Launching a website may seem intimidating, especially if you’re a beginner. WordPress simplifies the process. This content management system (CMS) enables you to create everything from blogs to ecommerce stores. It comes with a set of user-friendly tools that make it easy to design your site, create pages, and add functionality.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to launch a WordPress site, from downloading the software to installing themes and plugins. We’ll also show you how to create content on your new WordPress website, implement essential security measures, and maintain your site after launch. Let’s get started!
Prerequisites for launching a WordPress site
Before jumping into WordPress, there are a few things you’ll need to do. Let’s see what they are.
1. Choose a domain name
Your domain name is your website’s address on the internet (like myawesomeblog.com). When you create your site, you’ll need to connect it to your domain name so people can visit it.
You can purchase your domain from a registrar like WordPress.com, although many hosting providers will include domain name registrations in their plans.
When choosing a domain name, you’ll want to make sure it’s memorable and that it reflects your brand. If you already have a business, the domain name should ideally be the same as the company name.
2. Select a web hosting provider
You’ll also need a hosting account. This is where your website files will be stored. Without web hosting, you won’t be able to make your site viewable to the outside world.
Many hosting providers offer WordPress plans. These kinds of services often come with one-click WordPress installations, so you won’t need to worry about setting up the software.
Typically, you’ll find starter plans that are designed for new websites. These tend to be very affordable, and may also include a free domain name for the first year.
Once your site starts to grow, you’ll be able to upgrade to a more powerful hosting plan.
3. Define what you want your site to achieve
Before you start creating your site, you want to have a clear purpose in mind.
For instance, are you designing a portfolio that will help you gain exposure and secure new clients? Do you want an ecommerce site or something that will attract more customers to your brick-and-mortar store?
This will help determine what themes and plugins you need for your site. For example, if you’re setting up an online shop that will contain your entire product catalog, you’ll need a powerful ecommerce tool like WooCommerce to help you manage your inventory and handle transactions.
How to set up your WordPress website
Once you’ve completed the initial steps, you’re ready to set up WordPress on your hosting account.
Install WordPress
When it comes to installing WordPress, you have two main options. You can either download the software on your device and upload it to your web server, or you can simply install it through your hosting account.
Let’s take a closer look at each method.
Manual installation
A few hosting providers require you to install WordPress manually. If so, you’ll need to download WordPress from WordPress.org:
Then, you will need to upload it to your web server through a file transfer protocol (FTP) client like FileZilla. To do this, you’ll need some information like your port number and server address, which you can find on your hosting account.
If you’re setting up WordPress manually, you’ll create a database for it through your hosting account. While this method gives you more control, it’s more technical and not the best option for beginners.
One-click installation
Many hosting providers offer one-click WordPress installation. This method is faster and easier for beginners, and you won’t need any technical knowledge to get started.
All you need to do is log into your hosting account, navigate to the cPanel, and look for the option to install WordPress.
Your web host will automatically create a WordPress installation. You simply need to select the domain you want to use and create your login credentials.
Configure general settings
Once WordPress is installed, you can log into your admin dashboard using the username and password you created in the previous step.
You might feel a bit overwhelmed by all the sections you see here, but let’s start with the most essential settings.
On the left-hand side, you’ll see a menu. Select Settings.
This will take you to the General Settings page, where you can edit your website’s title and tagline, upload your logo, and configure other general settings.
When you’re ready, make sure to click on the Save Changes button at the bottom of the page.
Set up your permalink structure
Next, you’ll need to set up your permalink structure. To do this, navigate to Settings → Permalinks.
Here, you can choose what your URL structure will look like. For instance, you might choose to display the date in a post’s URL.
If you’re not sure what to choose, it’s often best to go with the Post name option. This means your URL will simply be mywebsite.com/my-first-post. Displaying just the page or post name (without any numbers or dates) will make your URLs cleaner and more SEO-friendly.
How to choose and install a theme
Your WordPress theme determines the overall design and layout of your website. Therefore, you’ll want to make sure that you choose the right one.
Don’t worry if you’re unhappy with your choice — you can easily switch to another theme. But since changing themes after you’ve launched can break the design, you’ll want to try selecting the right theme from the start.
What are themes and why do they matter?
A theme acts as a base for the visual style of your WordPress site, so it’s important to pick one that reflects your brand and meets your site’s objectives.
In the WordPress Theme Directory, you’ll find thousands of free themes.
