How To Make A WordPress Website

Important links

Building your own website is easier than ever, and this comprehensive guide is here to walk you through the process from start to finish. Here’s what we’ll cover:

1. Getting a Free Domain: Learn how to secure a .com domain at no cost, a crucial first step in establishing your online presence.
2. Installing WordPress: We’ll introduce you to WordPress, the most popular website-building platform, used by over 43% of all websites on the internet. Best of all, it’s free.
3. Designing With Elementor: Using a free WordPress theme paired with Elementor, a user-friendly page builder, you’ll construct your site from the ground up. It’s a drag-and-drop interface that simplifies web design.
4. Branding Essentials: Your website isn’t just about functionality—it’s about identity. We’ll explore branding, from color schemes to the right fonts, and even how to create or source a professional logo.
5. Making Your Website Stand Out: With Global Colors, you can ensure consistency across your site, and with a few clicks, completely transform its look and feel.
6. Optimizing for All Devices: We’ll ensure your site looks great on desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
7. Creating Content: Discover how to craft blog posts and portfolios that showcase your work and attract clients through organic search results.
8. Adding Functionality: Learn about integrating external plugins for additional features like contact forms, extra Elementor elements, and more.
9. Saving Time With Templates: We’ll teach you how to save parts of your design for reuse, streamlining your workflow.
10. Copying and Pasting Design Elements: Learn the shortcuts that make site design more efficient.

Get A Free Domain And Webhosting

To get started with your free domain and web hosting, just head over to web hosting 28.com. I personally recommend Hostinger—it’s not just me, their Trustpilot ratings are through the roof! Once you’re there, click on ‘Start Now’ to see their four affordable plans. The WordPress Starter Plan is perfect if you’re aiming to build up to 100 websites, with plenty of SSD storage and bandwidth for up to 25,000 monthly visits. Plus, you get a free domain!

Don’t worry if you’re not ready to commit to a larger plan—you can always upgrade as your traffic grows. And if you’re planning to scale fast, the Cloud Startup Plan is a steal for cloud hosting.

All Hostinger plans are super speedy, but the more advanced plans allow you to maintain that speed even as you increase your number of sites. Choose what fits your needs now, and remember, there’s a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.

Follow my steps to select your plan and take advantage of additional discounts with my coupon code. You can pay with local methods and rest assured of their secure checkout. Once you’ve set your password and skipped the add-ons, you’ll be all set to claim your free domain and start building your site on the spot. It’s that easy, and with Hostinger, your contact info stays private for free. Now, let’s jump into your WordPress dashboard and start creating!

The Backend of WordPress And Configuring WordPress

Hey there, let me give you a quick tour of your WordPress dashboard. Once you’re logged in, you’ll notice a bar at the top – this is your admin toolbar. It’s your shortcut to the backend of your site, just click on your domain link.

When you’re working with WordPress, you’ll often have updates to do, like plugins. You’ll see a notification for that either in the backend or as a small number on the frontend icon. Keep an eye on those to keep your site up to date.

In the dashboard, you have the power to create new blog posts, upload various media, and manage comments. It’s quite straightforward. You’ll notice there’s a plugin called WP Forms Lite by default; it’s handy for contact forms.

With the ‘Appearance’ section, you can change how your site looks, and in ‘Users’, you can add new contributors to your site, like blog post writers.

Now, let’s talk about cleaning up. I like a neat workspace, so I recommend decluttering your site by disabling and deleting unnecessary plugins. It’s easy – just go to ‘Plugins’, select all, and choose to deactivate and then delete.

Next, let’s fix those URL structures. WordPress defaults to a plain permalink, but for a cleaner look and better SEO, change it to ‘Post name’ in the ‘Permalinks’ settings.

And if you’re not a fan of the ‘hello@’ admin username showing up on posts, simply edit your profile and choose how your name displays publicly.

Want a profile picture? Set one up with Gravatar – it’s free, not $50, don’t worry!

Finally, secure your site by ensuring your URLs start with ‘https’. Then, customize your site settings, like the timezone and date format to match your locale.

Remember, these are just the basics to get you started. As you dive in, you’ll find WordPress is really flexible, and you can shape it to fit your needs perfectly.

How To Create A Great Site Title For Your WordPress Website

If you’re keen on climbing up Google’s search ranks, let’s talk titles. It’s not just about having a catchy one; it’s about being spot-on with keywords. Our current title, “wearewebdefine.com,” is cool and all, but let’s be real, no one’s Googling that. They’re looking for “web design” followed by their city. So, here’s a pro tip: mix in what you do and where you do it. Imagine changing our title to “Web Design Los Angeles | Web Divine | Decades of Crafting Digital Art.” Suddenly, we’re not just a name; we’re a destination on the web map.

