Looking to create a WordPress website? Want to learn how to create a WordPress website from scratch?

If you answered yes, this article is tailor-made for you.

In today’s digital age, having a website is no more an option.

Whether you are a freelancer, business owner, consultant, artist, or even a mom-and-pop shop, having an online presence is a must.

A website makes you look professional and opens you up to a global audience.

Creating a WordPress website is easier than it seems.

Once you know the proper steps, it’s pretty straightforward.

The good news is that you do not need coding skills or technical knowledge to start.

This guide explains everything you need to know about building a WordPress website.

Are you ready? Let’s get started! 🙂

10 things you need to know before creating a website

Websites are a vital component of your marketing strategy.

Whether you operate a small eCommerce store or are planning to launch an online marketplace, having a website is essential.

Websites allow you to present your company and brand in an organized and user-friendly manner.

Moreover, they help search engines crawl your content, giving visitors more access to your brand and products.

Wondering what factors to keep in mind before creating a website?

Keep reading!

I’ve outlined everything from the basics to the more technical aspects of designing your website.

These tips should help you develop the perfect design for your business.

Step 1: Get to know your users

Generally, the best way to create a website is to get to know your users.

Ask questions, conduct surveys, and analyze data to understand your target audience better.

For example, are their primary concerns related to your industry or merchandise?

What do they find difficult to understand?

What topics do they find most interesting?

These questions will help you understand your users better and create more engaging content.

Step 2: Be proactive and constantly measure

When building a website, you need to be proactive and measure constantly.

This is an essential strategy to understand your users and improve your site.

Use tools like Google Analytics and Crazy Egg to analyze website traffic, the conversion rates and see how visitors interact with your site.

To measure the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns, you could use tools like Sprinklr.

These services allow you to track visitor actions and conversions from your site and identify areas for improvement.

You can also use these tools to measure the performance of your social media marketing strategies.

The number of people who’ve seen your posts, the engagement rate between content and audience, and how many people convert your offers.

Step 3: Define your site’s goals

When you create a website, it’s essential to define your site’s goals.

A goal is an objective that your website is striving to achieve.

For example, a school website’s goal might be to increase admissions, while a restaurant’s goal might be to increase the number of customers.

As you define your goals, you’ll be able to determine what aspects of your content and design will be highly impactful.

Next, you’ll be able to identify which pages on your site are being used the most, what content is attracting the most attention, and what you can do to improve your site’s performance.

Defining your site’s goals will also help you determine your website’s purpose.

Step 4: Understand how people browse online

When creating your site, you need to understand how people browse online.

This will help you create a site that’s both easy to navigate and optimized for search engines.

However, don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach.

You should design a website that’s intuitive for your target audience.

Step 5: Create a sitemap

Another essential aspect to consider when creating a website is to create a sitemap.

A sitemap is a list of all the pages on your site, including their titles, URLs, and content.

Essentially, it’s a blueprint for how your site will be built.

A sitemap will allow search engines to crawl and index your pages more efficiently.

Sitemaps are beneficial for preventing duplicate content violations.

Step 6: Don’t forget about content strategy

No matter how good your design and navigation are, they’re useless if your content is lackluster.

Make sure that you’re creating content that’s helpful, relevant, and of high quality.

After you’ve defined your site’s goals and created high-quality content, it’s time to think about how you want your site content to be organized.

Your site’s content strategy is the blueprint for organizing your content.

Step 7: UI and UX considerations

When designing your website, it’s essential to think about UI (User Interface) and UX (User Experience).

The UI of your website refers to how it looks and feels to the user. It includes everything from the design of your logo to the colors used in your site’s header.

The UX of your website refers to how easy it is for your users to navigate and consume your content. It includes everything from the time it takes to load to the navigation throughout your site.

Step 8: Bug testing

When building your website, testing for bugs and potential issues are essential.

The easiest way to do this is using a website testing tool like WebLOAD, Acunetix, and Invicti, among others.

As you build your site, you can quickly identify any issues or bugs that could negatively affect your site’s performance.

Step 9: Analytics

Finally, integrate Google Analytics.

This allows you to collect and analyze your website’s performance data, such as how many visitors your site receives, where they’re coming from, and what pages they visit.