Most of these free themes are great for simple sites. But if you want more design flexibility, you may want to opt for a premium theme. These provide extensive design options, features, and support.
You can find premium themes in the WordPress theme repository (most free themes have pro versions).
If you want to take advantage of the powerful Site Editor, you’ll need a block theme. This way, you’ll get access to the Site Editor, which enables you to customize and create page templates with blocks.
How to install and customize your theme
You can look for free themes and install them right from your WordPress dashboard. Go to Appearance → Themes and click on the Add New Theme button.
You can browse through block themes by selecting the relevant tab. You can also use the Feature Filter to look for themes in specific niches, like photography or education.
Once you find a theme you like, hover on it and select the Install button. Then, click on Activate.
If you purchased a premium theme, the process is a little different. First, you’ll need to download the theme file from the vendor.
Then, go to Appearance → Themes → Add New Theme and click on Upload Theme.
Now, select Choose File and upload the theme file you downloaded. Finally, you just need to activate the theme.
Once you’ve activated your theme, go to Appearance → Customize to tweak colors, fonts, layouts, and other design elements.
If you installed a block theme, you’ll need to click on Appearance → Editor instead. This will launch the Site Editor, where you can apply site-wide style settings, customize page templates, and more.
Essential plugins to install on your WordPress site
As mentioned earlier, plugins are tools that add extra functionality to your site. Like themes, plugins come in free and premium versions, and can be installed from your dashboard.
Let’s take a closer look at how they work.
What are plugins and why are they important?
WordPress plugins are tools that add features and functionality to your site without requiring any coding. For instance, if you want to enhance your site’s SEO, you can install a plugin like Yoast SEO to unlock new ways to measure and improve your work.
Each plugin will have its own settings. In most cases, you’ll be able to apply any features you want while disabling the ones you don’t need.
Out of the box, WordPress has many features that will be enough for new websites. But if you want to turn your site into an online store, you’ll need to install a plugin that enables you to upload your products and accept orders. Likewise, if you want to sell courses or offer memberships, you’ll need a dedicated tool.
You’ll find plugins for many other features, including social media share buttons, video galleries, site analytics, event calendars, spam protection, advertising, security, newsletter subscription forms, and more.
How to search, install, and activate plugins
To install a plugin, go to your WordPress dashboard and click on Plugins → Add New Plugin. Here, you can browse through the many options, or use the search bar to look for a specific tool.
Then, click on Install and Activate. If you purchased a premium theme, you’ll need to select the Upload Plugin button and choose the plugin file you downloaded.
When you activate a plugin, a menu item with its name will appear in your dashboard. You can navigate there to configure the plugin’s settings.
Must-have plugins for most WordPress sites
It’s natural to feel overwhelmed when browsing through all the different plugins on the market. Remember that you can add new tools at any time, so there’s no rush.
Having said that, there are some plugins that you’ll want to install straight away as they can improve your site.
Here are some must-haves:
- Jetpack Boost: Optimizes site speed and performance.
- Yoast SEO: Provides tools to optimize your website for search engines.
- Jetpack Stats: Tracks website traffic and provides analytics.
- WPForms: A drag-and-drop form builder for creating contact forms.
- Jetpack AI Assistant: Assists with content creation using AI.
- WooCommerce: Ideal for building an online store and selling products.
- Akismet: Prevents spam comments and form submissions.
- Jetpack VaultPress Backup: Automatically saves a copy of your entire site so you can restore it if there’s a problem.
There are also plugins that help protect your site against hackers and other cyber threats. We’ll mention some of them later in this guide.
How to create and manage content
The content on your site is what will engage visitors and keep them coming back. Start by making sure you have all the essential pages on your website.
Essential pages to build on your WordPress website
While every website is different, most share similar features, including the same key pages.
Here are some pages that you’ll need to create for your site, regardless of the niche:
- Homepage: Often the first impression of your site, your homepage should clearly present your brand, purpose, and key offerings.
- About page: This page should tell visitors who you are, what your business does, and why you do it.
- Contact page: This should include a simple form for visitors to reach out.
- Privacy Policy & Terms and Conditions: These legal pages inform visitors about your site’s privacy practices and terms of use.
If you’re planning a blog for your site, you’ll also need to create a blog page where visitors can find all your published posts.
And if you’re starting an online store, you’ll need a shop page, as well as cart and checkout pages. WooCommerce will automatically create these essential pages for you when you install the plugin. You’ll also need to create product pages.
