Step by Step Guide to Building a Website in 2019 Using WordPress

For anyone with little tech knowledge, building a website can seem a daunting task, but do not worry because this guide will show all you need to do to build your own site without having to learn how to code. This guide is useful for all kinds of people with any level of know-how; firstly, here is a general overview of all the steps involved in this guide:

• Finding and registering a domain name for free

• Selecting the best web hosting

• Guide to installing WordPress

• Using a template to change the design of a website

• Creating pages in WordPress

• Using addons and extensions to customise WordPress

• Resources and support to learn WordPress

• Building websites with additional features

Here are the answers to some commonly asked questions about creating a website:

1. What is required to build a website?

Here are few of the things required when building a website:

• A domain name

• WordPress Hosting

• A functional email address

• Website template design

• Images for the website

• Image editor

• Google analytics

• Time

2. How much does a WordPress website cost?

This question is tricky because the answer depends on the kind of website you are trying to build. We have provided a guide with details how much it costs to build a website. A regular business website can cost anything between $100 and $30,000 a year but, as a first timer, you are advised to start small and adjust for changes as your website grows, this allows you to save money and mitigate losses.

This guide will show you how best to build a site without breaking the bank and also how to make the best of the available features.

3. Which is the best website platform?

Deciding on a website builder from the many available options can be difficult, but self-hosted WordPress has proven reliable and is what we recommend. Powering about 28% of the websites in the world, WordPress is very popular, free and comes with a plethora of designs and extensions. It is a platform that is very flexible and works with almost all third-party tools and services that are available to website owners.

4. How to make the most of this tutorial

This step by step guide has been divided into parts that are easy to follow to build a website from start to finish. Following the instructions laid out here will help you create a professional-looking site and one that will help your business.

Step 1: Setup

A lot of first timers make the mistake of choosing the wrong website platform; you can avoid that by following this guide. A lot of users prefer a self-hosted WordPress.org because it provides thousands of designs and addons which you can use to create the website of your choice. WordPress does not have restrictions on the type of websites you can build, and anyone can download it for free.

Using WordPress to build your website means you will have to arrange your own hosting and domain name and these cost money.

A domain name is the address of your website on the internet; it is like an identity for your website because it is what visitors to your site will type when trying to reach it. Every website on the internet require hosting, it serves as the home of the website on the internet. Domain names usually go for about $14.99 per year and website hosting costs start from $7.99, these put together may be unaffordable for individuals just starting out.

Note that it is vital that your domain name is creatively crafted, short, memorable and brandable to help boost your site SEO. If you get stuck, you will find online resources like Freeparking domain name guide a great help.

Step 2: Install WordPress

Once you have your domain name and website hosted, the next thing is to install WordPress, this can be done in two ways; first through the 1-click installation for WordPress provided by your hosting company, the other way is through a manual installation.

Your hosting account dashboard (cPanel) will provide a ton of icons that perform different functions, it is safe to ignore since you will only be using a few of them. The website section of your cPanel is where you will find the option to install WordPress, and then you choose the domain to install your WordPress on. It is important to note that most hosting companies have a 1-click installation so you can use this as a selection factor.

Step 3: Select your Theme

Once you have installed WordPress, a basic version of your website comes up. WordPress controls the visual appearance of your site and it provides lots of free and paid themes that you can install on your site. The design of your website is very important as it provides visitors a means to form an opinion about your business. A great design will create a lasting impression and you should keep the following things in mind when selecting a theme:

• Use clean and unique design elements

• Make sure it is easy to navigate

• Make sure it aligns with your goal for the site

• Ensure it is optimised for mobile devices

To select a theme in WordPress, type the name in the search bar and click install once the theme menu comes up. You can then go ahead and customise the theme by selecting the Customise option in the Appearance menu; this allows you to change your theme settings while previewing the site at the same time.

Step 4: Add Content to your Site

Post and pages are the two default content types provided by WordPress. Posts appear in reverse chronological order, pages, on the other hand, are static content. Blog posts are shown on the front page by default on WordPress, but it can be changed and you are free to use any page as your front page.

To create a new page; select Add New under the Pages option in the WordPress admin area, this will reveal a page editor screen. You can then title your page, add content in the text editor and you can finally publish the page. You can repeat this process for as many pages you want to create.

To create a post; select Add New under the Posts option. This option allows you add a title to your post and include content. You can save your post as a draft or publish it to make it visible on your website.

Step 5: Customising your Website

This is to allow you to customise the content you have created. The first thing you do is set up a static front page, you do this by selecting the Settings then Reading option, under the “Front page displays”, select Static Front page then “Pages”. Next is to change the site title and tagline, to change these from the default; visit the Setting then General pages, type your new title and tagline and save. More ways you can customise your website includes setting up comments, creating navigation menus, editing the sidebar and so on.

Step 6: Installing Plugins

Plugins are like apps that allow you to add features to your website like pictures or a contact form. There are more than 49,000 free plugins provided by WordPress and there are paid ones provided by third-party developers but here are some free plugins that will benefit your site:

• Envira Gallery Lite

• MonsterInsights

• Yoast SEO

• Sucuri

There are also guides on how to install plugins and more recommendations on plugins for your business website available.

Step 7: Mastering WordPress

WordPress is an exceptionally powerful tool, but it is easy to use, and there are guides available to help you answer questions you might have and to provide support when you need it. All these resources are provided free of charge and include beginner blogs, videos, dictionary, blueprint and even discounts on WordPress products and services. These resources will provide you with tutorials and step by step guides, videos that will assist you in learning WordPress, help you get familiar with the terms and more.

Step 8: Taking it Further

You can choose to learn more about WordPress beyond what is provided in this article, you can learn the other types of websites you can build with WordPress.