You can also use Google Analytics to create custom reports to analyze your site’s data and make adjustments as necessary.

In short…

If you’ve done your research and followed the above steps, you’re well on your way to building an effective website.

However, there’s one last thing you need to remember.

Your website may be the best-looking and most functional one in the world.

But if no one knows about it, it’s useless.

That’s why it’s essential to promote your website as much as possible.

We’ll get to the different ways of promoting your website later in this article.

How to create a WordPress website: Top web hosting providers

To build a WordPress website, you must purchase a domain and hosting.

Unless you consider investing in premium themes, plugins, and tools, the domain and hosting is the only investment you’ll make when creating a WordPress website.

To make things clear, a domain name is your URL. It’s your address on the web.

For instance, my domain name is bloggersbloom.com. It’s how users find me.

Now, you need space to store all your files, such as your web pages, images, videos, and more.

You get this space when you purchase hosting.

While you can buy a domain from several domain name registrars, I recommend purchasing hosting and getting a domain for free.

Yes! You heard me right.

You get a free domain when you purchase hosting.

Of course, the domain is free only for the first year.

You’ll need to pay for it from the second year to keep your website live.

And I’m guessing you’d like to keep it live. 😉

Here’s a list of hosting service providers you can consider going ahead with:

• Bluehost: Ideal for beginners
• WPX Hosting: Fast WordPress hosting
• Cloudways: Fast and reliable managed cloud hosting
• Hostinger: Affordable hosting plans
• HostGator: Web hosting plans for all
• GreenGeeks: Eco-friendly hosting
• A2 Hosting: Fast and reliable hosting
• InMotion Hosting: Secure and fast web hosting
• DreamHost: Affordable monthly plans

Which hosting service do I personally recommend?

Well, I recommend (and have been using) Bluehost, WPX Hosting, and Cloudways.

However, you get a free domain for the first year only with Bluehost.

How to create a website: Selecting the right platform

Before you go ahead and start building a website, it’s essential to select the right platform.

And by platform, we mean your website builder.

A search on Google for the best website builders will show you several options.

Many options exist, from Zyro and Shopify to Squarespace, Wix, and Weebly.

While there is a slight learning curve, we’ll go ahead with the most popular choice – WordPress.

That’s WordPress.org!

After all, more than 44% of global websites are powered by WordPress.

Once you get the hang of it, you have complete control over the platform and can build all kinds of websites.

And it’s my personal choice too! 😉

Let’s jump in and learn how to create a WordPress website without further ado.

How to create a WordPress website (9 simple steps)

Step 1: Choose a domain name

The first step is to choose a domain name. It’s your unique address on the internet.

Here are a few tips to consider while selecting a domain name.

• Select a ‘.com’ extension. It’s easier to remember and is the most popular choice
• Keep it simple and short, if possible
• Don’t use special characters in your domain name
• Choose a domain name that’s easy to remember
• Try and use keywords related to your business or service in your domain. For instance, if you run a yoga academy, you may want to select a domain name, such as yogaforbeginners.com, yogaforwomen.com, or even yogaforall.com

Where do you purchase a domain from?

Namecheap is one option.

You can buy a domain for as less as $7.98 per year.

I’ve got a detailed article on the best domain name registrars from which you can consider buying your domain.

But then again, let’s go ahead with the free option when we sign up for a hosting plan.

Step 2: Select a WordPress hosting plan

As indicated earlier, my recommendations for the best hosting solution are Bluehost, WPX Hosting, and Cloudways.

If you are starting, go with Bluehost.

It’s beginner-friendly and helps you get started in a matter of minutes.

Visit Bluehost and click on WordPress Hosting from the options provided under WordPress.

Scroll down, and you’ll notice plans starting from $2.95 per month.

You’ll also notice that all plans offer you a free domain to go along with it.

Remember.

You get the $2.95 per month and free domain deal only for the first year.

From the second year on, you get charged the regular pricing.

The Choice Plus and Pro plans offer free domain privacy and automated backups.

Of course, the more features, the higher the cost.

Select a plan that best suits your requirements.

While the Basic plan is best suited for those looking to build a single website, the remaining plans allow you to host multiple websites.

That said, you’ll have to purchase domains separately for the websites you build.

