100% Beginners Guide To Building a Website

WordPress is the most popular platform for building websites. But it can be tricky to get started if you don’t know what you’re doing. In this beginners guide, you’ll learn how to install WordPress, create your first post, and add images and videos. You’ll also learn about essential website design tips and everyday functionality. Whether you’re a complete beginner or just looking to brush up on your skills, keep reading for everything you need to know about building websites with WordPress.

What is WordPress?

WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that enables you to build websites and blogs from scratch. It’s the most popular CMS globally, with over 60% of the internet using it to power their websites. While the WordPress platform itself is free to install, you’ll need your domain name (web address) and paid hosting to make your website live on the web.

How to install WordPress

There are two ways to install WordPress: through your web hosting account or downloading and installing it yourself.

Installing WordPress through your web hosting account is the easiest way to get started. Most hosts have a one-click installation process that will walk you through the entire process. If you’re not sure how to do this, check with your host or visit the WordPress website.

If you want to install WordPress yourself, you can download it from the WordPress website. Be sure to choose the correct version for your operating system (Windows or Mac). Once you’ve downloaded it, follow the instructions on installing it.

Registering a domain name

Now that you know the foundational steps of using themes and plugins, let’s walk through how to create a website with WordPress.

The first step is to choose a domain name for your website. Your domain name is the web address that people will use to visit your website. You search for a new domain name using the Interserver domain search tool here. Once you have found a domain name you like proceed to order a domain and web hosting package. Some domains are discounted when purchased with a web hosting package.

Choose a web hosting package

Once you have chosen a domain name, the next step is to find a web hosting plan that fits your needs. For instance, Interserver offers many plans to fit the needs of different platforms and size of websites. The most popular is the shared web hosting package it is most commonly used for bloggers, personal sites and small businesses. It is intended for low resource usage. We also have windows web hosting for websites developed on the ASP.NET language or require the use of MSSQL. For sites that require a little more resources we have <virtual private servers> and dedicated servers. These are shared and private server environments that are designed to sale with your websites traffic and growth.

Once you have chosen a domain name and web hosting package, the next step is to install WordPress. Installing WordPress can be done in several ways, but the most common is using a one-click installation process. Once you choose your monthly hosting plan and add a credit card, your web host will provide you with your WordPress login information. Then, you can begin to set up your design.

Themes and Plugins

Themes and Plugins are the two main ways to customize your website. A theme is a pre-designed template for your website. There are many different themes to choose from, and most of them are free. You can browse themes on the WordPress website or use a theme market such as ThemeForest.

Plugins are add-ons that you can install to your WordPress website to add extra functionality. There are many different plugins to choose from, and most of them are free. Browse plugins on the WordPress website or use a plugin market such as Envato Market

Themes

Once you have installed WordPress, the next step is to create your website. Setting up your website on WordPress is generally done with a theme. A theme is a pre-made template for your website that determines the overall look and feel. There are thousands of free and paid themes available, so you’re sure to find one that fits your needs.

To add a theme to your website:

1. Go to the Appearance> Themes tab in the WordPress dashboard and click Add New.

2. Search for the theme you want and click Install.

3. After the theme is installed, click Activate to use it.

If you want to use a custom design for your website, you can hire a WordPress developer to create a custom theme for you. Or you can use a plugin to create a custom design.

The Theme Customizer lets you change the appearance of your website. You can change the colors, font, and other theme settings using the Theme Customizer.

To access the Theme Customizer, go to the Appearance> Customize tab in the WordPress dashboard. This tab will open a window where you can change your theme’s settings.

Plugins

A plugin is software that adds extra features and functionality to WordPress. There are thousands of plugins available, so there’s sure to be one that fits your needs.

To add a plugin to your website, go to the Plugin > Add New tab in the WordPress dashboard and search for the plugin you want. Then click Install and Activate to use it.

Once you have installed a theme and plugin, they will be available in the Appearance> Themes and Plugin > Installed Plugins tabs in the WordPress dashboard. To use them, go to the tab and click the Activate button.

