Create a WordPress Website in 7 Easy Steps

Are you looking to host your first WordPress site? Don’t know how to create a WordPress website? Then you’ve come to the right place.

In this post, we’ll show you how to create a website in just a few simple steps.

Even if you’re a complete beginner, don’t worry! This WordPress website guide is written specifically for you! We’ll walk you through each step in detail.

Before we start with the steps to building a WordPress website, let’s first discuss what you need to create a WordPress website.

What Do You Need to Create a Website?

You’ll need the three things listed below to get started with your WordPress site.

• A domain name.
• WordPress hosting.
• Lastly, your undivided attention.

How Much Does a WordPress Website Cost?

The answer to this question is totally dependent on the type of website you are trying to create.

A simple personal blog website can cost as little as $100. A business website might cost anywhere from $100 to $10,000 each year.

We recommend starting from small and then adding more features to your website once your business grows. This can help you avoid overspending while saving money and reducing potential losses.

Choosing the Best Website Builders to Start a Website?

There are different website builders available to help you in setting up a website. We recommend choosing WordPress.org as your website platform.

WordPress is the most popular cms for websites. It powers almost 43% of all websites on the internet.

WordPress is open source and free, with thousands of the best free WordPress themes and plugins available. It is extremely adaptable and compatible with almost every third-party tool and service available to website owners.

We use WordPress to develop all of our websites, including Pickup WP.

Creating a Website With WordPress

Step 1: Getting a Domain Name And Web Hosting

Before you can learn how to make a WordPress website for beginners, you’ll need a domain name and web hosting for your website.

In case you didn’t know, a domain name is the internet address for your website. It helps internet users in finding your website.

When you go to google.com in your browser, you use Google’s domain name to find the website. Similarly, pickupwp.com is our website’s domain name.

Choosing a Good Domain Name

Before you go ahead and buy a domain name, there are a few things you should think about. Because the domain name represents your website’s identity, you’ll want to be careful while choosing one.

When choosing a domain name, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Keep it simple and short: Nobody wants to type a long, complicated domain name into their browser. As a result, it’s critical to make sure it’s simple to remember and write.
• Make it suitable for your website: Of course, the domain name must also convey the purpose of your website. It should be relevant to your content in some way.
• Keep it unique: Your domain name must be unique in order for visitors not to confuse your website with others.
• Choose an appropriate extension: There are various types of domain name extensions, such as .com for commercial, .org for organizations, .biz for business, and others. Make sure the extension you choose is relevant to the purpose of your website.

After considering these factors, you should have no difficulty choosing the ideal domain name for your site.

While a domain name is simply your website’s address, hosting is where your site is hosted.

Basically, web hosting is storage for all of your website’s files. Visitors can access your site once they’ve been stored there. As a result, selecting good web hosting is a critical step in creating your WordPress website.

Types of Web Hosting Services

You’ll discover that there are various types of hosting services available. Once you understand these, you’ll be able to choose the type of hosting that best meets your needs.

• Shared Hosting: With shared hosting, numerous websites share the same IP address and server resources such as memory, hard disk space, and bandwidth.
• VPS (Virtual Private Server): With the VPS plan, you’ll get a portion of the server’s resources. You’ll share the server with other VPS users, but the number of users will be limited compared to the shared plan.
• Dedicated Hosting: A costly plan in which all server resources are devoted to a single user. It’s ideal for large businesses with a high volume of internet traffic.
• Managed Hosting: Managed WordPress hosting is a service in which the hosting company takes care of all of your hosting needs. With this, you won’t have to bother about things like setup, management, problem-solving, etc.

It’s important to remember that each hosting service has its own advantages and disadvantages. As a result, you’ll need to evaluate your website’s needs, such as server space, bandwidth, security measures, and so on.

How to Buy Web Hosting for Your WordPress Site?

It’s a lot easier than you think to get web hosting since companies have worked hard to make the process as simple as possible. The best way to get a WordPress website up and running is to choose a hosting service that WordPress has officially recommended.

In this WordPress guide, we’ll be using Bluehost. It not only provides high-quality hosting, but it also has a 1-Click WordPress Install option that will make things much easier later on.

