Let’s say you are finally determined to launch your own website or blog. You need to set it up, learn HTML programming and more. It’s a terrifying thought, isn’t it? Well, not if you read our WordPress tutorial! A WordPress hosting is chosen by more than an half of websites around the world, and with good reason.
In pochi punti:
What is WordPress exactly?
At the beginning, it was an easy-to-use blog platform and nothing more. But now, WordPress hosting is the most valued and beloved Content Management System (CMS) around.
It allows you to set up and customize a personal blog, a website, an e-commerce, with great personalization options. And it’s also super easy to use. In this WordPress tutorial, you will understand why and how to maximize its features.
A WordPress tutorial for beginners
First things first: what do you want from your new website? Once you’ll find out, you should choose between WordPress.com and WordPress.org.
We strongly recommend the first option if you are a beginner. It’s easy to use, it offers several WordPress hosting plans and it’s extremely customizable. Here are the first steps you need to take:
- select a plan on WordPress.com;
- choose a unique website name;
- follow our installation WordPress tutorial;
- choose your theme and overall aesthetic;
- customize the details;
- add the plug-ins you need;
- lastly, start to write posts and articles.
So, how much does WordPress cost?
Depending on your ideas and projects, you can choose between several options. The most basic plan is the one we encourage you to begin with.
It’s a completely free WordPress hosting that will allow you to use enough storage space and features to experiment with your first website.
Once you are familiar with it, you can go up to premium plans (with a small monthly fee) or move your website on WordPress.org. Thus, you’ll get a first-level domain and a whole lot of other benefits, but the price will be higher.
Is WordPress easy to use?
Sure, it is. Our WordPress tutorial for beginners will guide you step by step in order to create your personal website space and make it your own.
Following our guide, you will find many features you can experiment with for free. And then step up and become an expert in website development and web hosting.
1. Select a WordPress free hosting
When you select your plan, remember not every one of them is free on WordPress.com. Choose the first and most basic one: we assure you it’s enough to begin with your first website and familiarize with the CMS feautures.
Other plans include a more detailed customization and access to premium marketing tools. But, as we stated, they require a monthly fee. Just start with a WordPress free hosting and let’s see where it gets.
2. Choose a website name and domain
With a WordPress free hosting, you’ll gain access to second-level domain. What does that mean? That you will have a www.[your-chosen-name].wordpress.com type of domain.
That’s perfectly enough for a WordPress tutorial for beginners, and you can step up from there when you will be more skilled with the CMS.
How to choose your domain name? Do a little reasearch on your main field’s keywords. The perfect domain is simple to read and type, memorable and unique, but having a keyword in it will make it easier to find on search engines.
3. Follow a WordPress tutorial for installing the CMS
Once you acquired your domain name and free WordPress hosting, you should install the platform. Just search for “WordPress download” on Google and follow the instructions.
At this point, you will be asked a couple of questions such as your domain name and some admin information. This is where you’ll set up a username and password for accessing WordPress. Then log in, insert your credentials and start your adventure.
4. The aesthetic of your website
Despite being completely free and easy to use, WordPress.com allows you to customize your web space as you want. Your first graphic choice will involve a theme.
Many themes and templates on WordPress are free as well, so you can experiment with a couple of them before settling for the right one. Once again, your choice is influenced by the kind of site you have in mind.
In fact, there are several types of templates depending on you website being a personal blog, a portfolio, a corporate site, an e-commerce and such. Be sure it’s mobile-friendly: most people surf the web on smartphones and tablets.
5. Customize the details
Once your theme has been chosen, go further along the graphic aspect choosing colors, fonts, images to add to your homepage. You can also set a menu up with a detailed partition of the different areas of your website.
Moreover, you can further personalize the aspect of every page with a simple tool like Elementor. Titles and subtitles, paragraphs and images will determine your site’s overall aesthetic.
6. Add the plug-ins following a WordPress tutorial for beginners
Everyone knows that a website on its own amounts to very little. It needs features which will connect it with social networks, search engines and other websites.
