This article is designed to give a very basic and straight forward beginners guide to WordPress. In this article I will cover the framework, so to speak, of working in WordPress. I will cover everything from how to sign up for a WordPress account to creating your first blog post and everything in between.
- Sign-up for WordPress Account
The first step to working in WordPress is to sign up for an account. Visit their site (www.wordpress.com). On the landing page click the ‘Create Website’ button. You will then follow the prompts to set up your username and password.
2. Create Web Address
Secondly, and very importantly, you will need to create a web address. A tip for beginners is to make your blog or web address short and simple. Once you have set up your username and password you will then be prompted to create your web address. You will notice that to sign up for a WordPress.com site is free. You will also have options of signing up for a .net, .org, .com, etc site for a yearly fee.
3. Choose a WordPress Plan
Next, you will need to choose a plan from the following three options: WordPress.com Beginner(free), WordPress.com Premium($99 per year), or WordPress.com Business($299 per year). The different plans offer a variety of options that range from how much space is available on your site for the year (ranging from 3GB-Unlimited) to the type of support you will receive. You will want to review these options to best select a plan that is right for you. You are also given the option of a free 14 day trial for any of the plans to help you better select the best plan for you.
4. Set-up Profile
Once you have chosen your plan it is time to set up your profile. You will want to customize your personal info & upload a photo that you would like to represent yourself. To customize your profile from the homepage(referred to as the Dashboard) you will need to select the ‘Users’ tab followed by ‘My Profile’ tab. Here you will input your information and upload your photo.
5. Choose a Title for Your Site
Ensuing your profile setup you will need to set a title for your site. From your Dashboard(homepage) you will select the ‘Settings’ tab followed by the ‘General Menu’ tab. This is where you will insert your title for your site.
6. Familiarize Yourself with WordPress
After you have setup the framework of your site(refer to above) I suggest taking some time to learn your way around WordPress. Learn your way around the Dashboard and the Menus options. The Dashboard is the ‘main’ hub or the guts of your site. The Dashboard allows you to customize your site, edit posts, upload media, etc. The menu tabs are located on the left side of your WordPress.com site. Take a few moments and familiarize yourself with these as well.
7. Customizing Your Site
While familiarizing yourself around the Dashboard and Menus of your site you may notice there are different options for customizing your site. I’ll walk you through a few of the basics for customizing your site. A great way to customize your site is to choose a ‘theme’. To view the different theme options navigate to your sites Dashboard(homepage), choose the ‘Appearance’ tab, followed by the ‘Themes’ tab. You will be able to preview multiple themes and make an appropriate selection for your site.
8. Publish Your First Post or Page
Once your sites framework is up to Parr to your liking, you are now ready to write and publish your first ‘Post’ or ‘Page’. What is the difference between a ‘Post’ and ‘Page’? A ‘Post’ is an ‘update’ for your readers whereas a ‘Page’ is a piece of content that is permanent. A good example of a ‘Page’ is an ‘About Me’ Page commonly found on websites and blogs.
To create a ‘Post’, simply click the ‘Post’ tab from your Dashboard(homepage). To create a ‘Page’, simply click the ‘Page’ tab from your Dashboard(homepage). For both a ‘Post’ and ‘Page’ you will need to add a title and add content to the body. Once you are satisfied with your work click the ‘Publish’ button and Viola, you have your very first ‘Post’ or ‘Page’.
And there you have it. Your beginners guide to WordPress. Everything from Signing up for an account to creating your first post. Happy writing!
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