For the sake of this article, we’ll select the Basic plan.

You’ll now be prompted to enter a domain name.

Enter a domain of your preference and click Next.

If you already own a domain, fill in the appropriate field and click Next.

Again, for the sake of this article, we’ll go with the Create a new domain option.

For instance, I searched for the domain digitaltariqsp.com, and it’s available!

Next, create an account by filling in the required details under account information.

The details required are straightforward.

Scroll down, and you’ll find all the details related to the plan you’ve selected under package information.

You can select the tenure by considering the options under the account plan.

Choose from either the 12-month, 24-month or 36-month pricing.

While all the steps mentioned are straightforward, you’d have to pay attention to the details under package extras.

For instance, starting, you may not require Codeguard Basic, Yoast SEO Premium, or SiteLock Security Essential.

Select the options that best suit you, and once you are done, proceed with the payment information.

You may want to check the box below the submit button.

This will ensure your contact details aren’t shared with marketers and agencies who’ll pitch their website development and other marketing proposals.

Step 3: Create an account

Once you’ve successfully completed the payment process, you’ll be on this welcome page.

Go ahead and click on Set password.

This is where you will create an account with Bluehost.

As you’ll notice, the steps are pretty straightforward.

Enter a password and click Create Account when you are done.

Ensure you have the account credentials saved. You’ll need it to log into your Bluehost account.

Your account is now successfully created. Click go to login.

This will direct you to the Bluehost login page.

Use the credentials you just created to log in.

Since this is a new account, you’ll be walked through some straightforward setup processes.

It’s as simple as clicking next, next, and next. 🙂

Step 4: Install WordPress

To begin, click the Create your website button after you’ve logged in.

I’m assuming you do not have an existing website.

If you do, click on the ‘Already have a website and need to migrate it?’ option.

This will walk you through the exact steps of migrating your site to Bluehost.

Again, for the sake of this article, we’ll go ahead with the Create your website option.

You’ll be directed to the setup wizard.

Bluehost makes it easy for you to create a website with the setup wizard.

While it’s entirely your choice to go through the Bluehost setup process, I’ll skip it.

With the wizard doing all the work, we’ll miss out on the exact steps required to create a WordPress website.

Also, left to Bluehost, some tools and plugins are installed by default.

We get to decide what’s required and what’s not with a fresh installation.

Click Skip this step to proceed.

Next, you’ll be asked to select the kind of site you want to create.

You can create a blog, online store, corporate website, or portfolio site.

Again, this is your call.

However, as mentioned earlier, I’ll skip this step.

Next, Bluehost asks if you are comfortable building websites.

Skip this step!

Bluehost’s website builder helps you create a WordPress website quickly and easily.

The guided steps are user-friendly and can be followed by just about anyone.

However, you should know my next step by now.

Yup! Click on Get started.

We’ll create a WordPress website from scratch without using any website builder.

You’ll now be asked a few straightforward questions related to the website you’ll create.

You could have these filled in.

I’ll skip it for now. They can always be customized later.

You can also name your site and add a tagline.

Skip this step, too, for now.

Next, you have the option to select a WordPress theme.

What is a WordPress theme?

A theme defines the look and feel of your WordPress website. The colors, fonts, design, and layout are part of your WordPress theme.

We’ll be diving deeper into WordPress themes in a while.

For now, you can scroll down and skip this step too.

With this, your WordPress installation begins.

After successful installation, you’ll be directed to the Bluehost dashboard.

Click Get Started.

Do you recall the ‘domain privacy’ option we opted out of during the registration process?

You’ll be prompted to purchase it now.

This is entirely your call.

Select the No Charge option if you haven’t changed your mind and close the window.

You’ll now be on the Bluehost dashboard, i.e., your Bluehost account page.

Go ahead and explore the various links and options on your dashboard’s left-hand side.

These include my sites, marketplace, email & office, domains, and more.

For instance, if you want to create an email ID under the new domain you just purchased, i.e., yourname@domain.com, head over to Email & Office.

Moving on…

Do you notice the Log into WordPress button on the top right-hand corner of your dashboard?

Click the button.

Voila! You are now on your WordPress dashboard.

Go ahead and enter your website URL in the browser.

