For blogging, information sharing, membership sign-up – whatever you are planning for your place on the Web – you need to set up your website.
This quick set-up guide will get you started with a hosted (not free) WordPress site. This is not a comprehensive introduction into WordPress hosting. The information is available for you to get set-up quickly.
Do you have your website? Click to sign-up at Bluehost and get your website set-up today.
Before you start setting up your website have:
Your domain name – what do you want to call your ‘address’ on the web?
Your hosting platform – your website ‘lives’ somewhere on the Internet. You must sign-up with a website hosting platform. The example in this post is a WordPress.org site on a paid platform. If you set up a free site through WordPress.com or any other free host, you will have less flexibility in the use of your site. Make sure you understand the restrictions before getting started.
Your site name – this is usually the same as your domain name, but it can be different
Your tagline – Not mandatory, but do you have one line that describes your site, product or service?
Initial content – You site will need pages of content. Create the content for pages you will offer like your About page, the home page information, your origin story, your mission, or details about your product or service. You can start with just a couple of pages, but remember when you go LIVE you want your community to have some idea of who you are.
An idea for your theme (background, colors, visuals) – Look at other websites to see if there is a particular layout or scheme that you prefer.
Okay, when all of the above is ready to go…
Go ahead and login:
1. Login to your Administrative Site
Also this login is to the Administrative site. After you get the website set-up, you will login directly to the website to make changes
Do you have your website? Click to sign-up at Bluehost and get your website set-up today.
2. Create Your Website
3. Create Site Name and Tagline
4. Welcome to Your Site Dashboard
If you would like a video walk-through of the WordPress features, click the link to watch an 8-minute overview.
5. Stay in Coming Soon for Now
6. Go to Next Steps on the Dashboard
7. Check Your Theme
A website theme is the colors, font sizes, layout and other features that appear on every page.
A theme will default when you create your site.
Change your theme at Appearance -> Themes
This is why it’s a good idea to have an idea of the type of theme you want before you get started so you can quickly select something that looks like your vision.
NOTE: there are thousands of themes available for sale on the web, so if you do not see something you like, you can check other websites
8. Create Your Home Page content
Your theme may include a default Home Page. Go to Pages -> All Pages and select the Home Page (if it’s there) where you can enter your own content
You may discover that the pretty homepage you thought you could just edit with your own content is not available.
If you do not have a default Home Page in Pages, you have to create one and then select that page as your Home Page
You will be taken to a blank page where you can enter your content.
9. Add Your Content
..many features will be familiar like Add Image
Create your first pages of content for your community. Try different formatting to spice up the look of your site.
10. Save as you go – VERY IMPORTANT
NOTE: when you are still in ‘Coming Soon’ mode, Publish is only for your internal use. You are not live to the world until you launch your site.
Also after you Publish, when you make changes the prompt to save is Update
Once you’ve created your Home Page. Go to Appearance -> Customize -> Homepage settings and select the page you created for your Home Page
11. Select Your new Home Page for the site
Notice you can choose to have a static page (a page that does not change unless you edit it directly) or a page that automatically displays your latest blog posts.
If you are planning to use your website primarily as a blog, you may want to have a blog post home page.
12. Set up Your Widgets
Creating a Page means the core content of your page is visible, but you still want to set-up the content that appears on every page.
Widgets may appear on the page like this…
…but are created like this…
You select the widgets you want to have appear, and place them in the same order you want to have appear on the page
Go to Appearance -> Widgets
Drag and Drop a selected widget from the available list to the display list.
Click the drop-down arrow to see the available customize features
NOTE: this theme supports the two footer widgets. Your selected theme may have other options
You want your site to have interesting content. So worry less about every little feature on WordPress, and focus on providing great content for your community.
13. Create your Menu
If you want to have a menu on the Homepage, you have to create one. But you should do this after you have created content.
NOTE: You create a Page for each Menu prompt you want on the HomePage. For example – Start Here, About, Blog, Resources, Contact – that’s five ‘front’ pages you create for the pages you will have under each of those headings.
Go to Appearance -> Menus
When you Create the Menu, you will be prompted to select your Menu Settings. Do you prefer a horizontal selection list (most common)?
You can always change your selection so experiment if you’re not sure
Okay I hope this information gives you a good start to get set-up.
Remember this article is only about getting quickly set-up with your initial content. WordPress has lots of amazing features, and there are many plugins you can get to enhance your site.
Do you have your website? Click to sign-up at Bluehost and get your website set-up today.
For more detailed information:
This WordPress beginner’s guide is a good place to start: https://www.wpbeginner.com/
Disclosure: Links to Bluehost are affiliate links. I earn for eligible purchases at no additional cost to you.
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