How to create your first page
Some themes create a few basic pages for you, which you can customize within the block editor. Alternatively, you can create your pages from scratch.
To get started, go to Pages → Add New Page. This will launch the block editor.
Enter a title for the page. Then, you can either start typing or click on the plus (+) icon to add a block, like an image or a heading.
Simply select the element you want to add to the page. You can customize it from the available settings on the right, or using the options in the toolbar above the block.
You have a lot of freedom here. You can arrange blocks in your preferred order, choose pre-designed block patterns like calls to action and forms, set a featured image for the page, and a lot more.
From the page settings on the right, you’ll be able to enable comments on the page, set the author, and change the page URL.
When you’re ready, hit Publish. If you go to Pages → All Pages, you’ll see a list of all the pages you created.
To customize a page, simply hover over it and select the Edit option. And if you want to delete it, click on Trash.
How to create your first post
Creating blog posts is similar to creating pages. Go to Posts → Add New Post, add your post title, and start typing away!
Once again, you can add blocks like images and headings to make your content more engaging.
It’s important that you assign categories to your posts. This way, you can organize them into different topics, making it easier for visitors to browse your content.
You could also assign tags. To manage your taxonomies, simply go to Posts in your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Categories or Tags.
And if you want to view all of your posts, just head to Posts → All Posts.
How to add media to your site
Uploading media to WordPress is very easy. In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Media and click on Add New Media File.
Then, simply drag your media files onto the page or just click on Select Files to upload them.
When you upload an image, you can edit its title, write a caption and description, and add alt text for accessibility.
And if you click on the Edit Image button, you’ll be able to crop, scale, and rotate it.
When you’re working on a post or page, you’ll need to add an image or video block to display your media. You have the option to upload the file from your computer straight into the page or post, or select an item from your Media Library.
Note that if you upload videos or images to your posts or pages, they will be automatically added to your Media Library.
Also, you won’t need to go to the Media Library to edit your images. You can simply use the settings panel to do so.
It’s important that you optimize and compress images uploaded to WordPress. Large media files could slow down your site, resulting in a poor user experience.
You’ll also want to regularly clean up your Media Library (i.e. remove unused images) to free up space on your WordPress site.
How to create and edit your navigation menu
Your menu helps visitors navigate your website. Ideally, it should contain all core and important pages, including the Homepage, About, Contact, Shop, Blog, and Services.
Typically, a menu is automatically created for you by your theme. To edit it, go to Appearance → Menus. Here, you can also create a new menu.
Simply select the pages you want to display in the menu, and just drag them in your preferred order. To create a sub-item, indent the page under the parent page.
As you may have noticed, you can also add posts, custom links, and categories to your menu. When you’re done, click on Save Menu.
How to secure your WordPress site from hackers
While WordPress software itself is secure, nothing is perfect. And plugins and themes may contain vulnerabilities that enable hackers to gain access to your site.
There are other things that can make your website vulnerable, including weak passwords or a poor hosting service.
If a hacker breaks into your site, they could steal sensitive data, inject malware, or delete all of your content. If you run an ecommerce website, a security breach could harm your business, especially if customer details are leaked.
Security is essential to protect your site from hackers and malware. WordPress security can be enhanced using a combination of strong passwords, plugins, and best practices.
Essential security measures to implement
Fortunately, there are several things you can do to protect your website and make it more secure. Here are some effective measures:
- Use strong passwords: Ensure that all accounts associated with your site (admin, hosting, etc.) use strong, unique passwords.
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA): Add a layer of security by requiring users to confirm their identity via a code sent to their mobile device or inbox.
- Limit login attempts: By locking out users who enter the wrong credentials after multiple attempts, you can block hackers from breaking into your site through brute force attacks.
- Change the default admin username: This is often set to “admin,” you’ll want to change it to make it harder for hackers to guess the credentials.
- Install a secure sockets layers (SSL) certificate: This encrypts the data transferred between your website and visitors’ browsers, and you can get an SSL certificate for free from Let’s Encrypt (although it might be available with your hosting plan).
It’s also a good idea to change the login URL. By default, the WordPress login URL is yourdomain.com/wp-admin or yourdomain.com/wp-login.php.
Hackers often target these default login URLs, so changing it can make it harder for them to find and attack your login page.
You can use a plugin like WPS Hide Login to change the URL of your login page.