That’s how your website looks now. This means your website is LIVE! 🙂

This is the latest 2023 WordPress theme.

The theme and design may vary depending on when you create your website.

Pat yourself! You’ve accomplished a LOT!

Congratulations! 🙂

To summarize,

• You purchased a domain and hosting
• Created an account on Bluehost
• Installed WordPress, and
• Made your website live

You are now all set to build your website and start a blog.

Awesome! Let’s move on.

Step 5: Domain confirmation

Before we get started, there’s one critical step to complete.

After you’ve purchased a domain, you will have received an email from Bluehost with the subject ‘WHOIS Verification for [your domain name]. Action Required.’

It looks like the one below.

This is how domain registrars verify the ownership of the domain you just purchased.

You must verify your email within 14 days.

Else, the domain you just bought may get deactivated.

All you have to do is click on Verify Your Email.

Once that’s done, you’ll receive confirmation.

Step 6: Learn WordPress

We’ve now successfully installed WordPress. It’s time to go ahead and build our website.

But before developing the website, let’s understand our dashboard and complete a few housekeeping activities.

If you’ve purchased hosting on Bluehost, you’ll be on the Bluehost tab by default.

Click on Dashboard, which you’ll find on the left-hand side navigation.

If you’ve purchased hosting from elsewhere, your dashboard may vary from what you see here.

That said, it’s just a slight variation.

I did mention earlier that Bluehost would install tools and plugins that we may not require.

Hence, head over to Plugins > Installed Plugins.

As shown in the image below, you’ll notice several notifications.

For now, leave them as they are. We’ll get rid of them soon! 🙂

Scroll down, and you’ll find a list of the installed plugins.

What is a WordPress plugin?

WordPress plugins help enhance the functionality of a website. It adds additional features to your website without you having to write a single line of code.

For instance, if you want to convert your simple stand-alone website into a full-fledged online store, you must install a WordPress eCommerce plugin called WooCommerce.

Similarly, there’s a WordPress plugin for just about any feature or functionality you want to include on your website.

Let’s now go ahead and remove all the plugins that Bluehost installed.

And that’s what I meant by carrying out some housekeeping activities. 🙂

Note:

Deleting all the plugins is okay, considering our website is new and has absolutely no content.

It’s not the same on an existing website.

You’ll need to ensure that deleting plugins doesn’t impact any other part of your website.

Moving along, check the box next to Plugin (as shown below).

Under the Bulk actions dropdown menu, select Deactivate and click Apply.

You’ll notice that all the plugins will get deactivated.

To delete a plugin, you’ll need first to deactivate them and then delete it.

So, once you’ve deactivated the plugins, recheck the box next to Plugin.

This time, select Delete under the Bulk actions dropdown.

And click Apply.

You’ll notice all the plugins getting deleted one by one.

You’ll also notice far fewer links on your left-hand navigation menu.

Done with the plugins? Let’s now do the same with the themes.

Head over to Appearance > Themes.

The default WordPress theme depends on when you install WordPress.

As I write this article in December 2022, I’ve installed WordPress 6.1.

WordPress already has the Twenty Twenty-Three theme (2023) released.

And that’s what is selected as the default theme.

You’ll also notice a few additional themes present. We don’t need them.

So, let’s have them removed. For this, go ahead and click on any one of them.

For instance, let’s click on the Twenty Twenty-Two theme.

Notice the Delete option at the bottom right-hand corner. Go ahead and click on it.

You’ll be asked to confirm if you’d like to go ahead and delete the theme.

Click Ok to proceed.

Similarly, delete the remaining themes, except for the active one, which is the Twenty Twenty-Three WordPress theme.

You’ll be left with only the Twenty Twenty-Three WordPress theme, as shown below.

Done with themes? Let’s do the same with pages.

Head over to Pages > All Pages.

By default, the two pages you should have are Privacy Policy and Sample Page.

You could select the pages individually or check the box next to Title.

Then select the Move to Trash option from the Bulk actions dropdown.

Click on Apply.

This deletes the two pages and moves them into the Trash.

Now, click the Trash link and then click on Empty Trash.

With the pages deleted, let’s repeat the same with all the posts.

Head over to Posts > All Posts.

