Learning how to build a website from ground up using the awesome CMS WordPress. WordPress here and there. Everyone utilises the software and it proudly powering hundreds of thousands of websites, blogs, businesses, ecommerces, Social networks, forums, portals, learning management systems and so much more.
This simply mean that there is never a limit to what WordPress can actually do for you. As a beginner, you might get very inquisitive and want to try out out your very own website and yeah, WordPress comes to the scene.
As a matter of fact, WordPress is still the best since its second to nothing. All other content management systems like Joomla, Drupal, Doorgets and so much more are just queuing behind WordPress.
Let’s not even talk about the large support community behind the system, what about the larger masses that utilises the software. That indeed is a thing to be proud of right?
Well today, we’ll be discussing how to actually build a WordPress website straight from scratch. When I say scratch, I mean you will actually learn about everything you need and how you should do it to actually start your very own website.
As listed above, whatever the type of website you aim to create, WordPress’ got your back.
Sometimes ago, I wrote a long post about creating your own blog for free and there, I made mention of software/platforms you can actually use as these platforms all come for free.
WordPress therefore come prepackaged for those of you seeking to build the web with amazing contents. Now as the story goes, it will be nice to actually start the tutorial from an introductory part.
In case you worry about how or where to start. We’ll work ourselves through those processes now as easier as possible.
What is WordPress?
I wrote a post sometimes about WordPress which is just an introduction to the CMS. But as a matter of fact, WordPress is a very powerful CMS and this platform powers lots and lots of websites in the cyberspace. So in case you are so inquisitive, that should answer you.
But in a simple term, see this software as a foundation. Rather than having yo learn PHP, Ruby, Pearl, Python, HTML, CSS and JavaScript, this actually serve as the base point whereby you can actually start whatever you’d like to start.
Being the base point means being the very build up whereby decorating will be handy. As far as WordPress is concerned, this framework as I will call it is actually going to make it easy to build your type of website very quickly and fast.
In case you’ve heard about others like Doorgets, Joomla, Drupal, I’m not going to be recommending them for noons because they aren’t as easy to learn as you might think.
They are very complex and the fact that WordPress has a better bigger audience and community makes it the no.1.
What type of website can I create with WordPress?
That’s a frequent question for noons who don’t actually have much knowledge about the CMS. But as it is, you can create any form of website using WordPress.
You can actually start any form of website ranging from a small personal blog to an enterprise support blog, from a Learning Management System to Social Networking.
From a simple news/magazine website up to file hosting/download website. What this denotes is that WordPress presents you unlimited opportunity. And this way, you can actually build whatever you want yo build.
Those two questions answered, then let’s head straight into the tutorials.
WordPress is a free software under the Open source license. This means that you can get a copy of it and manipulate it to whatever suits you and then make it whatever you’d like.
Since its extensive based on its powerful plugin system, you can also make this CMS do and behave exactly how you’d like all depending on your very choice.
As a matter of fact, some plugins are there for free based on the fact that those developers are nice people and they offer supports even for free.
Well, this means that you can actually create a very complex website without even knowing what an HTML tag is or the full meaning of the CSS abbreviation. Anyway, let’s go now.
#1. Downloading and Installing WordPress
As stated earlier, WordPress is an open source software that is free to use by anyone anywhere in the world. So to do that, we’ll need a copy of WordPress and then use it to start our development work.
In case you want your WordPress development to reside in the internet, then you can actually further but if you want to test out the development on your own machine, then learn how to install WordPress on your localhost server.
Alright now that you’ve learnt, let’s continue. Head over to WordPress.Org and download a copy of the software’s latest version. This package come in a .ZIP file.
The size shouldn’t be more than 7MB+. After you are through downloading, then simply copy or cutout the folder and place it on your computer’s home screen or better still, in a folder where you can easily see it next time.
The next thing is to unzip. There are two ways to go about this. Most computer operating systems come prepackaged with an unzipping software.
Like windows, right click in the folder and then look for uncompress folder and then run it. You can actually download 7Zip, Winrar etc software as they work charm in decompressing folders.
Now that’s done, the next thing is to actually log in to your server C-Panel and then get yourself a Database. To do that, look around for the Database panel and then click on it.
Create a MySQL database using the PHPMyAdmin but if that is too rigid for you, you can actually read my tutorials here on *****how to set up a MySQL Database in PHPMyAdmin.***** In case you already know how, then let’s continue.
After you must have created that database, the next thing to be done to save lots of hardwork is to actually open the folder of WordPress which we’ve downloaded and unzipped earlier on.