1. Visit the Bluehost Site

Open the Bluehost.com website in a new window and click on the Host Your Site button to get started.

2. Select a Hosting Plan to Start a Blog

Next, select the hosting plan. If you’re a beginner, go with the basic plan, which will cover all of your site’s essential needs.

Once your website takes off and starts generating a lot of traffic, you might want to consider upgrading to the premier version of your hosting plan, which has more advanced features that are better suited to dealing with the high volume of traffic.

3. Input a Domain Name

You’ll need to register a new domain if this is your first time using WordPress. Choose an extension from the drop-down option next to the name you want to use. You may select from various domain extensions, including.com,.net, and.org, to mention a few.

Bluehost will examine the domain and tell you if it’s available when you click the Next button. If the domain name is available for use, you can proceed with the registration procedure. If not, you’ll have to choose a new name.

4. Register a Bluehost Account and Hosting Option

Create Your Bluehost Account

First, fill in your account information. Make sure you use your best e-mail address because that is where Bluehost will send your login details and account information:

Bluehost Account Information

Second, select your Bluehost web hosting plan’s duration:

Choosing a more extended plan lets you lock in a lower price, but you will have to pay everything in advance.

Choose Your Package Extras

Third, under Package Extras, you may select several extra services for your blog:

Enter Your Payment Information

Finally, just provide your payment information, read and accept the terms, and click the Submit button.

Congratulations!

You’re now a proud and happy member of the Bluehost community, along with your domain name and web hosting plan!

5. Set your password

As the final step in registering with Bluehost, you’ll create a password once you’ve entered your payment information.

Step 2: Install WordPress on Your Hosting Account

Now that you have your domain name and hosting ready, you can start installing WordPress software. It is the most important step in making a WordPress website.

Don’t be worried if this seems like a difficult step. Using a hosting service like Bluehost or Siteground will make the process much easier.

When you buy a web hosting plan from the best WordPress hosting providers, you’ll get the WordPress Auto-Install option. If not, you can always get a One-click WordPress Install option.

Here, we’ll walk you through the Bluehost setup process. To start, go to Bluehost.com and select the Login option from the top menu. After that, log in to your hosting account using the email address and password you received earlier.

When you log in, the Bluehost dashboard will look like this. To create a WordPress site, go to the sidebar and select My Sites.

Now, click the Create Site button in the top-right corner. All you have to do now is enter your Site Name and Tagline before clicking Next.

After that, you’ll need to select a domain. Select the domain name you chose when you created your Bluehost account from the drop-down under the Domain field and click Next.

That’s it. Bluehost will now install WordPress for you automatically. Just wait till it’s finished, then save your login details.

Step 3: Log Into WordPress Dashboard

Fortunately, Bluehost and some other top WordPress providers provide a direct link to your site’s login page.

When you click the Log into WordPress button, you will be sent directly to your WordPress dashboard.

However, you might not want to log into your hosting account each time you want to use WordPress. So there is another option: the WordPress login URL.

The WordPress login URL is your domain name followed by /wp-login.php. Your login URL should look like this: https://example.com/wp-login.php. Replace example.com with your domain name and enter it into your browser. Then you’ll see the WordPress login page.

After that, enter the WordPress login credentials you received earlier.

Next, you’ll be able to access your WordPress Dashboard, where you may manage your website. The dashboard looks like the image below.

Here you may do everything from writing posts to managing users to customizing your website. All of the options are neatly organized in the sidebar on the left.

Now that you installed WordPress on your hosting account and also accessed the dashboard, you’ve technically created your WordPress website. But it’s not complete yet.

Designing your site, adding content, etc., are the steps you’re yet to finish. We’ll show you all the steps in the sections below.

Step 4: Choose a WordPress Theme

Themes control the visual appearance of your WordPress website.

WordPress themes are professionally built templates that you may use to customize the look of your website.

Each WordPress site includes a basic theme by default. However, there are thousands of free and premium WordPress themes available that you may install on your site.

You can see your active theme and other installed themes on your website by going to Appearance » Themes from your WordPress dashboard.

