G’day folks! Alex here, your friendly neighborhood WordPress wizard. If you’ve landed on this post, you’re likely new to WordPress and looking for guidance on getting started. Well, you’ve come to the right place!
In this beginner’s guide, we’ll cover all the WordPress basics – from understanding what WordPress is, choosing hosting, installing WordPress, selecting a theme, plugins, customization, and more. I’ll be with you every step of the way with my trusted expertise. So, let’s get cracking!
What is WordPress?
WordPress is an open-source content management system (CMS) that powers over 30% of all websites on the internet. It started as just a simple blogging platform but has evolved into a full-fledged CMS over the years.
Here are some key things you should know about WordPress:
- Free to use open-source software
- Used by bloggers, businesses, and enterprises
- Powers websites through its themes and plugins
- Highly flexible and customizable
- It has a strong community and ecosystem
WordPress provides all the tools you need to build professional websites without coding everything from scratch. Its wide adoption, ease of use, flexibility, and robust features make WordPress a favourite for site owners of all scales and verticals.
Choosing WordPress Hosting
Before installing WordPress, you need a hosting provider to host the WordPress files and database. When choosing one, here are the key factors to consider:
- Speed and performance: You want a provider with fast servers and robust infrastructure to ensure maximum uptime and performance.
- WordPress optimization: Choose a provider optimized for WordPress with features like 1-click installs, pre-configured caching and security, and auto updates.
- Reliability and support: Pick a reputable provider with 24/7 customer support if anything goes wrong.
- Scalability: As your site grows, the hosting should be able to scale with your needs seamlessly.
Some top-rated managed WordPress hosts include Rocket.net, Kinsta, and WP Engine. I recommend SiteGround for most beginners as they provide a great blend of performance, features, and affordability.
How to Install WordPress
Once you have secured hosting, installing WordPress is an absolute breeze. Here is a simple step-by-step guide:
- Log in to your web hosting account and access the WordPress installation section.
- Enter your site details like domain name, title, admin credentials, etc.
- The installer will then automatically create the database, configure files, and install WordPress. That’s it!
The exact installation steps can vary slightly across different hosts, but they provide simple 1-click installers that handle all the heavy lifting.
If your host does not offer a 1-click installer, you can manually install WordPress by uploading the WordPress files via FTP and configuring the database. However, the manual route does require some technical skills.
What to Do After Installing WordPress
After you have installed WordPress, what do you do? I recommend new users follow this checklist:
- Log in to the admin dashboard: Check that you can access the /wp-admin login page and log in using the credentials created during the installation.
- Change/Reset your password: Update the admin password from the default to a stronger and more secure one.
- Update WordPress Core files: You always want to be on the latest version for security and feature updates.
- Install essential plugins: Start by installing crucial plugins like a security plugin, SEO plugin, and caching plugin.
- Pick a theme: The default theme might not be ideal for your website, so install a new piece that aligns with your brand identity.
- Configure site settings: Update key settings like your site title, tagline, timezone, date and time formats as needed.
- Set up navigation menus: Menus allow users to navigate between sections of your site easily.
- Create your first post: Make a quick post to ensure content creation works smoothly.
This might seem like many steps, but I’ll break things down piece by piece over the rest of this beginner’s guide to help you understand core concepts.
Getting Familiar with the WordPress Dashboard
The WordPress dashboard is the central hub that gives you access to everything needed to build, manage and control your site. It greets you right after you log in with the /wp-admin URL.
Some key things you can do via the dashboard:
- Manage all site content (posts, pages, media etc.)
- Install and customize themes/design.
- Extend functionality with plugins.
- Configure settings
- Moderate discussions
- Create and manage menus
- View site stats and analytics
It might look overwhelming initially, but as you spend more time and get familiarized, things fall into place. Don’t hesitate to poke around a bit!
Now, let’s get into the meaty stuff.
Working with WordPress Posts and Pages
WordPress uses two key content types – Posts and Pages. Understanding the difference between the two is crucial.
Posts are blog-style articles with publishing dates, categories and tags. They appear on blog listings, RSS feeds, archives, etc.
Pages are static standalone web pages like About, Services, Contact, etc. They are not categorized and only appear in specific menu links.
You can access the post and pages section from the left sidebar menu to start creating content. The integrated post editor makes creating and formatting content without technical skills easy.
Choosing and Installing WordPress Themes
Themes control how your overall site looks, feels and functions. WordPress themes allow you to customize colours, fonts, layouts, graphics and additional features through a few clicks.
You can browse and install themes with the click of a button via the Appearance > Themes screen. Activate the music you like to make it live.
I recommend installing a premium theme for the most flexibility in design customization. Some popular premium theme marketplaces include ThemeForest, Elegant Themes and MyThemeShop.
Pro Tip: Always back up your existing theme before changing to a new one!
Customizing Your Site with Plugins
Plugins extend WordPress functionality beyond the core features. They allow you to add advanced features like contact forms, e-commerce, security, and more to your site.
To add a new plugin, browse or search the library of 55,000+ free plugins available from your dashboard via Plugins > Add New. Then click install and activate any plugin you need.
Some must-have plugins I recommend are:
- Yoast SEO – For optimizing content for search engines
- WP Rocket – To speed up site performance
- Sucuri Security – For protection against malware and attacks
- Google Analytics – For tracking detailed site analytics
Do some research to find plugins that fit your specific site needs. But also don’t overdo it! Too many plugins can slow your site down.
Using the WordPress Customizer
The WordPress Customizer allows you to preview and customize many aspects of your site in real time without needing to install anything.
Access it via Appearance > Customize on your dashboard menu.
You can tweak things like:
- Site identity like title, tagline and logo
- Colours, backgrounds, fonts, etc.
- Menus and widgets placement/settings
- Theme settings and options
The customizer eliminates the need to manually code changes or edit PHP files, allowing rapid customization using a live preview.
It might take some initial trial and error, but mastering the customizer can help customize your site design without touching any code.
Optimizing WordPress SEO
Optimizing your WordPress site for search engines allows more people to discover your content across Google and other search engines.
Some essential SEO tips for beginners include:
- Pick a brandable domain name with target keywords
- Structure URLs with keywords
- Install a SEO plugin like Yoast SEO
- Optimize page titles and meta descriptions
- Create sitemaps for indexing
- Produce search-friendly content
- Grow quality backlinks
Search engines are complex algorithms, but getting SEO fundamentals right ensures you gain traction and conversion-focused traffic.
Finding Help As a WordPress Beginner
I hope this beginner’s guide gives you a solid grounding in understanding core WordPress concepts. But I’m sure there will still be questions, so here are helpful places to find WordPress support as a beginner:
- Official WordPress Support Forums – Active community that helps diagnose issues
- WPBeginner – Detailed WordPress tutorials and how-tos
- YouTube tutorials – Video lessons are a great visual resource
- Hire a WordPress Expert – If stuck in a rut, some personalized assistance can be invaluable
And of course, you can always hit me up via the comments section or social channels, and I’ll help however I can!
Right, that just about wraps things up. We’ve covered some ground, laying out WordPress basics tailored to help you kickstart your site correctly. Time to put it into practice!
Let me know how setting up your first WordPress site goes or if you have any other questions. I might whip up some more beginner-friendly guides if there is interest.
If you need help with a WordPress business website, we are here to help.