Open the files and the. you’ll see a number of files. Among those files are three folders. WP-Include, WP-Admin, WP-Contents. We ain’t heading those direction yet.
But we’ll be looking for a file directly where we are. Its named “WP-Config.PHP” its a PHP file that works with the core WordPress for easy raw modification.
But in case that file isn’t visible yet, then don’t worry but in case it is on your own computer, you might open it using your text editor. Look for these lines in the code.
#1. DB Name:
#2. DB User:
#3. DB Host:
#4. DB Password:
Enter each field accordingly based on how you did while creating your database earlier on.
NOTE:Before you start looking for codes, it might be nice to let you know that WordPress have its own powerful UI installation system.
The reason I said we should use this depends on your web host. And the fact still remain that most webhosting companies offer direct One-Click install for WordPress which mean you won’t need to be downloading the .ZIP file and in zipping it on your computer.
It simply resides in your C-Panel and then the installation process follows afterward. This approach is more advised. But I will work you through that later in this post.
But in case your Host doesn’t offer One -Click install, then let’s continue.
Now open your FTP software and log in with the details you’ve created. (In case you don’t know how to create an FTO account, this is simple tutorial.
Log in to your C-Panel and click on the FTP area. It opens an interface whereby you can then create an account. Save those account details somewhere you can actually reuse later on. )
Now those details you’ve created are what you will use to sign in. You can download FileZilla because its free and cool.
Ones you are logged in, the system automatically gets a list of folders in your website. By default, the main file you will notice in your served side will be the.
Public_HTML folder. Double click on this as it opens a newer interface where there is either a folder for tour webhost default Webhost ads for your blank site or nothing at all.
Simply drag your WordPress unzipped file from your computer straight into the Public_HTML folder. (Note: Filezilla opens two interfaces.
One your computer files and the other are internet related files. So you just navigate through and locate whatever file you want and then upload.) By now, you should notice the files uploading.
When that is done, If you didn’t miss anything and the upload was right in the right folder, then navigating to your domain.com should show a new installation process.
There is a welcome note from WordPress and a “Let’s Go” button at then end of the greetings. Clicking on the button opens a new interface to actually deal with the installation process.
Now this is where you need your database details which you’ve created earlier on. Enter those values and then leave the Localhost there.
You can change the DB Prefix from the default “wp_ ” based on security reasons to whatever you want but make it very short like abbreviation and include the underscore.
When you are through editing the form, then strike on the Install WordPress Button. This takes you through the installation processes.
If you followed my earlier style above, wordpress will actually see that youve included those Database details in the WP-Config.PHP file and so will skip the form and then start installing straight up so far the details you input are correct. So make sure they are.
When that is done, WordPress presents you with the Super Admin profile creation form. You just input your details and then click on finish.
Then the system creates you an account for being the Number user, you automatically becomes the Administrator.
Then it asks you to sign in using those details you’ve entered. After you’ve signed in, You are welcome to the admin dashboard to starts creating your website.
Now managing your new website is a very easy thing. Now that we’ve installer WordPress successfully, you can now actually create whatever type of website you want.
Now let’s assume you wish to create a business website or corporate website, this is what you should do.
You need a theme that needs to be configured to suit your very need.
Now there are lots of themes in the WordPress theme repository and you can actually use anyone that you so wish.
There are free and premium all depending on how much the budget is that you have. So anyway, let’s get on with the it.
Despite the large list, there are still some very better themes that offer better options and so out of the many list, I will be choosing just one which is the Zerif Lite theme.
This awesome theme actually have the premium version too but believe me, the free version is in fact super awesome enough to fill in the big gap.
To download the Zerif Lite theme, simply go to your WordPress Appearance page and then click on the Themes from the dropdown.
This open you with the available themes present on your website. The next to do is actually abandon the pre-installed WordPress themes and just click on the Add Theme Button.
This open a new interface that loads every WordPress themes from the repository based on categories. Now search for Zerif Lite.
When you see it then strike the install button below its screenshot and then activate immediately the installation process is done.
After that is done, you need some static pages for showcasing your business. So you leave the theme place and then go straight up to Pages.
How to set up pages for business themes in WordPress?
You might want to create pages like
#1. About Us.
#2. Contact Us
#3. Terms and Privacy policy page
#4. Blog page
#5. Portfolio page
#6. Gallery page.
All these pages are good for businesses since they are there to actually make surfing your website a far easy thing. Well in case you read Brumpost’s introduction to WordPress well, then you shouldn’t have any single problem creating a page.
