With 43.2% of all sites powered by WordPress, it’s no surprise that this open-source solution has become the primary option for those who want to secure an efficient online presence. Simplicity, customizability, and a strong community—with these features, the platform becomes an accessible means of building and managing top-notch sites for whatever industry one may need. The end products look professional, have clear navigation patterns, and, as a result, bring profit to their owners.

However, for inexperienced individuals, crafting a new web solution can be quite a challenge. Thankfully, with thorough guidance and the appropriate tools, the process becomes much easier.

In this piece, we’ll shed light on how to build a WordPress Website, what CMS serves, its benefits, and its utilization peculiarities. 

The Essence of WordPress

Site owners, content creators, or those who write blog articles have definitely heard of WordPress. More precisely, they most probably work with this efficient platform. Globally, it is the #1 choice for those who want to build their own websites. The variety of solutions already created with its help is striking. But why is it so popular? What makes it an appealing choice?

The open-source nature of this product is perhaps the key reason for its popularity. You might think that website development is a professional endeavor that requires experience and expertise. WordPress negates this assumption. You may be fully unaware of how to write code, but you can still use this product. This CMS handles essential site functions such as building pages, crafting blog entries, adding video/audio files, and many more. You will certainly appreciate the following advantage—with this solution, you uncover a vast library of free themes and plugins. Sounds enticing, doesn’t it?

Initially, this tool emerged for blogging purposes. Since then, it has grown into an incredibly versatile platform. Today, it powers blogs, business pages, eCommerce stores, portfolios, forums, and membership platforms. Its flexibility, customization features, lack of licensing fees, and large community make it equally appealing for beginners and experts alike.

Anyone can have a professionally designed WordPress site in no time. At its core, the platform offers ease of use and full transparency, making content management a breeze. In turn, the ecosystem provides opportunities to create whatever solution you want, regardless of the industry or profile. The reason why this is the preferred CMS for so many professionals and amateurs alike is its perfect blend of simplicity and flexibility.

Effortlessness Unlocked: The Key Benefits

Consider all the options for developing web solutions before starting your project. As far as WordPress is concerned, with this option you will get the following:

• Simplicity

The intuitive UI and simplified backend are some of the biggest attractions you’ll notice. The entire process, from installation to content creation and settings management, is made to be user-friendly, even for those without technical expertise. This allows everyone to swiftly construct and tailor a website.

• Choices for Personalization

WordPress caters not only to beginners but also offers boundless personalization possibilities. Shape your platform precisely to your requirements using its extensive library. Those with advanced skills can achieve remarkable results.

• Impressive SEO Capacities

SEO is critical for discoverability. You gain access to integrated techniques for enhancing your content so that it meets all the relevant success criteria. Clean code and structure allow you to maximize indexing, while plugins provide tools for optimizing URLs, metadata, and so on.

• Cost Effectiveness

As we have mentioned above, you can use the immense solution’s capacities for free. Even if you desire additional capabilities beyond the basic functions, the overall cost of a website remains highly affordable compared to alternative options. Thus, this product provides accessibility to businesses and individuals, irrespective of their financial situation.

• Responsiveness for Phones and Tablets

Browsing via phones and tablets now comprises more than half of all web traffic. With WordPress, creating mobile-friendly solutions is incredibly easy. 

• Backing and Helpful Materials

With a large community behind it, this solution offers extensive documentation, tutorials, and forums for support in various areas like setup, design, development, SEO, security, and troubleshooting.

• Scalability and Performance

This CMS can scale to handle huge amounts of traffic and content without compromising on speed or performance. Its architecture and caching solutions allow it to support even the largest websites.

All of this sounds promising for someone looking to build a functional and aesthetically appealing platform. So, let’s delve into the peculiarities of the creation process.

Nine Steps to Craft a Web Solution

Legions of professionals employ this product, and their approaches may slightly vary. In our own strategy, we take the expertise of Forbes experts as guidelines. 

Ensure your site is both functional and efficient by following these key steps: 

1. Acquire a Web Hosting Services and Register a Domain Name

Web hosting provides server space for your solution to be accessible online. It is necessary for your files and database, even though WordPress itself is free. The starting price for cheap hosting plans is typically $5-$10 monthly, and a free domain name is often included.

After your purchase is complete, you’ll need to enter a domain name when signing up. Remember that conciseness, memorability, and brand relevance are pillars here. Double-check the availability before buying.

When this buying stage is over, install WordPress. The CMS effortlessly links to your hosting account. 

2. Discover and Set Up a WordPress Theme

Themes determine how digital platforms look, are organized, and run. A vast selection of both free and premium ones to choose from is right there—just pick the ones you find the most appealing. While free themes are sufficient, premium ones go with enhanced personalization capacities, quality support, and built-in functionality.

After the acquisition, uploading and installing a theme involves accessing your dashboard, navigating to Appearance > Themes, selecting Add New, and subsequently uploading the theme zip file. After that, click on the installation option, followed by activation. 

Solidify your site’s base with themes that boast exceptional quality. Opt for lightweight ones to ensure fast site performance. For security and support, rely on those developed by reputable professionals.

3. Incorporate Plugins

Plugins improve the functionality of WordPress beyond its default capabilities. Contact forms, SEO, security, and eCommerce are among the features they include. Nevertheless, it’s important to restrict their usage to prevent site slowdown. But a few plugins are indispensable.

Ensure optimal content by incorporating an SEO plugin like Yoast SEO. Install Google Analytics to monitor traffic and statistics. To protect your site, opt for WordFence. Additionally, include site-specific plugins to achieve your goals, for instance, WooCommerce for eCommerce platforms.