The importance of a security plugin
All of the above may sound daunting and can take the fun out of running a website. So you’ll be pleased to know that you can install a security plugin to do most of the work for you.
A dedicated security plugin can automate many critical tasks, like scanning for vulnerabilities and protecting your site from attacks. Jetpack Security is a great option from the people behind WordPress.com. It provides comprehensive protection, including malware scanning and brute force attack prevention.
It also comes with a web application firewall to filter out malicious traffic. Plus, its automated backups will help ensure that, even if something does go wrong, you’ll have an-up to-date copy of your website to restore.
Final checks before launching your WordPress site
Once your site is ready, you probably can’t wait to get the word out, but there are some things you should check (and possibly double-check) before you launch your website.
Let’s take a look at the most important pre-launch tasks.
Review all site content and design
Whether you’ve used pre-made designs or designed the entire site yourself, you’ll want to make sure it looks professional and cohesive.
Start by reading through all pages and posts to catch any typos or formatting issues. It might be better to do this on the front end (by clicking “preview” on each page) — if you put yourself in the shoes of the visitors, you’ll likely spot errors more easily.
It’s also a good idea to ask someone to take a look at your site before launching it, like a colleague or friend.
Besides grammatical errors and typos, you should also look out for issues with the design. Does something seem off? Is the font too small? Does the background color make it difficult to read the text?
If you have an online shop, a good ecommerce website design can lead to more sales. Therefore, make sure users are able to view all products easily and complete an order without any design obstacles (like overlapping elements or glitchy buttons).
Make sure that all links work
This may sound tedious, but you should test every link on your website to make sure that it directs users to the right pages. You can start with your menu, and then move on to the content within your pages and posts.
You’ll also want to check your call-to-action buttons, especially if you have an online stop. These are buttons that prompt users to take action, like “Buy Now” or “Add to Cart.”
Test website functionality on different devices and browsers
When you design a website on a desktop device, it’s easy to forget about the mobile version. But testing your pages on mobile phones is very important, as a large number of users will be accessing your site from these devices. If possible, you’ll also want to check how your site displays on tablets.
Additionally, it’s smart to test your website on different browsers (including Chrome, Firefox, and Safari) to ensure compatibility. The design of your site may vary slightly from one browser to another, but as long as everything looks good and works fine, you will be okay.
Announce your website launch
And finally, it’s time to let the world know that you’re launching a new site!
Start by using your favorite social media platforms to spread the word. And, once you’ve launched your site, you can use Jetpack Social to create and schedule social media posts for your content.
Jetpack Social works with Facebook, Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn, Mastodon, Nextdoor and Tumblr. It lets you schedule posts and recycle content, saving you a lot of time and work.
Plus, you can try it for free!
How to monitor and maintain your WordPress site
Your work doesn’t end after launching the website. Regular maintenance and monitoring are essential for long-term success.
Here are some important maintenance tasks that will ensure your website runs smoothly and securely at all times:
Keep WordPress core, themes, and plugins updated
From time to time, there will be a new release of the WordPress core software. These typically contain bug fixes, security patches, and new features.
Likewise, themes and plugins are updated by developers to address problems with the software and introduce new features.
It’s important that you update these components as soon as new versions are released. If older versions have security loopholes, hackers might exploit them and gain access to your website.
Plus, outdated software can cause compatibility issues with other tools on your site.
In your WordPress dashboard, you can navigate to Updates and check the page for any notifications.
WordPress will let you know if you’re running the latest version of the software. It will also list any themes or plugins that need to be updated.
Simply select the plugins and themes and click on the update button.
Before updating anything on your site, you’ll want to create a backup. A newer version of a theme or plugin may be incompatible with other software on your site, causing functionality issues that affect the user experience. It could also break your site.
Don’t worry — we’ll show you how to easily make backups in the next section!
Back up your site regularly
A recent copy of your website is a lifesaver when you encounter a problem like a security hack or plugin incompatibility that breaks your site. It also puts your mind at ease when you’re experimenting with new features or designs on your pages — if you make a mistake, you can simply restore the site to its previous state.
While you can create backups manually, using an automated solution will ensure that you always have a recent copy at hand. With Jetpack Security, you get automatic backups in real time. This means that every time you make a change to your site, it is saved.
Jetpack stores your backups in a secure, offsite location. This way, if there’s a problem with your hosting server, your backups are still safe.
