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how to build your own WordPress website (Tutorial)
Soooooooo….
You want to set up a website for your online business, but you don’t have a CLUE where to start.
Worry not…..I’m gonna walk you through the super, simple process of setting up a WordPress website for your online business.
Why create a website?
There are many reasons why setting up a website for your online business is a good idea.
Here’s just a few:
👩🏻💻 You can create evergreen content that will attract an audience over the long term as opposed to having to “show up” on social media every day.
👩🏻💻 It can portray to your potential customers that you take your business seriously. It makes a big difference when potential clients can see all of your details and information in one place rather than try and work it out from your social media profiles.
👩🏻💻 You own your website and therefore the audience that arrives there. You have complete control of the platform, how you get traffic to it and what content you create. You don’t have to worry about algorithms and shadow bans when you have your own audience.
Why WordPress?
Well, I’m assuming you’re looking for growth within your online business, and WordPress is the best tool to support you in that growth.
BUT!!
Before we go anywhere near WordPress, you need to create and purchase a domain name for your website (e.g. www.slaytescreates.com), and you need to choose who you’re going to host your website with.
Choosing a name for your website and purchasing a domain name
Now, I don’t want you to get too stuck in the weeds here.
Pick a name that makes sense for your business and is easy to remember. It could even be your name.
I went with Slaytes Creates for my own business because it combines part of my surname (Slaytor – Slaytes somehow became my nickname at my old job and it kinda stuck 😅) and conveys what I do – I’m a creative. Oh, and it just happens to rhyme.
Once you’ve decided on the name for your website, we want to see if it’s actually available.
To do that, have a look at NameCheap and enter it into the search bar tool on the homepage.
You can also purchase your domain name here too. I like NameCheap as they take your privacy seriously, and they’re super easy to use.
Sometimes, it can be a little tricky to get your desired domain name, so just have a little play around with it until you get something you like. If your name is unique enough – like Slaytes Creates 😉 – you should be lucky enough for it to be available.
I also recommend getting a .com domain rather than .net or .co. It just looks more professional, and it’s easier to remember. Which really is key when you’re building a brand.
Next up is purchasing a place to host your WordPress site 😉
Get hosting for your WordPress website
What is website hosting?
Website hosting is where you rent space on a physical server that allows you to store your website. It makes your website accessible to everyone else out there on the Interweb.
A hosting company will securely store all your files, assets and databases on their server, keep your website live on the Internet so people can visit you, and they’ll protect you from any malicious attacks and viruses.
Think of it a little bit like the mafia 😂 – but it a good way.
The hosting company that I recommend to anyone setting up a WordPress website is SiteGround. I host my own website with SiteGround, and I have always been happy with them. I think I’ve only had one very tiny hiccup, but their customer service team was on it immediately and responded to my needs in a professional manner. Which is what I want with ANY company I work or deal with.
You can also purchase your domain name directly with SiteGround, but there’s something about that added layer of security with having the domain name and hosting with two separate companies that puts me at ease.
Signing up to SiteGround Hosting
Signing up to Siteground doesn’t take long at all and is super simple to do.
Let me walk you through the steps:
- Click on over to SiteGround
2. Pick which plan you’d like to go for. I would recommend you go for the GrowBig plan as it will support you a lot more with your growth than the StartUp plan.
3. You’ll be prompted to enter your domain name on the next screen. If you’ve already purchased your domain from NameCheap, you’ll select the “I already have a domain name” option. If not, you can choose “Register your New Domain” and purchase it through SiteGround.
4. And finally, you just need to review your purchase and enter your payment details.
If you purchased your domain name through SiteGround, you can skip to the next section.
5. If you purchased your domain name through NameCheap (or another third party), you now just need to connect your third party domain name to SiteGround.
For detailed instructions, please read this article here on the NameCheap website.
Congratulations, you have just purchased your SiteGround hosting plan, and you are now ready to build your WordPress website!
Set up wordpress within your siteground hosting platform
Now you’ve purchased your domain name and set up your hosting platform; you’re ready to set up your WordPress website.
Yay!! 🥳
I want to follow these steps closely to make your life easier in the long term:
- Make your future website secure with SSL
SSL is what makes your website safe and secure and gives you that little padlock at the front of your URL (if you look up in the browser bar, you’ll see it for this website).
This is super easy (and free!) to do within SiteGround.
Log in to your SiteGround account, click on Websites > Site Tools.
On the sidebar at the left-hand side, click on Security and then SSL Manager.
In the drop-down menu for Select SSL, select Let’s Encrypt, and then click on Get.
Once you’ve done that, you’re all good to go.
2. Installing WordPress
Go to Site Tools again and click on Dashboard in the left-hand sidebar. On the main page, you’ll see a button that says Install & Manage WordPress.
Select WordPress. Fill out the form with your details and click on Install.
Once you’ve installed your WordPress Website, you’ll be redirected to your WordPress dashboard. I suggest bookmarking this page as you’ll be using this dashboard to create your whole website 😎
3. Install a WordPress Template
A WordPress template is a pre-made file that will define the overall look of your website.
There are tons of templates (also known as themes) to choose from.
I personally use the free version of OceanWP, and I’ve built it out using Elementor Pro.
Elementor Pro is an easy to use drag and drop page builder that eliminates the need for any coding when building your site.
Essential for a tech-phobe like me!
To install a WordPress theme, go to your WordPress dashboard.
Then, on the left-hand sidebar, go to Appearance > Themes, click on Add New.
Either browse for your desired theme or search for a theme using the search bar.
If you choose to use Elementor, I highly recommend the Pro version. There is soooo much that it allows you to do with your website to make it look uber-professional!
Also, check out tutorials on YouTube. I used YouTube to help me create my whole website; there are people on there that have filmed 3 hour long videos taking you through every single step to make it super easy!
4. Adding some plug-ins
A plug-in is like a small little add-on to enhance your website even more. And most of them are free!
Adding a new plug-in is really simple. Go to Dashboard > Plugins > Add New and then search for a plug-in using the search bar.
Here’s a few plug-ins I recommend:
Yoast – Helps you with SEO
Pretty Links – For you affiliate marketers out there, this will allow you to convert those ugly affiliate links to something much more brand-friendly (e.g. slaytescreates/aff/prettylinks)
WooCommerce – If you’re looking to sell products (Physical or Digital)
GDPR Cookie Consent – A simple tool to ensure your website complies with the EU GDPR rules.
That’s it!
You’re all done and ready to fully build out your WordPress Website!
If you have any questions about the process I’ve laid out above, just pop them in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer them.
If you’re just starting out in your online business journey…
First of all – Well done! I’m super excited for you!
Second of all – You might be interested in my FREE email course that takes you through the process of figuring out which elements of an online business you might want to incorporate, how to validate and test your business idea before spending a ton of money on it, how to market yourself in a way that suits your personality and most importantly, how to make money!
Sign up for the FREE course below!
