Setting Up Your First WordPress Site? Here’s What You Need to Know!
If you’re looking to set up your own first WordPress website, you’re probably a little overwhelmed. Don’t let all the jargon and technical terms confuse you. In this blog post, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to quickly and easily set up your very first website. Keep on reading to learn more!
Domain name: Picking the perfect one
Picking the perfect domain name for your website is an important step and one you should not take lightly. Domain names play a key role in your SEO efforts, and choosing one that isn’t easy to remember or type out can cause a lot of frustration down the road.
When picking a domain name, try to pick something relevant to your niche and something that is easy to remember. Don’t pick something that sounds too complicated or won’t be easy to remember.
For example, if you’re in the coffee business, and you choose coffeecoffeecoffee.com as your URL, you’re likely going to lose a lot of customers. We recommend picking a domain name that is short, easy to remember, and relevant to your business.
Hosting: Where to house your site
Now that you have your domain name picked out, the next thing you’ll need to do is find a hosting company to house your website. Hosting companies (also known as web hosts or servers) are companies that provide the space to store your website’s files.
When choosing a hosting company, we recommend finding one that is reliable and has a good reputation. We suggest looking for hosting providers that have a 99.9% uptime, as this means your site will be up and running 24*7.
A few good recommendations are as below:
Bluehost is a world leader in WordPress hosting. Bluehost offers some of the fastest WordPress hosting available, even on their basic shared hosting plan. Additionally, they offer one-click WordPress installs, making it easy to start a blog on Bluehost.
A2 Hosting is another excellent option because of how fast they are. They offer up to 20X faster loading speeds than competitors, which is perfect for WordPress blogs. A2 Hosting also offers free migration services, making it easy to switch from your current host to A2 Hosting.
WP Engine is another popular choice among WordPress users. WP Engine offers managed WordPress hosting, which makes it easy to manage your hosting environment. Their managed hosting comes with automatic backups, daily malware scans, and automatic updates. Additionally, WP Engine was built specifically for WordPress, and they have been optimized for WordPress from the beginning.
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Themes: Finding the right look
When you set up a website, it’s usually not the end of the process. You need to set up the site, but then you need to also make it look good. Themes are a big part of this process and finding the right one can be a challenge. How can you find the right theme? What do you look for in WordPress themes?
Research the theme:
Before you select a theme, make sure you’re aware of what to look for. Check out the theme’s features, including the layout and functionality. Check to see if it’s responsive, so it will make your website look good on smaller devices, like tablets and smartphones. And make sure it can support a variety of plugins and other types of software.
Read the reviews:
The reviews will provide you with insight into the theme’s quality, as well as how well it’s been received by other users. Check the reviews written by customers who have purchased the theme in the past to see if they’ve had any issues with it.
If the theme doesn’t have a lot of reviews, it could be a sign that it’s a relatively new product. Some new themes may have flaws that are yet to be worked out. But if they’re popular enough, the developers should have addressed any issues quickly.
Ask for help:
If you need some help choosing the right theme, don’t hesitate to contact a developer. The developer should be able to give you recommendations based on your site’s needs.
Compare prices:
Before you choose a theme, make sure you’re aware of the different pricing options available. Some themes offer one-time payments, while others offer yearly subscriptions. Some themes are cheaper but may have fewer features. Be sure to read the product description carefully to make sure you’re aware of all the features and limitations.
Plugins: Adding functionality
Plugins give your site extra functionality, allowing you to enhance the overall user experience. They allow you to add features that draw traffic to your sites, like contact forms and galleries. There are various plugins available with different features, and finding the right one can be a challenge. What should you look for in WordPress plugins?
Because there are so many different types of WordPress plugins, finding the right one for your website can be a difficult task. Here are a few tips to help you get the right plugin:
Choose the right features:
Before you choose a particular plugin, make sure you’re aware of all the features it offers. Some plugins only offer basic site functionality, while some offer extensive features. You want to make sure that the features you need are included in the plugin you choose.
Consider compatibility:
Plugins are often designed to work with specific versions of WordPress, so make sure the plugin is compatible with your version of WordPress. This will prevent any compatibility issues.
Keep your plugins updated:
Plugins are in constant development and are constantly updated with new features. When a new update is released, make sure that you update your plugin as soon as possible so that you’ll benefit from the new features.
Security for WordPress Websites:
Plugins often are the primary target for hackers. Plugins can be hacked, meaning that someone could gain access to your website based on vulnerabilities in the plugin. Keep your plugins updated, and keep an eye out for any security alerts.
Pages and posts: Creating content
Once your website is set up, you’ll need to create content for it. A website is made up of pages and posts, which are the main content of the website. The wide variety of features available with posts and pages allows you to add a variety of content to your website.
Before you start creating content, you need to understand what pages need to be created. What are the pages visitors expect to see when they visit your site? The pages like About and Contact are often expected by visitors. These pages provide information that visitors need, so these pages should be your priority.
Pages are typically used for content that doesn’t change often. For example, a page about your company history may not need to be updated often.
Posts are typically used for longer pieces of content, like a blog or news article. Posts can be updated frequently, and your visitors may expect to see frequent updates. Pages and posts can be easily changed and updated using WordPress’ built-in editor, allowing you to quickly create and edit content.
Security and backups:
A website without security is like a house with no locks on the doors. Hackers can steal sensitive information or infect your website with malware. Even though WordPress has an extensive security framework, it’s still important to take additional steps to protect your website.
Always keep your WordPress and plugins updated to the latest versions. This will ensure your site is protected against vulnerabilities.
Backups are another important security feature. Backups allow you to restore your website if it’s ever hacked or infected with malware. Always create a backup of your website. If something goes wrong, you can restore your backup quickly and easily.
Conclusion:
So, now that you have decided to set up WordPress, you may be wondering if that’s all there is to it. Unfortunately, the answer is no! There are many more things you should do once your site is up and running, such as implementing security measures, improving site performance, updating your site regularly, and creating backups. Much of this is outside the scope of this article. If you have any other tips and tricks to share, I’d love to hear from you. Have a lovely day, and keep reading!
FAQs
How to Setup FAQ in WordPress?
To add the AIOSEO – FAQ block, just click the ‘+’ button once you are in the WordPress block editor. Following that, the block will appear in your content. You are now free to expand your FAQ section by adding more questions and answers. Just follow these steps again and add more AIOSEO FAQ blocks to add more questions and answers.
How Much Does It Cost to Start a WordPress Site?
Because each business has different design and development demands, WordPress website prices vary. However, a WordPress website often costs $100 to $100,000 or more up front. For WordPress websites, ongoing maintenance might cost anything from $50 to $10,000 or more annually. Beginners can get started for the minimal amount and then adjust when experienced web users.
Can I publish my WordPress Site For Free?
WordPress: Since WordPress is an open-source, free platform, you can use it to create and publish a website and install a ton of plugins for no cost at all.