You’ll notice the default post titled ‘Hello word!’.

Repeat the steps we carried out to delete the pages.

Once that’s done, we will have a completely clean and fresh installation of WordPress.

We’ve deleted all the plugins, pages, posts, and themes (except the default 2023 theme).

We can now install only what is required for building our website and blog.

One final (and essential) section to cover is WordPress settings.

From the left-hand side navigation menu, head over to Settings.

You’d probably remember during the setup process, Bluehost asked us a bunch of questions regarding the website.

You know, things like the site title, tagline, and more.

I did tell you to skip those, and we can have it done later.

Well, this is where you can have most of those done.

Enter your site title and tagline.

For instance, I could have the site title ‘Digital Tariq’ and the tagline ‘Hire a Digital Marketing Consultant.’ (So much for my creativity! 🙂)

I know it’s not the best, but it should work for now. I can always have it changed later.

Most of the other details stay the same.

The WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) will have your website URL.

However, there is one bit that you should pay attention to and have changed.

That’s the Timezone section.

By default, the selected time zone is UTC+0.

While this isn’t going to bring down your website, you should have this changed to your time zone.

It works exceptionally well when you want to generate reports and schedule emails and blog posts at your local time.

Go ahead and select your appropriate time zone.

You can also have the date and time format changed.

This is entirely a personal preference and is how the date and time will be shown on your website if you choose to show it.

Once you are done, click Save Changes.

Now, check the front end of your website.

You’ll notice the updated site title and tagline reflecting across the site.

I recommend you go through all the options under Settings, such as Writing, Reading, Discussion, Media, and Privacy, just to familiarize yourself with what’s there and what’s not.

One link under Settings that I skipped is Permalinks. Let’s explore that in detail.

You’ll notice that the option Plain is selected by default.

While this is entirely your choice, I recommend selecting the Post name option.

By selecting Post name, you’ll display a search-engine-friendly URL for all your posts.

For instance, let’s say you created a blog post, ‘How to Start a Blog.’

Going by the first option, i.e., the default Plain option, your post URL will be https://digitaltariqsp.com/?p=123.

The ‘p=123‘ is the post ID.

This isn’t a very search-engine-friendly URL.

However, when you select the Post name option, your URL will be https://digitaltariqsp.com/how-to-start-a-blog.

You’d agree that this is way better.

Not to mention, Google (and other search engines) loves such URLs!

Done making these changes? Click Save Changes.

That completes all our website settings.

With this out of the way, let’s get into the more fun part of how to create a WordPress website.

Step 7: Choose a WordPress theme

Let’s now install a WordPress theme.

As mentioned earlier, a WordPress theme defines the look and feel of your website. From the colors and typography to the site layout, all these are part of your WordPress theme.

How many WordPress themes are there?

While I write this article, there are 10,306 free themes available in the WordPress ecosystem.

These themes can be used to build just about any kind of website.

Be it standalone websites, online stores, online course platforms, classified websites, or just about anything else.

There’s a theme for just about any niche!

With so many themes on offer, you’d probably wonder which theme to go for.

While the website design depends on the theme, there’s more to a theme than it meets the eye.

The theme also impacts your website’s speed and performance.

With speed being a critical factor for your website ranking well on search engines, you must install the right WordPress theme.

A faster-loading website enhances the user experience.

Which, in turn, is liked by Google! 🙂

While narrowing down on the ideal WordPress theme, look for one that loads fast, is mobile-friendly (responsive), is optimized for search engines, and can be easily customized.

I’ve made it easy for you and listed the best WordPress themes here:

• Astra
• Kadence
• Generate Press
• OceanWP
• Neve
• Hello Elementor

I recommend installing Astra.

It ticks all the prerequisites required for an ideal WordPress theme.

It also helps to know that the theme is used on over 1.6 million websites worldwide.

Astra is a very popular WordPress theme that’s lightweight, super fast, and built to perform.

While it does have a Pro version, the free version should do just fine when you start.

I love the Astra theme’s extensive library of pre-built website templates.

The professionally designed templates allow you to launch a website in minutes.

Simply import a done-for-you template of your choice, customize it to suit your website requirements, and you should be good to launch your online business.

It’s that simple!