After the page is created, then we need to attach those pages to the theme so that it appears outside. So leave the Pages interface and click back on Appearance and then look for Menu.
Click on the Menus and then you’ll see a new interface which asks you to enter the name of the menu to be created.
In case you know how to create one, then this shouldn’t be hard. Fill in the form and then attach all those pages to it. Its done and then save. Now, those pages should appear in the front end.
The Zerif lite theme come with some premade functions for the home screen to make it look exactly corporate. Those things needs to be changed for your very own company’s design.
So to do that, simply navigate and click on the Customize button in the Appearance area. This opens a graphical development interface for you to start building your website.
What you so need to do here is to first look around for colors. Those colors can be changed from the default to exactly your company’s color.
After you must’ve finish the color customization, navigate back to the Widget area and then start doing the work of replacing and adding.
You can actually recognize those widgets that are specially for the Zerif Lite theme and then start placing them one by one where they belong accordingly. And when you are through doing this, click on the Save button and then exit.
There are other functionalities you might want incorporate within your new business website. For example, you might want to add other information like News, Publications, Weekly Articles etc to buttress your website, you just navigate to the Post area and then from the dropdown, click on category.
Note that WordPress usually leave a Dummy category which you can actually rename by clicking on the Quick Edit button and therefore change the Name and then its Slug to whatever you’d like.
You can also create bunch others but make their names very short. In case you want those at your menu, you can go back to Menu interface and then open the category Spoiler and then click on those categories and add them yo your main menu.
Note that your main menu might get eroded with menus. This way, you only need to place a dummy menu name like More and then drag those category menu under it so it form a drop down outside in the User Interface area. In case you know how to create a menu, that shouldn’t be tasky.
Now you might want to do some few tweaks like your permalink. This is that URL after your DOMAIN. COM URL. its generated by WordPress.
To do this changes, go to the Setting interface and click while look for the Permalink in the dropdown menu. This open a new interface whereby you can change it from the default.
There are usually more than 3 options but its usually advised based on SEO cases to use the Last one with the name Post Name. That will use the exact slug of the post and not use some generic PHP URLs.
That’s the power of WordPress.
Creating your corporate website so far, you’ll note we’ve never talked about Plugins. Well we will need very few here as the theme takes care of most of the job.
So being a corporate company, you might want to collect emails of your users so as to send them newsletters or mass mail about latest offers and information.
Anyway, you can achieve that by actually going back to the WordPress Plugin area and then from the dropdown, look for the Add New and then click.
Just as Themes were loaded with a nice search widget, so also are Plugins. So all you need to do right now is just search for MailPoet and then it loads it out and then simply click in the install button and after that is done, you can actually activate it immediately.
Collecting Emails
You might’ve noticed while you visit some random website, you notice some forms asking you to drop your email and or name so that the company can send you info about their promos or anything else.
Well, that’s what this does. Mailpoet that we just downloaded will take care of that for you. Simply go to the MailPoet area within your Admin Panel and then start configuring it like Adding newsletter, building lists and etc. In any case, you’ll want your users to actually sign up from the frontend.
What’s needed to be done is actually going to the widget area and look for the Newsletter Form. Drag it to your sidebar of your choice or click on it and then select which sidebar you want it to show.
When you are done with that, click on the Newsletter form and if you’ve not created any, it asks you to create one. So click on Add New and it shows you a pop out where you can build a new form.
After that, then save it and return to the widget area and select the name you’ve given to that form you’ve created. By now, the form will show in the front end.
You can use other options like Pop out in the frontend. To do that, go back to Plugin and Add New and then search for Displet.
Ones done, Install and save. After that activate. Ones done, you can configure it but the default settings is okay for a start. So go back to the Widget area under the Appearance area and then you’ll notice a new widget name called Displet. Simply drag a new Form there and select your form.
So anytime your users visit your website for the first time, they see the pop out and its amazing way to capture their attention for email subscription.
Other customizations are
Adding your icon, your business time and copyright at the footer, Social networking account, Map and locations, Contact form editing.
To do that, you just need to go back to the Customize interface located under the Appearance. Click on the General settings where you can change your website name or the description.
Also, you can change the logo to yours. Adding Social accounts and your business times. Also you can include your Copyright text at the footer right in the setting panel.
And as easy as possible, you’ve gotten your fully functional Business website. This is simply how you can create your very own website using WordPress.
I hope it is that simple because I tried to simplify it as possible as I can.
But if you’re not satisfied, you can still hook me up via the comment below.
Drop your recommendations or additions or any question. I’ll attend to them. And thanks for reading. You can also share if you like. You are awesome.