WordPress is a great platform that allows you to start your own website or blog quickly and easily, even if you don’t have a lot of website developer experience. Unfortunately, a lot of beginners get bogged down due to the sheer amount of information out there, and they have trouble focusing their WordPress learning on things which will actually help them.
With this in mind, we have compiled a list of our top ten WordPress tips for beginners, including:
- Keep it simple:
If you aren’t an experienced web developer, don’t jump straight in the deep end and try to create the next eBay or Amazon. Keep it simple, and start small. Choose a subject which interests you, which you know a lot about, and which you feel there is a need for on the internet. Base your first website around this.
- Start slowly:
Although a lot of people just want to get their website up and running, it simply isn’t something which happens overnight if you aren’t an experienced developer. Start out slowly, take your time, and let your website come together over the course of a few weeks.
- Learn what you can:
There is a huge amount of information about WordPress out there. Before you start building your website make sure that you do some research. Read articles, learn how to upload images, watch videos, and learn from people who have already built successful sites.
- Learn to use plugins:
WordPress plugins are a developer’s best friend. They allow you to easily add extra features to your website, can be installed at a click of a button, and are usually free.
- Engage with your visitors:
There are plenty of ways to engage with your website’s visitors, including adding a comments section below your posts, sending out a regular email, or offering prizes or giveaways.
- Get active on social media:
Social media is one of the best ways to promote your new website. The vast majority of people are active on some form of social media. Creating a social media presence is a great way to advertise and build your following.
- Don’t try and monetise your site too early:
A lot of new web developers fall into the trap of trying to monetise their new website before they have any visitors. Focus on developing a regular stream of readers, an active social media presence, and a decent number of unique visitors before trying to add monetisation methods to your site.
- Don’t forget about mobile compatibility:
A lot of people browse the web from their mobile phone in the modern world. This means that it is extremely important to consider mobile phone compatibility when you are constructing your website.
- Choose a decent theme:
Make sure that you choose a theme which compliments your content and what your website is about.
- Learn about SEO:
If you don’t know anything about SEO (search engine optimisation), then you need to try and learn. Do some online research, and you will have your new website ranking highly in search pages before you know it!
There you have it, our top ten tips for WordPress beginners. If you are new to WordPress be sure to keep these in mind when developing your website, and you will be well on the way to success!