Additionally, it comes with one-click restores, so you can retrieve your content without delay. You’ll also have access to an activity log, which records all actions taken on your site by yourself and other users, with dates and timestamps.
This way, you can try to establish what broke your site. For instance, you may have enabled a particular setting on a plugin or updated a theme.
Monitor page loading speeds
A fast-loading website is critical to maximize conversions and engagement on your site. If your pages take too long to load, visitors may get frustrated and exit your site. In fact, if your site takes longer than a second to load, the probability of a user leaving it increases by 32 percent.
Of course, if you’re busy running a business, you probably don’t have time to continuously monitor your site’s loading times. Jetpack Boost makes things easier for you.
It tests your site speed on both desktop and mobile devices, and gives you a score.
Then, you can enable features that help speed up your website. For instance, you can defer the loading of non-essential JavaScript and serve cached copies of your site.
With Jetpack Boost, you can also serve your images from a content delivery network (CDN) to speed up loading times. Plus, Jetpack will automatically resize your images to an appropriate size and convert them to an optimized format like WebP.
You can use Jetpack Boost for free. The plugin is very user-friendly, and you can enable its settings just by toggling a button!
View and analyze traffic analytics
After launching your website, you’ll want to keep an eye on its performance. This is particularly important if you’re running an ecommerce site, or making money from your content.
Knowing which pages, posts, or products are getting the most views and engagement will help inform the direction of your business. For instance, if posts on a particular topic or issue are getting a lot of traffic, then you may want to create similar content or develop a service that helps people with that issue.
As your site grows, tracking its traffic and visitor behavior can feel a bit overwhelming. Jetpack Stats presents this data in a clear and accessible way. Plus, you can access it straight from your WordPress dashboard.
Jetpack Stats shows you the number of views, visitors, likes, and comments within a specified period. It also breaks down this information per post, and you get information on your users’ locations.
Personal sites can use Jetpack Stats for free, but with an upgraded or commercial license, you’ll have access to more insights and data.
Frequently asked questions
In this guide, we walked you through the entire process of setting up a WordPress website. But you might still have questions.
Well, let’s answer some of them.
What is the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org?
WordPress.com is a hosted platform, ideal for beginners who want an easy, no-maintenance experience. This gives you access to the WordPress software, hosting, and a domain name (based on availability) from one place.
Meanwhile, WordPress.org is a self-hosted solution that gives you full control over your website, including themes, plugins, and customization. You’ll need to choose your own independent hosting provider that supports WordPress and purchase a domain name. This gives you the most flexibility, but may require more technical knowledge and time dedicated to maintenance.
How much does it cost to create a WordPress site?
Costs can vary. The WordPress software is free, but you’ll need to pay for hosting, a domain name, and possibly premium themes and plugins.
Many WordPress hosts offer affordable plans for new site owners. These may include a free domain name for the first year, as well as other essential features like an SSL certificate.
Do I need coding skills to use WordPress?
No. Most users don’t need coding skills, thanks to themes, plugins, and the user-friendly block editor. But learning basic HTML and CSS can offer more customization options.
How do I choose the best hosting provider for my WordPress site?
The best hosting provider for WordPress will offer all the features you need to create a website in the least stressful way possible. These include one-click WordPress installs, security features like SSL certificates, and easy domain name registration.
You’ll also want to choose a plan that’s within your budget. While some web hosts offer very cheap plans for beginners, the prices may increase upon renewal. Therefore, make sure you choose a long-term cost-effective solution.
You should consider the host’s involvement in the WordPress community. Hosts that invest in the WordPress ecosystem often provide resources and support uniquely fitted to WordPress site owners.
Finally, beginners may want to choose a managed WordPress host to reduce maintenance tasks, but this certainly isn’t a requirement.
How can I integrate social media with my WordPress site?
You can use a social media plugin like Jetpack Social. This tool enables you to connect your site to your social media accounts and pages, and automatically share new posts on platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Where can I find help and support for WordPress issues?
The WordPress community is vast, with forums, documentation, and support teams available to assist. Learn WordPress is a good place to start. Here, you’ll even find courses to help you master the CMS.
If you encounter issues with a particular theme or plugin, you should be able to reach out to the developers. If there’s no support available, you might consider switching to a superior theme or plugin.
If you’re experiencing WordPress errors, your hosting provider might be able to help. Perhaps there’s a misconfiguration on your hosting account or a problem with the server. Ideally, you’ll choose a web host that offers 24/7 support.
Jetpack 