Starting a WordPress website is very overwhelming, but this might be easier with WordPress: create a site that is good-looking and functional, without any problems. Over 40% of all sites on the internet have been powered by WordPress, hence trusted by millions to build from a small personal blog to a larger business site. Knowing how to publish a WordPress site-from getting your website online to managing its content-requires just a few crucial steps. This will take you through everything that you must know about getting your WordPress site live, from choosing the correct hosting, setting up your domain, customizing your website, and optimizing it for visibility.
Whatever brings you to WordPress, there is no better way of publishing a professional-looking, robust website than through such platforms. Learn how to execute a solid idea on a fully-working website. Here’s part one.
Table of Contents
Install a Domain and Hosting
Before you can publish the WordPress website, you first need to have two ingredients set up: a domain and a hosting provider.
Domain Name: It is the address for your site on the internet, such as “example.com.” Choose a domain name representing your brand or the core of your site. Use a short, memorable and easy-to-spell one. Many hosting providers offer to register a domain name from them, so you do not have to go separately to secure your domain name and hosting.
Hosting Provider: Hosting is the service that lets people access your website through the internet. There are numerous hosting providers that specialize in WordPress, including Bluehost, SiteGround, and DreamHost. Many of them offer one-click WordPress installation that makes the installation much easier. Look for services with good customer support, great security, and scaling if you think your site is going to grow.
Install WordPress
After getting a domain and a hosting provider, the next thing would be installing WordPress. Many providers allow easy one-click WordPress installation from your control panel, making that pretty handy.
If they do not have one-click availability you can download the WordPress file from WordPress.org. Install it through the installation wizard supplied after FTP upload to your hosting account. This, too, is something newcomers can easily navigate through. Once you have installed WordPress, you will be guided on what to do to input your site title, select username and password for access with admin. Make sure it is a good, and not guessable password.
Choose and Customize Your Theme
The best thing about WordPress is that it has thousands of free and paid themes. A theme gives your website an overall look and feel. To choose a theme based on your preference, log into the WordPress dashboard and click on “Appearance,” followed by “Themes.” There, you can surf for free themes or upload a paid theme if you have bought one.
Selecting a Theme Based on Site Goals Choosing the right theme is one of the first steps toward setting up a great WordPress website. The best theme for your site is determined by the purpose you intend to put it to. For example, a photography portfolio will probably require a visually-oriented theme. A blog, however, may benefit from a clean, minimalistic theme. Once you have picked a theme, click the “Customize” link to change the colors, fonts, layout, and more to fit your brand.
Add Basic Pages and Content To publish
A successful WordPress website, you’ll need a few essential pages:
- Homepage: This will be what visitors first see when they arrive to your website. It is usually the most crucial page for a website.
- About Page: An About page tells visitors who you are or what your business is. It’s a great place to foster trust and further explain your mission.
- Contact Page: A Contact page should be easily accessible to users. You can utilize an included form, email address, or phone number.
- Blog (optional): If you have a regular stream of posts, a blog page would make the most sense for content marketing and SEO.
To do this, go to Pages, in the WordPress dashboard click +Add New. Gutenberg provides an intuitive editor that facilitates adding and formatting text images, and other media per page.
Installation of Necessary Plugins
Some of the features that make WordPress quite customizable are plugins. Smaller software add-ons permit extending the functionality of your site, adding anything from contact forms to SEO tools.
Important plugins include:
- Yoast SEO, RankMath or All in One SEO Pack: These plugins help in optimizing your website for search engines, which improves your possibility of ranking on Google.
- Akismet Anti-Spam: This plugin reduces the spam comments on your sites.
- WP Forms, Ninja Forms or Contact Form 7: The best contact forms are easily created using this plugin.
- WP Rocket or WPSuper Cache: This plugin creates the static versions of every page of yours that lower your load time.
You would have installed the plugins in steps at “Plugins” available on the dashboard. Tap on “Add New, select the necessary ones among those displayed, then do the “Install Now. ” Activate them afterwards.
SEO Configuration
Setup some basic SEO. General optimization and configuration for any website increases their visibility in Google or Yahoo, increasing their ability to attract more visitors to those sites.
The Yoast SEO or All in One SEO plugins streamline this process by walking you through the necessary SEO actions, including setting up meta descriptions, alt text for images, and keywords for each page or post. Make sure your site’s permalink structure is set to “Post name” in Settings > Permalinks, which makes URLs easier to read and more SEO-friendly.
Preview, Test, and Publish Your Site
Preview and test your site before the final “publish” button hit. WordPress has a “Preview” option on each page and post, so you can see how content will look when published. Remember to check your site across multiple devices to test its responsiveness. Be sure to fix any broken links or images that might make it slow to load before going live.
Just go ahead and click “Publish” when you are satisfied with the way your site looks and functions. Congratulations! Your WordPress website is now live and accessible to anyone using the address of your domain.
Regular Maintenance and Updating
Even after publishing, it is pretty important to maintain your WordPress website. You need to update your WordPress, theme, and plugins for the security and functionality of your site. You must periodically back up your site’s content for the loss of data. Most importantly, you have to add new, valuable content to attract visitors and for boosting your SEO efforts.
Conclusion
With all of this information, publishing a WordPress website is easy for anyone to do. Follow the steps outlined above, and you will have a well-set-up, ready-to-be-shared WordPress website in no time. Take your time, check out the myriad options you can customize in WordPress, and continue improving your site with each passing experience. It does not matter whether you want to start an online business, blog, or an online portfolio; a WordPress website is a great starting point to a rewarding online presence.
FAQs About How to Publish a WordPress Website
How much does it cost to publish a WordPress website?
The cost varies depending on your choice of hosting and whether you use a free or premium theme. Typically, budget-friendly options are available, but premium services can add additional costs.
Can I publish a WordPress website for free?
Yes, you can use WordPress.com’s free plan, but it comes with limitations. For full control and customization, self-hosting through WordPress.org is recommended, which requires a hosting plan.
How long does it take to publish a WordPress website?
Once you have hosting and a domain, you can set up and publish a WordPress site in a few hours, especially with a one-click WordPress installation.
Do I need coding skills to publish a WordPress website?
No, WordPress is designed to be user-friendly, so you don’t need coding skills to create or publish a site.
How can I make my WordPress website private?
You can adjust the privacy settings in the WordPress dashboard under “Settings” > “Reading” to make your site private or password-protected.
What are the benefits of using WordPress to publish a website?
WordPress offers flexibility, ease of use, a vast library of plugins, and SEO-friendly features, making it one of the best platforms for website creation.