Making an individual blog or site these days can be quick, simple, and very fun. Also, it’s really modest as well! Particularly on the off chance that you are doing it with WordPress
Did you know that WordPress powers almost one-third of all websites?
Don’t worry if you have never created a website before. In this short article, I’ll guide you through the process, and it’s going to feel like a breeze.
Step 1. Choose a Hosting Provider.
Choosing a hosting provider is going to be an essential step for the well-being of your website or blog. It can determine whether your website will be fast, secure, and constantly up and running.
There are a few main points on which you should base your decision:
Hosting is optimized for WordPress. If you are going to create your website with WordPress, make sure the hosting plan you are choosing is perfectly suited for it. It’s going to guarantee you features such as 1-click WP installation, automatic updates, uptime tracking plugins, and much more.
Hosting speed. You want your website or blog loading in milliseconds, so your visitors don’t have to linger. Look for newest technologies like pre-installed LiteSpeed cache plugins, the latest version of PHP, and SSD’s for maximum performance.
Hosting price. With such a competitive market, you don’t have to go for the most expensive company to get the highest quality hosting. With Hostinger, you can get WordPress hosting plans for only $2,15/month.
99,99% hosting uptime. This part is important if you want your website constantly up and running. Check the status reports and other indicators, whether the hosting provider is delivering on its promise.
Competent Customer Support. This part is especially important for first-timers, but even if you are a professional, customer support could help you with solving some more complex issues. Make sure they have a dedicated team for WordPress.
Step 2. Choose a Domain Name.
The domain name is the name of your website, which you’ll see in the search bar.
You can be creative and use any word you wish for a domain name, but it’s best if you use a word or a combination closely related to your blog or company name.
Make sure it’s catchy and short, so your website visitors can memorize it easily. If you lack ideas, here are some of the best name generators for your website or blog.
Step 3. Install WordPress.
After you have your domain name and hosting plan sorted out, you can install WordPress and start editing your blog.
Don’t forget to fill out all the essential information in your hosting and domain account. The domain name should be registered immediately after purchase, otherwise, someone could take it before you.
After you’re done, you can easily install WordPress with one click in your hosting dashboard.
Step 4. Choose a WordPress theme.
A WordPress theme will save you some precious time and will have the whole website and design laid out for you. The only thing you will have to do is customize it.
Some people spend hours, or even days while trying to choose the best theme before they start anything. However, you just need something simple to have a head start – don’t overthink your decision.
I recommend choosing something functional yet not too overwhelming. You won’t know what your visitors like before they come to your website, so don’t be afraid to experiment.
If you are having trouble finding something that suits your needs, try the OceanWP theme. It’s a trendy and functional theme both for a blog and a personal website. If that doesn’t match your taste, here is a whole list of both the best premium and free themes for WP.
Changing or installing a theme is very easy with WP. Just log in to your WP dashboard > appearance > themes > add new.
Step 5. Customize your website.
Customizing your blog or website is, by far, one of the most exciting parts of creating a website. You can change the layout, menu bar, and add all the essential elements and pages.
Some themes might not even require any customizations, by merely installing a certain plugin you will have everything you need.
If you need some specific customizations, make sure to check out this tutorial. It goes much more in detail.
You can also start designing your website a little (or a lot). If you have specific ideas on how your website should look like, it’s a good time for implementing them.
Step 6. Add the content.
After it’s all set up, you can start filling your website with your unique content. Add pictures, written descriptions, blog posts, or anything else you wish.
Your content should be very engaging and targeted for a specific audience. I know it takes time to make it perfect, but it’s totally worth it. There is already a lot of content out there, make yours stand out!
Step 7. Optimize your website.
After you finish setting everything up, it’s time to optimize your website. You can start by running a test through GTmetrix, which will show you what should be improved.
A few easy things you can do are:
- Optimizing your websites’ images;
- Enabling caching;
- Minifying CSS, HTML, and JavaScript Scripts.
If you want to know more, here is an excellent tutorial on how to do so.
Bonus tip:
Before you make your website go live, don’t forget to install an SSL certificate on your domain. You can do that in your hosting panel. It will ensure that your content and your visitors’ data is secure.
And here you have it – the whole tutorial on how to create your own website or blog. Let me know how it goes in the comments below; I’m looking forward to it!