Before we install a WordPress theme, look at your website.

I’m guessing this is how it looks.

Now, let’s go ahead and install the Astra theme.

Back to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Appearance > Themes.

Click Add New.

Astra should feature under the popular themes category.

If it doesn’t, use the search field provided and search for Astra.

Hover the cursor on the Astra theme and click on Install, as shown in the image above.

Once installed, click on the Activate button.

On successful activation, you’ll be directed to your themes page.

You’ll notice Astra has been added to the list of themes.

You could choose to delete the Twenty Twenty-Three WordPress theme, as we did earlier, or leave it as it is.

Now, check how your website looks in the front end.

Looks different, doesn’t it?

Remember I mentioned that one of the best things I love about the Astra theme is its extensive library of professionally designed pre-built website templates?

Head over to Appearance > Astra Options.

Now click on Install Importer Plugin, which you’ll notice on the right-hand side.

Once the activation is complete, you’ll find yourself on the following screen.

You’ll be presented with a series of steps to build your website.

Click on the Build Your Website Now button.

You can now select a page builder of your preference from the options provided.

While Elementor and Beaver Builder and popular page builders, I’ll go with the Block Editor.

Not only is it the default WordPress editor, but the pages built using the Block Editor load fast.

Select Block Editor.

You’ll be presented with several professionally designed templates for the Block Editor.

Just in case you change your mind and want to go ahead with Elementor or Beaver Builder, you can easily switch between page builders.

Simply click on the drop-down in the top right-hand corner that says Block Editor and select the editor of your preference.

It’s that simple! 😉

Okay, before we move any further…

What is a page builder? What is Elementor, Beaver Builder, or Block Editor?

A page builder is a WordPress plugin that allows you to create, design quickly, and manage pages and posts on your website/blog.

You can drag and drop elements, such as a text heading, images, videos, and much more, into your pages using a page builder.

Consider it like MS Word or Google Docs.

Just like you use these to create documents, page builders are editors required to create content pages for your website.

And the block editor, also called Gutenberg, is the default page editor for WordPress.

Back to our templates.

Select a template of your choice from the options provided.

You have a template for just about any niche or industry.

Either browse through the templates or search for an industry of your choice.

While most of the templates are free, there are premium ones too.

For now, the free ones should do just fine.

For instance, let’s search for the keyword ‘education.’

Select any template of your choice. You can always have it tweaked and customized later.

I’ll go with the ‘Learn Baking’ template.

Once you select the template, you get to customize it just the way you want.

You have the option to change the logo, color, and fonts.

You could choose to have them tweaked now or have them done later.

I’ll click on Skip & Continue.

Next, you’ll be asked to install a few plugins required for the template to work.

Click Skip & Start Importing for now.

Finally, you’ll be asked to enter a few personal details that are pretty straightforward.

When you are done, click on Submit & Build My Website.

The installation process will begin.

A progress bar will indicate the installation process.

It also shows you what all plugins are getting installed.

In a matter of seconds, the installation process is complete.

You’ll be directed to the following page.

The page includes a how-to video that clearly explains how to customize your website.

How does your website look in the front end? Click on the View Your Website button.

Just like that, your website is ready! The pages, menus, and content have all been created.

All you have to do now is customize the content based on your website requirements.

Once you are done, you are ready to launch your online business.

And that’s how you create a WordPress website.

Didn’t I say creating a WordPress website is simple? 🙂

Step 8: Install WordPress plugins

We now have our website up and running. Of course, we’ve got to customize the content.

The next step is to install a few must-have WordPress plugins.

As mentioned, a plugin is software that enhances the functionality of your WordPress website.

A famous saying in the WordPress community is that there’s a plugin for just about anything.

After all, there are over 59880 plugins currently available in the WordPress ecosystem.

Want to convert your website into a membership site? There’s MemberPress or SureMembers.

Want to convert your simple website into an online store? There’s WooCommerce or SureCart.

Want to convert your site into an online learning platform? There’s LearnDash.

You get the point! There’s a plugin for just about anything.

Depending on your website requirement, you can install any plugin at any point.

However, there are a few must-have plugins for any WordPress site.

For instance, you’d probably agree that periodic website backups are critical.