How to Install a WordPress Theme

To install a new WordPress theme, go to the Appearance » Themes page and click on the Add New button.

Next, you can choose from Popular, Latest, Block Themes, or Favorites.

However, If you already know the theme you want to use, just type the theme name into the Search themes… field.

By clicking Feature Filter, you can sort themes based on various characteristics.

Themes can be sorted by subject, specific features, and layout.

You will get a list of themes that meet your specifications based on your search. In our case, we looked for the popular Astra theme.

Simply move your mouse over the theme’s image when you find the one you wish to install. This will show the Install, Preview, and Details & Preview buttons.

Go ahead and click the Install button.

WordPress will now install your theme.

It will display a success message when your theme is ready.

WordPress will also show the Activate and Live Preview buttons.

Click the Activate button to start using this theme. You have now successfully installed and activated your WordPress theme.

When you visit your site, it will now use this new theme.

Install a Theme Using the Upload Option

WordPress.org’s theme directory only allows you to install free themes. You cannot install a premium WordPress theme from sites like StudioPress, Elegant Themes, or Themify.

If you want to use premium WordPress themes, you should upload them to your WordPress account.

To start, download the .zip file of the theme you purchased from a marketplace.

Next, go to the Appearance » Themes page from your WordPress dashboard and click the Add New button.

This will redirect you to the Add Themes page, which will show you the featured free themes.

Since you already have the theme you want to install, simply click the Upload Theme button.

You can now select the .zip file you previously downloaded by clicking on Choose file.

After that, just click the Install Now button.

When your theme is successfully installed, you will see a message that says, Theme installed successfully.

There are also links to preview and activate your theme. Click Activate to start using this theme on your WordPress website.

If you go to your website now, you should see your new theme in action.

Some Free WordPress Themes for Blog

Here are some free WordPress themes you can use to create your first WordPress website.

• Astra: It is one of the fastest WordPress themes. With a total page size of less than 50 KB, it will impact loading speed, resulting in better SEO and user experience.
• OceanWP: It offers 13 free, fully responsive theme demos ranging from personal blogs to eCommerce sites.
• Divi: A highly flexible theme that is feature-rich as well as well-optimized.
• Zakra: A fantastic multipurpose theme with a ton of customization options.
• Neve: This super fast theme comes with many amazing features perfect for small businesses and blogs.

For more, check out our hand-picked list of free WordPress themes for blog.

Step 5: Creating Posts and Pages in WordPress

Now that you understand how to create a WordPress website and customize it using free themes, you can start adding content immediately. That is generally done in two ways: posts and pages.

WordPress Posts display in your website’s Blog section. They can be used for all sorts of content, depending on your website’s niche.  They are listed in reverse chronological order, with the most recent posts at the top.

On the other hand, WordPress Pages are for one-time content that won’t be updated or changed. This includes timeless content such as About Us, Services, and Contact Us, which will normally remain the same over time.

How to Create a WordPress Post?

To add content to your website, you will need to know how to create posts. To start, go to your dashboard and click the Posts option in the sidebar. This will take you to the page where all of your posts will be listed. You’ll be able to manage your posts from here.

To create a new post, simply click the Add New button at the top of the page.

This will bring you to the WordPress Post Editor. Here you can add a post title and then add text in the post editor. You’ll also notice some additional options on the sidebar, such as categories, tags, featured images, etc.

When you’re done making the content, simply click the Publish button at the top right corner.

How to Create a WordPress Page?

Using WordPress to create web pages is also very similar. From your WordPress Dashboard, go to Pages in the sidebar to access the page where you may manage your existing posts. Simply click Add New at the top, as you did before.

This will launch the WordPress Page Editor, similar to the post editor. Here you can add a page title and add text in the post editor and then click the Publish button when finished.

Step 6: Customizing WordPress

Now that you’ve created some content for your website, you’ll be able to customize and show it to your visitors.

Let’s start by making a static front page (also known as the homepage).

Setting Up a Static Front Page

First, go to Settings » Reading page from your WordPress dashboard. Next, Under the Your homepage displays option, click on the static page option and then select Pages you created previously for your home and blog pages.