And it’s not just about LA. Think about it. If someone’s after web design in Sydney, they’re hitting up Google with those exact words. We’ve got to play that game too. So let’s tweak our title to match what people are actually searching for. Let’s make it something like “Web Divine | Web Design & SEO in Los Angeles | 23 Years Creating Magic.” That way, we’re not just another face in the digital crowd; we’re the face they find first.

Don’t stress over a tagline; it’s just a backstage pass that never sees the limelight. But if we’re feeling it, let’s drop something like “Turning Clicks into Conversions with Premier Design Tools.” Hit save, and boom – our website is not just live; it’s alive and kicking, ready to be found.

Colors For Your Website

When you’re crafting your website, think of it like picking out an outfit for a big interview. You wouldn’t wear every color of the rainbow, right? Your site’s the same—it’s the first impression of your brand. So let’s talk palette: this isn’t just about your personal favorites; it’s about what vibe you’re going for. Trust, energy, innovation—colors can speak those words before your text even gets a shot.

Imagine you’re setting up a bike shop site. A quick Google search of the top sites can give you a feel for their style and colors. Are they rocking fiery reds or eco-friendly greens? You’ve got to find that color story that tells your tale.

And here’s a cool trick—head over to a site like coolors.co, hit that color generator, and start playing. Lock in a color that catches your eye, and bam, you get a bunch of mates that just vibe with it. Aim for a headliner color, a solid backup, and a couple of lighter shades for balance. It’s like forming a band where every color has its own instrument, and together, they make music.

Take it slow, though—like savoring a good coffee, branding’s not to be rushed. Peek at competitors, get inspired, and mix, and match. There’s no rush to find that perfect shade, but when you do, we’ll set it up so that changing your site’s colors down the road is just a few clicks away. Easy, right?

Once you’ve nailed those colors, you can export them, and just like that, you’ve got your brand’s signature vibe ready to roll out. Keep it handy, and whenever you’re ready, we’ll weave those colors into your site like a pro.

WordPress Themes

Alright, let’s have a real chat about themes. Think of them as the outfit for your website. Just like how you might change your look without getting a haircut, switching up your theme keeps all your content intact but freshens up how it all looks on the screen. Each theme’s like a different fashion style; some are basic and clean, and others come with all the bells and whistles you could dream of.

Now, I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect theme that’s not just free but also packed with some premium-level stuff, and guess what? I hit the jackpot with the Bloxy theme. It’s my top pick for a no-cost option that gives you a taste of those high-end features without spending a dime.

Let me walk you through snagging this gem for your site. Right now, our website’s looking a bit… let’s just say, not up to snuff. But that’s all about the theme. The current one’s just not doing our content any favors.

So, how do we get this Bloxy theme? Easy. Pop over to the website, find the free version, and hit download. Then, back at your WordPress site, head over to ‘Appearance’, then ‘Themes’, and upload this bad boy. But wait, there’s more – grab the Bloxy companion plugin too. It’s like the sidekick that boosts the theme’s superpowers.

Once you’ve got it all set up, take a peek at your site. Sure, it might still need some love, but with Bloxy, you’ve got a solid starting point to create something really slick. Let’s dive in and make your site look as good as it deserves, step by step. Ready to roll up your sleeves and get to it?

Create A Logo And Favicon

So, it’s logo and favicon time, and maybe you’re thinking, “But I don’t have those yet!” No worries at all. I’ve got your back with some nifty tutorials to guide you through creating them if you’re up for a little DIY. Just hit up YouTube and search for “make a logo 30” to find my step-by-step.

But let’s be real, design might not be your jam – it’s not always mine either. Sometimes it’s best to play to our strengths and let the pros handle the rest. For instance, I had a buddy whip up my logo in Figma, and man, did it turn out cool. He gave me a bunch of variations to choose from, which is fantastic.

If you decide to go down the pro route, there’s no shame in that game. Websites like Fiverr (you can find it through Fiverr or Upwork are goldmines for finding talented folks who can craft that perfect logo for you.

Now, let’s get that logo and favicon onto your site. With Bloxy, you can upload an SVG logo, which is super crisp at any size – a big win for looking professional. And for the favicon, a simple PNG will do the trick.

Alright, I’ve got my logo files ready to rock. Let’s hop into the customizer on our site, and I’ll show you how to upload these bad boys. We’ll plunk the logo right in there and switch off the site title since we want that logo to shine on its own. Then, for the favicon, we’ll jump into the site identity settings and get that little icon up there, too.

And just like that – boom – our website’s now sporting a snazzy new logo in the tab and a favicon that says, “Hey, remember me?” every time you’re shuffling through your open tabs. If you ever need to get back to your site, just look for that tiny masterpiece of a favicon I’ve just shown you how to set up. Ready to make your site look top-notch? Let’s do it!