Building a website has never been simpler thanks to WordPress. Although you have always been able to install WordPress and configure it to work with a majority of web hosting services, a number of hosted solutions are now available that have eradicated the need for this and you can now purchase hosting plans with which WordPress is already setup for you to use. If you want to build a WordPress website, then follow these steps in order to develop an effective solution that will realise your specification in full.
Choosing a Web hosting platform
The first choice that you need to make is the type of platform that you would like to use. With WordPress you can either go for a hosted solution or a self-hosted solution. A hosted solution is a platform that provides you with the application as a ready to use package with which you can use no other web applications; examples of this include the free WordPress.com service, and our own managed WordPress hosting packages. Alternatively, you can choose your own hosting service if you feel that you have found something that is more appropriate; you can then manually install WordPress.
Each solution can carry its own benefits. A hosted solution is ideal for less technically minded users. Platforms such as WordPress.com offer limited access for end-users; for the most part you will never see anything beyond the front end of your website and the administration panel in the backend. In most situations, this will be more than sufficient because it means that you can install some plugins and themes of your choice in the safety of a confined environment. If you require a system that can offer additional access then a managed WordPress hosting package is your next best choice; with these you can expect the same features of a regular web hosting service, but with WordPress already setup and configured for you, along with a domain to accompany it.
A self-hosted solution can provide the ultimate in flexibility and so is the better choice if you have a good wealth of technical knowledge, or are a larger business that is looking for a tailored solution. A self-hosted solution can be any form of web hosting; for smaller businesses, this may simply constitute a shared web hosting package, but for larger businesses, then there is always the option for a cloud virtual machine or dedicated server, or for more demanding circumstances than a cluster of either of these services. The point is that WordPress can be installed and adapted to account for any type of hosting arrangement.
Adding plugins
Whilst WordPress comes with a wide variety of the features out of the box, sometimes there might be that something extra you’re looking for so that your requirements are fully met. The chances are that these additional needs for functionality can be met with the use of third-party plugins, and these can be found at the WordPress.org website.
The process of installing plugins has been streamlined over the years now and can be done entirely from the admin control panel all you have to do is search for a plugin that fulfills your requirements, and then click to add and install it to your WordPress website. Once that is done, you will need to activate it and then you can begin to enjoy the extra functionality.
Sometimes a plugin will require that you add a few lines of code to the theme that you are using in order to enable it or to make full use of its functionality. If you aren’t technically minded then fear not, if this more necessary then instruction will most likely be provided in the documentation to make this as easy as possible for you.
Implementing a theme
Once you have setup WordPress with the features that you need, including third-party plugins, it is time to add a design that follows what you would like it to look like. Like plugins, you will find a large repository of themes available at WordPress.org that are free to use and will let you apply different looks to your website depending on what you prefer.
Themes can be downloaded and installed to your website in two ways. You can go through your WordPress admin panel that will let you search the full repository without having to go to it directly, and from here you can then download any theme of your choosing and have it available in your admin panel in just a few clicks. If you would prefer to make a few modifications to it, then you always have the option to download it to your local computer and then upload it directly to your web space manually. In either case, you will then find the theme available in your admin panel, from where you can then apply it to your website in just one click. It couldn’t be simpler.
Once you have chosen the type of hosting most appropriate to your needs, implemented any additional plugins that you would like to use and applied a design of your choosing, you can then start adding your content!
