility for each post as well as the company’s website as a whole.
This will help increase the traffic coming into the site which will ultimately lead you closer to organic search engine ranking success. Investing some time into these vital website marketing strategies will pay off in the end with an increase in interest in whatever content or services you have available on your site.
In Summary: Building your WordPress Website
Launching a WordPress website doesn't have to be complicated when broken down step by step. By following the steps outlined above, anyone from beginners to experienced coders and developers can set up their own website or blog in just a few hours.
To begin, registering a domain, finding a reliable hosting provider like Hostinger offers an easy setup for any type of WordPress site, and selecting the right CMS for your needs are all essential steps to ensure a successful launch into the digital realm. Creating content that resonates with your audience is key as well; once done correctly, people will come back time and time again for more.
At the end of it all, launching a WordPress website may seem daunting at first but once you get over that initial hurdle, setting up your online presence takes just a few simple steps. With everything in place – domain, hosting provider, and CMS – you can now focus on content and start creating what will become your virtual print in the online universe. What's left to do now? Get started on launching that WordPress site.
Frequently Asked Questions About WordPress (FAQs)
Here are a few common questions that people usually ask about Building a WordPress website. They are answers to all the most common questions below.
Can a beginner build a WordPress site?
Yes, absolutely. With the right guidance and resources, even a beginner can build a WordPress site. There are plenty of hosting services and tutorials available to assist with the process such as Hostinger's WordPress Hosting which includes a comprehensive guide to walk users through each step of setting up their site. Additionally, countless plugins and themes are available for free to help customize the look and feel of your website.
What are the advantages of using WordPress?
One of the biggest advantages of using WordPress is its user-friendly interface which makes it easy for beginners and experienced web developers alike to build and manage a website. Additionally, WordPress is an open-source platform with plenty of plugins and themes available for free or at a low cost to help customize the look and feel of your site.
Can I build a WordPress site for free?
Yes, you can create a WordPress site for free, however, the resources available are limited. To get the most out of your website, it is recommended to invest in web hosting and domain name registration. Additionally, some plugins and themes require a fee to use but there are many that are available for free.
How much does it cost to create a website in WordPress?
The cost of creating a website in WordPress varies depending on the plugins and themes you choose. Generally, hosting services such as Hostinger provide plans starting at $3.45/month which includes domain name registration, unlimited web hosting, and up to 30GB of storage space. Additionally, there are thousands of free plugins and themes available that can help customize your site without having to pay for any additional
How scalable are website builders?
Website builders are highly scalable, meaning that they are designed to grow with your business as it expands. As new features and services are added to your website, the builder will adjust accordingly so that your site can continue running smoothly. This allows businesses to add more complex features such as e-commerce and customer service portals without having to rebuild their entire website from scratch. Additionally, many website builders allow you to adjust the size of your website as needed so that it can easily accommodate more visitors or content.
Which is better: WordPress or Wix?
Both WordPress and Wix are two of the most popular website-building platforms available. When it comes to choosing between them, it really depends on the type of website you need and your level of experience with web development. For those who want a more comprehensive suite of tools and features, WordPress is usually the better choice as it offers an extensive range of plugins, themes, and customization options. On the other hand, Wix is often a better choice for those who are new to web development as it offers an intuitive drag-and-drop design interface that makes creating and managing websites incredibly easy.