Menus

The WordPress Menus feature lets you create custom menus for your website. You can add pages, posts, categories, and custom links to your menus. You can also choose the order of the items in your menu and how they are displayed.

To create a menu, go to the Appearance> Menus tab in the WordPress dashboard and click the Create Menu button. Then add the items you want to your menu and click the Save Menu button.

To add a menu to your website, go to the Appearance> Menus tab in the WordPress dashboard and click the Add Menu button. Then enter a name for your menu and click the Create Menu button.

To change the order of the items in your menu, go to the Appearance> Menus tab in the WordPress dashboard and click the Menu Editor link. Then drag and drop the items to change their order.

To change the display mode of your menu, go to the Appearance> Menus tab in the WordPress dashboard and click the Menu Settings link. Then select the display mode you want.

Widget Areas

Widget areas are sections in your theme that let you add widgets to your website. Widgets are small pieces of software that allow you to add content and functionality to your website.

There are many different widgets available, and most of them are free. You can browse widgets on the WordPress website or use a widget market such as Envato.market .

To add a widget to your website, go to the Appearance> Widgets tab in the WordPress dashboard and drag the widget you want to the widget area you want.

There are many different widget areas in most themes. First, go to the Appearance> Widgets tab in the WordPress dashboard and click the Name of Your Theme link to find out where they are. Then click the widget area you want to add a widget to.

To remove a widget from your website, go to the Appearance> Widgets tab in the WordPress dashboard and drag it out of the widget area.

Gutenberg Block Editor

The Gutenberg Block Editor is a new editor for WordPress that lets you create custom content blocks. You can add text, images, videos, and other types of content to your blocks.

You can access the Gutenberg block editor by clicking the + sign on any post or page. While there’s certainly a learning curve, mastering blocks is the key to unlocking the full potential of WordPress.

Posts and Pages

Posts

Posts are the basic unit of content in WordPress. A post can be a blog post, a page, or a product. Posts are organized into categories, and each category has its own archive page.

To create a post, go to the Add New tab in the WordPress dashboard and enter the information you want. Then click the Publish button.

To add a post to a category, go to the Posts > Categories tab in the WordPress dashboard and select the category you want. Then click the Add Category button.

You’ll learn more about categories in the taxonomies section below.

Pages

Pages are similar to posts but they are not organized into categories. Pages are often used for eCommerce products and staple pages such as the About Me page, Contact Us, and Disclosures.

To create a page, go to the Add New tab in the WordPress dashboard and enter the information you want. Then click the Publish button.

To add a page to your website, go to the Pages > Add New tab in the WordPress dashboard and enter the information you want. Then click the Publish button.

Taxonomies

Taxonomies are a way of organizing content in WordPress. There are two types of taxonomies: post categories and post tags.

Categories are used to group posts together. For example, you might have a category for “News” and another for “Opinion Pieces.”

Tags are used to add additional information to posts. For example, you might tag a post with the keywords “politics” and “economy.”

Think of categories as the table of contents for your website and tags as the index.

For example:

Category: News

Post: The Economy is Booming

Tag: economy, politics

Configuring Your WordPress Website

You can do several things to configure your WordPress site, such as changing the settings in the General Settings tab, the Reading Settings tab, the Discussion Settings tab, the Media Settings tab, and the Permalinks tab.

The Settings tab in the WordPress dashboard lets you change the settings for your website. These settings include the website address, the name of your website, and other options.

To change the settings for your website, go to the Settings > General tab in the WordPress dashboard and enter the information you want. Then click the Save Changes button.

General Settings

The General Settings tab in the WordPress dashboard lets you change the settings for your website. These settings include the website address, the name of your website, and other options.

To change the settings for your website, go to the Settings > General tab in the WordPress dashboard and enter the information you want. Then click the Save Changes button.

Reading Settings

The Reading Settings tab in the WordPress dashboard lets you change the settings for how your website is displayed. These settings include the number of posts to show on the home page, the number of posts to show in each category, and other options.

To change the settings for how your website is displayed, go to the Settings > Reading tab.