It’s how you ensure that you have a working copy of your website, just in case, it goes down.

You’d also want to ensure your website is secure from hacking or brute force attacks.

How about improving your site’s performance in search engines and tracking the website traffic?

Well, that’s why I call the following must-have plugins.

• For website backups: UpdraftPlus
• For website security: Wordfence
• For SEO: Rank Math
• For analyzing website traffic: Site Kit by Google

The plugins listed above are those that I highly recommend.

Of course, there are several other plugins available as well.

But, with so many plugins available, how do you know which ones to go for and which to avoid?

A general rule of thumb is to look for a WordPress plugin that’s been installed a lot, has excellent ratings (preferably a 5-star rating), is updated regularly, is compatible with your WordPress version, and has excellent reviews.

For instance, look at the plugin we mentioned for backups, i.e., UpdraftPlus.

Notice the details mentioned on the right?

Last updated: 2 months ago

Active installations: 3+ million

WordPress Version: 3.2 or higher

Scroll down, and you’ll see it has 6162 5-star ratings.

Ticks all the boxes of what we’re looking for in a plugin? It surely does!

How to install a WordPress plugin?

Pretty simple!

Let’s begin by installing the WordPress backup plugin, i.e., UpdraftPlus.

From your WordPress dashboard, head over to Plugins > Add New.

Search for UpdraftPlus in the search field provided.

If you’re unaware of which plugin to install, simply search for what you want.

For instance, if you are looking for a backup plugin, simply type backup in the search field.

This will list out the several backup plugins available.

You can then evaluate the plugin using the prerequisites mentioned earlier, i.e., number of installations, reviews, ratings, and more.

Back to our UpdraftPlus installation.

Among the various options displayed, select the one that has 3+ million active installations.

Click Install Now and then click Activate.

Once activated, you’ll be directed to the Plugins > Installed Plugins page.

We’ll need to complete a few UpdraftPlus settings. Click on Press here to start!

The instructions are straightforward.

It walks you through how you can back up your site, how frequently you can do so, where to store the backup, and more.

Finally, it even prompts you to go with the premium version. Which you needn’t, at least for now!

Go ahead and complete the setup process.

Once that’s done, go ahead and install the other plugins, i.e.,

Wordfence

Rank Math

Site Kit by Google – Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, Speed

Follow the same steps explained earlier. Click on Install Now and then Activate.

Each of the plugins will have specific settings. All of which are pretty simple and easy to follow.

Now that we are done installing the required plugins let’s jump into our last step.

Step 9: Launch your WordPress website

Our website is now all but ready to be launched. All we have to do is add the actual content.

To edit any page, simply navigate to it from the front end of your site and click on Edit Page.

Of course, I’m assuming you are logged in.

The top bar is visible only if you’ve logged into your WordPress dashboard.

If you are using Elementor, you’ll also see the Edit with Elementor option.

Click on the appropriate option and customize your pages (and posts) accordingly.

Want to add a new page or post? No problem!

You can hover over the ‘+’ icon and select Post or Page.

Alternatively, you can navigate to Pages > Add New and create a new page.

To create a new post, simply navigate to Posts > Add New.

Don’t forget to publish your page (or post) once you are done.

Once you’ve created a new page, you’d probably want to add it to your navigation menu.

For this, head over to Appearance > Menus.

All your pages will be displayed under the Pages tab.

Similarly, all your posts will be under the Posts tab.

Select a specific page and click Add to Menu to add a page to the menu.

You can drag and drop the link to reorder your navigation menu.

Once you are done, click Save Menu.

Happy with what you see? Launch your website! 🙂

Spread the word, email your list, share the good news on social media, and do more.

You could even run paid advertisements on social media and search engines.

How do you increase website traffic? Here are 7 ways to do precisely that!

7 ways to increase website traffic

As the digital landscape evolves at an exponential rate, so too must the way businesses leverage these technologies to capture and retain more loyal customers.

With so many content platforms and social media networks catering to niche audiences and individual interests, you must promptly implement a strategy to expand your reach.

But what makes for the best strategy? And can you afford to do everything?

Read on for tips on getting more traffic to your website.

#1. Create content that resonates with your audience

The process of acquiring new customers begins when you first make contact with your leads.

