Well, the most exciting part while setting up a WordPress website is its designing and customisation. Now that you have chosen a handsome domain name and a reliable hosting, it’s time to give an attractive appearance to your website. Here’s a guide that will teach you to set up WordPress and multiple ways to customise your site.
Step #1 – Installing WordPress
Most of the host providers allow you to install WordPress with a single click and, that’s the easiest to do. If you are using GoDaddy, Bluehost, or HostGator, WordPress is available with one-click installation. Follow the below steps to install WordPress:
- Log in to your host cPanel or Control Panel using the username and password.
- Look for the WordPress symbol or, you can even search for it using the search bar, if available.
- Click on the WordPress symbol and choose your desired domain.
- Click on Install Now to get access to the WordPress dashboard.
Here’s a screenshot of Bluehost hosting for your reference:
However, there are a few other host providers that don’t give you the privilege of one-click WordPress installation and, you have to do it manually. We highly recommend staying away from such host service providers.
Step #2: Log In To Your WordPress Dashboard
The next step is to access the WP dashboard. If you’re not sure where to find it, follow this link: http://yourdomainname.com/wp-admin, where ‘yourdomainname’ is the name of your domain or website. (Use HTTPS if you already have an SSL certificate).
If you don’t have an SSL certificate installed, refer to this guide on activating a free SSL certificate with Bluehost Hosting.
Step #3: Delete Default Post, Page, and Comment
Once you have logged in to the WordPress dashboard, you will see a screen like this one:
Now the At A Glance section of the dashboard will have a default post, comment, and a page. Follow these steps to get rid of all of them:
- Click on Post option at the right-hand side bar.
- Click on All Posts and you will see a default post.
- Click on Trash option available just below the post name.
- Follow the same steps for Comment and Page as well.
Step#4: Do The Initial Settings
- Go on Settings > General and follow the below-mentioned steps:
Site Title: Add the name of your website or your brand in this column. Make sure to enter it correctly because this is what gets displayed on the home page of your website.
Tagline: A tagline is pretty important if you are a brand. Think of a creative tagline to go with your business and enter it in this column. Also read, how to create the best tagline for your business?
WordPress Address & Site Address: Enter the URL of your WordPress website in both the columns. Do enter the address correctly while keeping in mind the “www”, the extension, and “https” option.
E-mail Address: Enter the mail address where you wish to receive all the notifications.
Membership: If you wish to allow Guest Posting, tick this checkbox so that anyone can register. However, be prepared to get a lot of spam registrations which you can get rid of using a plugin.
New User Default Role: Assign a role to every new user who joins you. We recommend keeping it as Contributor.
Site Language: Select the language in which you wish to access your WordPress dashboard. Please note that this has got nothing to do with your website’s language.
Time Zone: Select your local timezone from the drop-down so that whenever you schedule a post, it gets published at the right time.
Step #5: Access Free Themes
Now that you have done the basic setup, it’s time to look for an attractive and responsive theme for your website.
- Look for Appearance in the sidebar and click on Themes.
- Click on Add New option at the top to browse through over 1500+ themes.
Step #6: Install Theme
Browse through all the different themes and settle for the one that’s professional and responsive. Finding the perfect theme among these many options is undoubtedly time-consuming but, it’s worth it.
There are many free themes available that look attractive and professional at the same time. You can check for the reviews of the theme and even the preview to get an idea of it.
Initially, you can opt for free themes available but later as your blog grows; you can buy a new one. Switching themes on WordPress is also quite easy.
Once you have found a perfect theme, click on Install followed by Activate.
Step #7: Customise Your Theme
Now that you have installed the required theme for your website, you can Customise it by clicking on Appearance > Customise.
Before proceeding for customisation, read the theme documentation properly for initial settings. Please remember that customising a theme requires a lot of patience as you need to play around with the different options.
You can even install a website builder to customise your website manually. Don’t worry if you aren’t able to settle for a particular theme initially, and also, never hesitate to change it. It’s only after a few trial and errors that you would get the perfect theme for your website.
So, these were a few steps that would help you to install, set up, and design your WordPress Website. The process is pretty simple and even a novice can follow them. However, designing a website requires some real efforts. If you are a business and want your website to look professional, responsive, and attractive, you can hire a digital marketing company in Delhi for the same.