In fact, this is one of the main reasons why WordPress is so beloved and easy to use. With its plug-ins, most of them free, it allows you to easily enhance your website without HTML or Javascript coding. Just add every feature you think you will need.
Some of the main WordPress plugins are able to:
- help you writing a SEO-friendly text;
- insert images, hyperlinks and contact forms;
- connect your website to the main social network and make it easy to share your posts on them;
- analyze your users’ and readers’ data;
- and much more.
7. Start writing!
A WordPress website will be empty without its content. What is it? Once again, it depends on your main goal and activities. You can add static pages, articles, images, videos, interactive contents and more.
Just be sure everything is accurately set up before adding content on your WordPress blog or site. It will immediately be visible on search engines and read by users all over the world.
A homepage WordPress tutorial
When you log in your WordPress platform, you will be directed to the dashboard. This is where everything happens, from your data anlysis to your content creation to your plug-ins monitoring.
So you need to understand each and every feature on this page in order to use your WordPress hosting correctly.
How to use the dashboard
This being a WordPress tutorial for beginners, you may not know what the dashboard is needed to and how to use it. Here is a brief overview.
- Posts. This section allows you to write and change your articles.
- Media. Here you will see every media content on your website, including images and videos.
- Pages. It’s where your static pages can be changed or written.
- Comments. As the name suggests, this is where you can read, cancel or reply to comments on your pages.
- Appearence. Obviously, that’s the section to use in order to change and customize the theme, template, font, colors and such.
- Plugins. Here you can add, change or update your website’s plugins.
- Users. You can add or remove collaborators from your dashboard.
- Tools & Settings. Both this sections refer to the most technical part of your website’s management.
- Performace. That’s where you will analyze data about users, their behaviour on your site and more.
Users: who has access to your dashboard?
You and only you, unless it’s a corporate website or a shared blog. Then, your co-workers will have different credetials to access the dashboard and use its features.
Being the main owner of the website, you can choose which sections your co-workers can access and how much power they’ll have on your contents.
WordPress tutorial: how to write articles
The most important part of a blog or a website is its content, you know that. So, after setting everything up, it’s crucial to concentrate on writing articles.
Even if your site is not a personal blog, you will need words in order to attract both readers and search engines. This is commonly known as SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and you can have some WordPress tutorials for that, too.
Use the many plugins the CMS has got in order to analyze your use of keyword and your texts’ readability. But, if you aren’t suited for the task, you can ask a professional to work on your texts.
Why words are so important?
When a user arrives on your web page, they will need answers to some questions. A professional copywriter, web marketing expert or ghostwriter will know every trick to satisfy them.
First of all, you need to attract the search engine’s attention through the right words. Otherwise, the users will never find you. Then you need to keep the readers’ attention by giving them valuable, interesting stories and facts.
What about images and videos?
They are very important, too. If the search engine is mostly attracted by your use of words, the reader will be hooked with the right visuals.
This includes the theme and template of your WordPress hosting, your logo and every image present on your website. Also, remember visual content can be SEO-optimized too.
How to write your first article: a WordPress tutorial
Now you know words and images are crucial in order to keep the reader’s attention. It’s time for you to create the first content.
Head to your WordPress dashboard, click on “Posts” and then “Add new”. You will land on a seemingly blank page. But, actually, it’s not blank at all.
The importance of Elementor
Elementor is the most important tool in your box for writing a compelling post. It will guide you through an easy-to-read, clean and clear template for your text.
Divide it into paragraphs, headlines and sub-headlines, include images and videos, charts and quotes. Use bold type and italics to highlight the most important words and phrases. Lastly, add hyperlinks to interal and external articles to make your content interactive.
In conclusion
This brief WordPress tutorial is just the beginning of your wonderful adventure in creating compelling web contents.
In the following weeks you will discover the most important WordPress plug-ins, how to use them to grow your audience, every trick and tip to be a digital superstar.
How can you do that? Through our web experts, who will be here on Mailsenpai News & Tips section to tell you everything about this immersive world. Stay tuned!