Ideally, you want to warm them up with relevant, creative content that addresses their needs and desires.

Crafting this requires thoroughly investigating your target audience, but staying aware of your own needs and interests is also important.

For example, you might discover that your blog’s content is falling flat, despite being well-researched and comprehensive.

You might be engaging in content that’s too technical or irrelevant to the audience.

To identify these issues, take a moment to think through your process.

Perhaps your readers are lost or confused by what you’ve written.

If so, review the tone of your posts and consider changing your writing style.

#2. Use paid advertising

Paid marketing takes advantage of the vast amount of money businesses spend on advertising.

It’s a tricky concept to wrap your head around, but it’s often a more cost-effective route to getting new customers than organic SEO.

Some of the most popular paid advertising methods include:

• Google Adwords: a pay-per-click system that delivers ads to the top, most relevant search results
• Sponsored Social Media Posts: paid advertisements that appear in front of your audience’s newsfeeds

#3. Coordinate content across multiple platforms

The internet has become an essential marketing tool, but it’s important to incorporate traditional channels, such as social networks, into your strategy.

Not only does this help you connect with your audience more personally but allows you to track and analyze your audience’s interactions across all platforms.

This can be especially valuable when it comes to knowing where and how your content is being shared.

By looking at the data around where, when, and by whom customers engage with your content, you can identify patterns that can help you optimize your strategy moving forward.

#4. Measure and track results

Whether you’re focused on acquiring new customers or retaining your current base, it’s essential to track and track results.

Without a clear benchmark, it’s difficult to gauge whether your efforts are working.

Here are three important metrics to keep an eye on:

• Number of visitors to your site: Often referred to as “impressions,” the number of people who land on your site is an essential indicator of the success of your strategy
• Conversion rate: How many of these visitors actually convert into leads?
• Click-through rate: How many of these leads subscribe to your emails or take a specific action?

#5. Provide a free incentive to visitors

Free content is hot right now and shows no sign of slowing down.

The trend is expected to continue, with even more niche audiences finding more valuable content through free articles.

To capitalize on these trends, consider offering free articles, videos, or other content to incentivize leads to sign up for your mailing list.

Depending on your business model, there are numerous ways to implement this strategy.

You may have an informational blog that provides helpful content for free, or you run a business that offers an indispensable product or service at no cost.

#6. Offer a premium product or service

While free content is beneficial, it must be good enough to warrant a free offer.

To ensure your visitors enjoy their experience, you can test their rules with premium content.

Premium content means you’re providing unique and valuable content that’s both up-to-date and well-researched.

It’s important to note what makes the premium content different from your free content, as it can open up a whole new stream of revenue for your business.

#7. Invest in organic SEO

SEO, or “organic” as it’s often called, is about organically promoting your content.

In other words, it’s about bringing your content to the top of Google’s rankings and giving it the best shot at attracting new visitors.

Google’s algorithm is constantly being tweaked and adjusted based on user behavior to help you find the most relevant content.

An essential step in this process is ensuring your content is as close to perfect as possible.

For example, you should use short, easy-to-read sentences, avoid excessive jargon and technical language, and, most importantly, provide valuable, actionable content.

To summarize…

There are many ways to get website traffic, but the best way is to create great content and invest in organic SEO.

Even if you don’t have a single guest on your site, you’ll get a boost from a great post.

You can create your own content if you don’t have a writing team.

If you don’t have the time to produce content, hire a content writer.

The most important thing to remember is that good content is king.

If you have good content, you’ll get a lot of visitors.

The most important rule for creating good content is always write for your target audience.

If you create good content, you’ll get many visitors.

These are the best ways to get traffic to your website.

How to Create a WordPress Website: Frequently Asked Questions

Create a WordPress Website Today!

In today’s day and age, having a website is no more an option. It’s a must-have!

It’s how prospective customers know more about you and your services.

Building a website should be straightforward with the available options, such as WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify, and Zyro.

Choosing how to create a WordPress website from scratch can be intimidating, but it doesn’t need to be.

This article should help you create a WordPress website from scratch, even if you are a beginner with no technical knowledge.

Over to you. Was this article helpful? Did it help you create a WordPress website?

Let me know in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you! 🙂