Discussion Settings

The Discussion Settings tab in the WordPress dashboard lets you change the settings for how comments are displayed on your website. These settings include the number of comments to show on each page, the email address for notifications, and other options.

To change the settings for how comments are displayed on your website, go to the Settings > Discussion tab in the WordPress dashboard. Then enter the information you want.

Media Settings

The Media Settings tab in the WordPress dashboard lets you change the settings for how media is displayed on your website. These settings include the size of thumbnails, the number of items to show per page, and other options.

To change the settings for how media is displayed on your website, go to the Settings > Media tab in the WordPress dashboard. Then enter the information you want.

Permalinks

The Permalinks tab in the WordPress dashboard lets you change the settings for how permalinks are displayed on your website. These settings include the type of permalink, the structure of the permalink, and other options.

It’s best to choose only words in your permalinks and avoid dates and symbols. Some people choose to include the category in the URL, and others do not.

To change the settings for how permalinks are displayed on your website, go to the Settings > Permalinks tab in the WordPress dashboard. Then enter the information you want.

Adding a Featured Image

A featured image is a photo or graphic displayed at the top of a post. Featured images are used in many ways, such as to create a thumbnail for the post, to display on social media, or to create a custom header.

To add a featured image to a post, click “set featured image'” in the Featured Image section of the post editor. You can then select a file from your computer or choose from one of your WordPress Media Library images.

When you’re finished, click the “set featured image” button.

The Featured Image meta box will now show in the right column of the post editor. If you want to change the featured image, click the “Change featured image” link, select a new file, and click the “set featured image” button.

The featured image will be displayed on the post’s front page, in the RSS feed, and in other places where it is used.

The Excerpt

The excerpt is a short summary of a post displayed on the post’s front page, in the RSS feed, and in other places where it is used.

To add an excerpt to a post, enter the text you want in the Excerpt field in the post editor. When you’re finished, click the “Update” button.

The excerpt will be automatically generated from the first 55 characters of your post’s content if you don’t enter anything in the Excerpt field.

Pingbacks and Trackbacks

Pingbacks and trackbacks are notifications sent when someone links to your post.

To enable pingbacks and trackbacks, go to the Settings > Discussion tab in the WordPress dashboard and check the “Enable pingbacks and trackbacks” box.

Then enter the email address you want to receive notifications at in the “Pingback email address” field.

Publishing

You can choose to publish a post or page immediately, save it in draft form, or schedule it to publish later.

To immediately publish a post or page, click the “Publish” button in the post editor.

To save a post or page as a draft, click the “Save Draft” button in the post editor. The post will be saved in your WordPress dashboard and will not be published on your website.

To schedule a post or page to publish at a later date, enter the date and time you want in the “Publish” field in the post editor. Then, click the “Schedule” button.

The post will be published on your website at your specified date and time.

CSS

The CSS tab in the WordPress dashboard lets you change the settings for how your website’s CSS is displayed. These settings include the location of the CSS file, the type of compression to use, and other options.

To change the settings for how your website’s CSS is displayed, go to the Settings > CSS tab in the WordPress dashboard.

It’s best to leave this alone until you take a few classes or learn more by watching Youtube tutorials. If you are confident enough to start playing around with it, make sure you back up the original file first in case something goes wrong.

WordPress Backup

A WordPress backup is a copy of your website’s files and database that you can use to restore your website if something goes wrong. While your web host may run regular backups, it’s a good practice to regularly backup your WordPress database before major updates.

To create a WordPress backup, go to the Tools > Backup menu in the WordPress dashboard. Then, select the files and database you want to back up.

Click the “Backup” button, and your WordPress backup will be created.

You can also download your WordPress backup as a zip file.

If you need to restore your website, go to the Tools > Restore menu in the WordPress dashboard and select the backup you want to restore. Then, click the “Restore” button.

WordPress is a popular content management system that grows as you do. The more you learn, the more you can do. The important thing is to take things slow and not get overwhelmed. These are just a few of the basics, but they will be a good foundation as you start learning more.

Remember to back up your website regularly in case something goes wrong!

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