You’ve decided to carve out your own slice of the world wide web and fulfill your dream of doing what you love… However, the initial setup process can seem a little daunting if you’re not sure where to begin.
That’s where we come in! This post will help you build your dream WordPress website, step by step.
We want you to spend less time building your website, and more time building your business.
Ready? Let’s get started!
Note: This page contains affiliate links. And while we do get a small commission when you purchase through one of these links, it doesn’t cost you anything additional to use that link, and of course, we only recommend the products that we love and have used ourselves.
How To Start Your First WordPress Site: The Easy Guide
Part One: Plan Your Website
1 | Start with the end in mind
Making a plan for your website upfront is essential, as it will keep you focused on your goals. Spend a little time doing some competitive research and mapping out the structure of your site.
As a starting point, brainstorm the following:
- What do you want to accomplish with your website?
- Who is your target audience, or your most valuable visitor?
- What does your target audience need to know about your business when they arrive on your site?
- What action do you want your most valuable visitor to take on your website? Should they join your mailing list, purchase a product, or inquire about your service?
Write down as much detail as you can when you’re in this planning phase. With more detail on-hand, you’ll find it easier to craft your website’s flow and content to create a compelling user experience.
2 | Create Your Brand Identity
Creating a strong brand identity will help to imprint your logo, imagery, and core messages in your target’s memory – so when they recall the service or product you provide, they’ll remember you, first.
Consider the following questions:
- What is the core purpose of your product, or the most important message you want your brand to communicate?
- What is your single-minded proposition (SMP)? In other words, what is the most important thing you can say about your brand that differentiates you from potential competitors?
- What is your brand vision? What are your brand values?
Next, define your brand identity, and create a mood board that reflects how you’d like your brand to look and feel:
- Which logo style will show off your brand, and communicate who you are and what you do?
- Choose fonts and a color palette that suit your brand.
Part Two: Build Your Website
1 | Get your domain name and hosting
If you’re just starting out, understanding the industry lingo can be totally confusing, so we broke it down for you in an analogy:
- Your website hosting is the land on which you’ll build your house (where your website files will be stored).
- Your domain name is your home address.
- Your website is the home of your business on the web.
It’s important to choose a domain name that is:
- Aligned with your brand and core purpose (what you do or sell)
- Easy to remember (a domain name with fewer syllables is usually better for memory recall)
Your next step is choosing the host for your website. We recommend these hosting companies:
- Bluehost is a great option for a starter, offering plans from as low as $2.95/month. You also receive a free domain when you purchase your hosting.
- A2Hosting (our current hosting — known for the speed!) offers StartUp Plan at just $2.99/month which is crafted for a single website.
Here’s a Step-by-Step Guide:
1- Go to Bluehost and click the “Get Started Now” button.
2- Select the hosting plan that you need. The basic plan is a great option for a starter.
3- Next, you’ll choose a domain name for your site.
4- Once you’ve entered a domain name, you’ll fill in your personal information and select your hosting package (with pricing options at 12, 24, and 36-month terms). Click the “Submit” button.
Note: The 36-month plan offers the best value (the longer term you purchase, the lower the monthly rate will be).
5- Next, you’ll be asked to create a password for your account.
6- WordPress should be automatically installed in your hosting and ready to go without lifting a finger!
Yep, it’s that easy!
PRO TIP: After the installation, you can log in to your WordPress Dashboard by adding /wp-admin to the end of your site’s URL (e.g. http://yourwebsite.com/wp-admin). Bookmark it in your browser for quick & easy access.
2 | Choose Your WordPress Theme
With your domain name secured and your hosting in place, it’s time to style your site! There are many free WordPress themes available, but the benefits of purchasing a premium theme can include:
- More features for customization (i.e. change colors)
- Access to support for any technical difficulties during setup
- Exclusive plugins to extend the theme’s functionality
- And much more!
Browse our theme shop for a chic feminine WordPress theme that is easy-to-use and elevates your business, instantly! We have themes designed for bloggers, service-based businesses, and online shops. Whatever you’re launching, you’ll find the perfect theme at Bluchic!
3 | Install Your WordPress Theme
Next, you can install your Bluchic WordPress theme by log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
Go to Appearance » Themes » Add New » Upload Theme. Choose the theme zip file from your computer, install and activate it.
4 | Add Website Content
Now it’s time to create pages and blog posts. To write your first blog post, go to Posts » Add New in your WordPress dashboard.
Tip: Check out this post to learn more about WordPress dashboard and how you can use it as a business owner or blogger.
Congratulations – it’s launch day!
And now, finally, you have a website that works for your business. You’ve put in the hard yards and you should be incredibly proud of yourself.
See? Building a WordPress website doesn’t have to be scary or overwhelming. The best time to get started isn’t next week, tomorrow, or even later. It’s right now.
Don’t forget to download the free roadmap to help you build and launch your dream website on WordPress!