Don’t forget to save your changes by clicking the Save Changes button at the bottom of the page.

WordPress will now use the Home page as the front page of your site and the Blog page to display your blog posts.

Set Up Comments Settings

WordPress comes with a built-in comment system that allows users to leave comments on your posts. This is excellent for increasing WordPress user engagement, but it also makes it a target for spammers.

To fix this, you’ll need to enable comment moderation on your website.

Go to the Settings » Discussions page from your WordPress dashboard and scroll down to the Before a comment appears section. Next, check the box next to the Comment must be manually approved option.

Don’t forget to save your changes by clicking the Save Changes button.

Create Navigation Menus

Navigation menus allow users to browse different pages or sections on your website. WordPress includes a powerful navigation menu system, which your WordPress theme will use to display menus.

Let’s create a navigation menu for your website.

First, go to the Appearance » Menus page. Give your navigation menu a name and click the Create Menu button.

WordPress will now create a navigation menu for you. But it will be blank at the moment.

After that, select the pages you want to include in your menu and click the Add to Menu option.

You’ll notice that the empty space in your navigation menu has been filled with the pages you’ve chosen. You can reorder the menu items by dragging them up and down.

You must now choose a display location. Your WordPress theme defines these locations. Most WordPress themes include a primary menu that shows at the top of your website’s header.

Finally, click the Save Menu button to save your navigation menu.

You may now see the menu in action by going to your website.

Step 7: Adding Features With WordPress Plugins

Of course, we can’t talk about how to create a WordPress website without mentioning plugins. WordPress Plugins are similar to apps for your website. They customize and add features to your WordPress site.

There are currently over 59,000 free WordPress plugins available. Premium plugins are also available from third-party websites such as WPEverest and CodeCanyon.

How to Install WordPress Plugins?

Installing WordPress plugin to install a theme. You can install WordPress plugins directly from your WordPress dashboard.

First, you need to visit the Plugins » Add New page inside your WordPress admin area.

Next, find the plugin by typing the name of the plugin in the search bar. After that, you will see a bunch of listings like the example below:

Since in our search, we were looking for OptinMonster, which is the best WordPress lead generation plugin, we’ll click the Install Now button next to it.

WordPress will now download and install the plugin for you. After this, you’ll notice the Install Now button will change into the Activate button.

Go ahead and click on the Activate button to start using that plugin on your WordPress site.

Some Essential Plugins For WordPress Websites

Here is our list of essential plugins you should install on your site immediately.

• WPForms: This allows you to add a contact form on your WordPress site.
• MonsterInsights: Connect your website to Google Analytics to learn how people find and use your site so you can keep them coming back. For more, check our guide on how to add Google Analytics to WordPress.
• Elementor: Best drag and drop page builder plugin in which you can create beautiful-looking web pages with absolutely zero codings.
• Yoast SEO: Improve your WordPress SEO and get more traffic from Google.
• WP Super Cache: Free WordPress caching plugin that helps improve your website speed.
• PushEngage: It helps you in increasing website traffic by letting you connect with visitors after they leave your website.
• UpdraftPlus: Best WordPress backup plugin, which helps you create automatic scheduled backups of your website.
• Sucuri: Help you in protecting your website from hackers and malware.
• WooCommerce: You can easily turn your website into an online store in just a few clicks.
• OptinMonster: It helps you get more email subscribers and optimize website conversion rates with dynamic popups, modals, and other smart personalization features.

For more plugin suggestions, check out our list of essential plugins for WordPress.

Conclusion on How to Create a WordPress Website

That’s it! You’ve just learned how to create a WordPress website!

The cool thing about the process presented here is that you can do it by yourself and don’t have to hire anyone.

Making a website with WordPress as your platform is the most budget-friendly solution available.

If you want to learn more about what to do with your website once it’s launched, here are some of our other guides that help tackle this:

• 23 Proven Ways to Increase Your Blog Traffic for Free
• How to Submit WordPress Website to Google Search Console
• Move From Blogger to WordPress in Easy Steps