To integrate plugins via your dashboard, initiate a search for a plugin by its name, proceed to click on Install Now, and subsequently Activate. You should exclusively employ reliable plugins sourced from the WordPress repository. Regularly update these plugins to incorporate crucial security patches and maintain optimal support.

4. Add Demo Content

Premium WordPress themes frequently incorporate demo content, featuring pre-made page layouts and sample content to demonstrate the theme’s capabilities. Utilizing the theme dashboard to import this content serves as a convenient initial step for customization.

Refer to your theme documentation for guidance on importing demo content. Frequently, the theme’s dashboard includes a tab bearing your theme name, which houses options for importing demos. Clicking on this tab facilitates the import of sample pages, post layouts, widgets, and settings, streamlining the site-building process.

Utilizing demo content provides your website with an immediate visual identity. This way, you substitute placeholder text and images with your own branding and content. This method offers a preview of your theme’s design in action, serving as a valuable step before commencing a build from the ground up.

5. Adjust the Settings

Key settings for your brand and site setup should be configured before content is published. They comprise your site name, tagline, logo, favicon, homepage, blog page, and permalink structure.

Navigate to Appearance > Customize to make the necessary adjustments to your logo, site title, tagline, and favicon. In Homepage Settings, pick your preferred homepage and blog page. Lastly, head to Settings > Permalinks to establish a permalink structure—usually, Post Name is the recommended choice.

Spending a few minutes updating these settings guarantees your site reflects your brand in terms of identity and navigation. Before creating content and personalizing design, make sure to establish these basics first.

6. Generate New Pages

Once you’ve set up everything, the next step is page creation. About, Services, Contact, Blog, and more are some of the site pages you can have. Your industry and niche will determine the specific choice.

Generate fresh pages by accessing Pages > Add New. Provide a title for each one and proceed to publish them. For the alteration of pre-existing ones, navigate to All Pages and choose Edit for the specific page requiring modification. 

Make sure to plan your site map in advance. Prepare all essential pages beforehand, then proceed to write the content. Use descriptive page titles and permalinks. Include pages one by one to establish efficient navigation and structure.

7. Arrange Your Menu Options

Visitors can use menus to move around the platform. To add items, go to Appearance > Menus and select pages from the left panel. Rearrange the order by dragging and dropping.

Make menus for every location similar to the main header navigation menu. Select the box to enable the menu to appear in specified theme locations (for instance, header). 

Improved site navigation and user experience are a result of well-organized menus. Arrange them in a way that makes it simple for visitors to locate important pages and content.

8. Compose Your Initial Entry

A blog that provides valuable information and is frequently updated can increase traffic. Proceed to Posts > Add New, entitle your entry, and write the text. Organize and label all the entries to enhance their visibility on the Internet.

If you want your blog posts to have their own page, create a dedicated blog page under Settings > Reading. Share them on social media so that more people can discover them. When writing copies, don’t forget about all the necessary SEO parameters. 

Maintaining a blog ensures a continuous stream of content and sustains your inbound marketing strategy in the intervals between website updates. Deliver value through regular blog posts, concurrently promoting your brand and showcasing your expertise.

9. Arrange Marketing Activities for Your Solution

Once your platform is live, it’s crucial to actively promote it to enhance visibility and drive traffic. Don’t forget about submitting it to Google Search Console for indexing and linking it to social media accounts.

Make sure to include your business on directories and relevant review platforms, like Yelp. Enhance local SEO with the help of Google My Business. Include your URL on marketing materials like business cards and email signatures. 

Regardless of its quality, every website needs continuous promotion to be found. Combine various marketing strategies to generate traffic, leads, and sales for long-term success.

More Tips for Success

The preceding steps are vital actions to undertake. However, additional considerations are necessary to maximize the attraction of visitors to your platform. Let’s explore them:

Prioritize UX

Invest effort into designing an impeccable UX. Pick a theme that complements your identity and presents content in an intuitive format for visitors. In order to succeed, it is essential to have a navigation system that is both simple and consistently executed. 

Tailor the Platform to Fit Your Brand

Make the web platform distinctly yours. Its theme must reflect your niche and objectives. Play with colors, fonts, and images to stress the peculiarities of your company. 

Safety and Protection

Enhance security by implementing plugins, strong passwords, and regular updates. Limit the use of unnecessary elements. Make sure to regularly back up your data as a precaution against potential disasters. For eCommerce sites, use SSL certification for safe transactions.

Mobile Responsiveness

Make sure your solution is perfectly accessible via any device. Conduct tests on both phones and tablets and utilize a mobile plugin if necessary.

Site Speed

Conversions and SEO benefit from fast page load times. Enhance image optimization, enable caching, compress files, utilize a CDN, and reduce HTTP requests. 

Consistency

Standardize design patterns, navigation, imagery, voice, and branding across all pages for a professional feel. Make updates universally through themes rather than individual page edits.

AI Potential

You can also consider the immense capacities that WordPress unlocks when used together with AI. 

With these tips in mind, you will leverage WordPress’s strengths while avoiding common pitfalls. Prioritizing the perspective of site visitors leads to a more effective web presence.

Conclusion

The use of WordPress grants you immense potential for website growth and a clear interface. By following the straightforward steps covered here, you can launch a professional solution even without prior web development experience.
While the process is simple, you may benefit from additional expertise. In such cases, you can collaborate with IT agencies offering outsourced web development services. They have a pool of experienced specialists who can either provide consultation or get directly involved in building your solution. Whichever option you choose, WordPress will equip you with a variety of tools to ensure an efficient and reliable result.

This guest article was written by Valentin Kuzmenko, VP of Sales at Andersen