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How to Make a WordPress Website in 2025 (Ultimate Guide)

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When we first started WPBeginner back in 2009, we had one main goal: teaching people how to succeed with WordPress. Even though we’ve now spent 16+ years helping more than 2 million people build their WordPress websites, we totally understand if you’re feeling overwhelmed right now.

You might be wondering whether to use WordPress.com or WordPress.org, why you need to pay for hosting if WordPress is free, or if you’ll need to learn coding. These are questions that we hear from our readers every day.

In this guide, we will show you how to make a WordPress website the right way. Whether you’re looking to launch a simple blog or a site for your online business, we will teach you everything you need to know.

Don’t worry – you won’t need any technical skills or coding knowledge. Simply follow our simple instructions, and you’ll have your website up and running today.

How to make a WordPress website

We will walk you through everything, from setting up WordPress to adding your first pages and installing must-have plugins. We will also share the tried-and-tested tools and methods we use to build successful WordPress websites.

But if you need more assistance, our team will happily set up your WordPress website for FREE.

→ Click Here to Get Your Free WordPress Website Setup! ←

Choosing a Website Platform: WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org

💡Editor’s Note: This article recommends WordPress.org since it gives you full freedom. If you’d rather skip this section and cut straight to the chase, you can go ahead and start reading the tutorial

Before we start building your website, let’s clear up something important. There are two types of WordPress: WordPress.com and WordPress.org. Yes, this confuses many beginners, but don’t worry – we will make it simple.

WordPress.org is the popular open-source software that powers over 43% of all websites on the internet. It’s often called ‘self-hosted WordPress’ because you’ll need to get your own hosting and domain name to use it.

The key benefits of using WordPress.org are complete control over your website, the ability to install any plugins and themes you want, and full ownership of your content. However, you’re responsible for hosting, updates, and maintenance.

Meanwhile, WordPress.com is a hosting service that uses the WordPress.org software. Although it has a free plan, it offers limited functionality and doesn’t let you customize it the way you want. Plus, features like installing plugins and themes are only available on higher-tier plans, starting at $25/month.

WordPress.orgWordPress.com
CustomizationComplete controlLimited by plan tier
HostingSelf-managedIncluded in all plans
Plugins & ThemesInstall any you wantAvailable on Business plans and up ($25/mo)
MonetizationComplete freedomLimited by plan tier
MaintenanceSelf-managedHandled for you
Best ForComplete website controlHands-off hosting

You can also check out our infographic that compares WordPress.org, WordPress.com (Free), and WordPress.com (Business).

While WordPress.com might seem easier at first, we’ve noticed that most users quickly outgrow its limitations. With WordPress.org, you’ll have full control from day one.

That’s why this guide focuses on creating a website with WordPress.org. We will show you the exact process we’ve used to help thousands of beginners build successful websites.

Here are the steps we will cover, and you can use the links below to skip to your preferred topic:

Let’s get started!

Step 1: Define Your Website Goal

First things first, let’s talk about what you want to achieve with your website. One common mistake we often see is people jumping straight into design and features without having a clear goal in mind. This often leads to wasted time and a website that doesn’t serve its purpose.

At WPBeginner, our main goal is to help people learn WordPress. This shaped how we built our website: clear navigation to find tutorials easily, free resources that are simple to access, and an email newsletter to share WordPress tips.

Your website goal might be different. Here’s what different types of websites typically focus on:

Website TypeMain GoalKey Features Needed
Business SiteGenerate LeadsContact forms, email signup, testimonials
Online StoreMake SalesProduct pages, shopping cart, payment system
AffiliatePromote ProductsProduct reviews, comparison tables, tracking links
MembershipRestrict ContentMember login, subscription plans, protected pages
EducationTeach SkillsCourse pages, member access, progress tracking
PortfolioShowcase WorkImage galleries, project pages, contact info
BlogShare ContentClean layout, categories, search function

Also, it’s normal if your website has multiple goals.

For example, our partner website OptinMonster has the goal of selling their lead generation software product. But they also have a blog with the goal of educating readers about conversion optimization and growing their businesses.

OptinMonster blog

That being said, it’s important to define a main goal because it will decide what call-to-action to highlight and how to steer users in that direction. This clarity will help you make better decisions about your website’s design, features, and content strategy.

Now that you have a clear picture of what kind of website you want to build, let’s move on to the next step.

Step 2: Choose a Domain Name & WordPress Hosting

To use WordPress.org to build your website, you will first need a domain name and WordPress hosting. Many new website owners confuse domain names with hosting or think they’re the same thing. Let’s break it down.

A domain name is your website’s address on the internet. Think of it as your website’s street address.

For example, our domain name is wpbeginner.com – that’s what people type into their browser to find us.

An infographic explaining what a domain name is

Domain names typically cost around $14.99 per year, with prices varying based on the extension (.com, .org, .net, etc.).

On the other hand, WordPress hosting is where your website’s files actually live. If your domain name is your street address, then hosting is the actual house. It’s where all your website’s content, images, and files are stored.

These days, you’ll find dozens of WordPress hosting providers offering different types of hosting plans. You’ll see shared hosting, managed WordPress hosting, VPS hosting, and more. We know it can feel overwhelming.

Our recommendation? Go with Bluehost. Here’s why we love them:

  • They offer a free domain name (worth $14.99) for the first year. That also means you don’t need to worry about connecting a third-party domain registrar with your web hosting!
  • They’re WordPress.org’s longest-running recommended host (since 2005), which means they really know their stuff when it comes to WordPress.
  • They’re affordable and offer plans for everyone, perfect for new website owners.

Our founder, Syed Balkhi, is also a big fan of Bluehost:

I’ve been recommending Bluehost since 2012, and their commitment to quality has only improved over the years.

I host several personal and business websites on Bluehost. Their ease of use and reliability make them a go-to choice for me.

Whether you’re just starting or looking to grow your online presence, Bluehost offers a solid hosting platform to build on.

Syed BalkhiSyed Signature

Founder of WPBeginner

If you need more information, then we’ve covered the hosting provider in more detail in our complete Bluehost review.

The best part? Bluehost is offering our readers a free domain name and a huge discount on web hosting. All you need to do is click on the button below to claim the offer. You can also use our Bluehost coupon code to get up to 83% off!

→ Click Here to Claim This Exclusive Bluehost Offer ←

Note: We believe in being transparent with our readers. If you use our Bluehost link, then we’ll earn a commission – but at no extra cost to you. In fact, you’ll get special discounts, including hosting, a free domain name, and free SSL security. While we could earn commissions from any hosting company, we only recommend services we personally use and trust.

Let’s go ahead and purchase a domain name and hosting.

First, you’ll need to go to the Bluehost website in a new browser window and click on the green ‘Get Started Now’ button.

Clicking the Get Started Now button in the Bluehost page

This will bring you to a pricing page where you will need to choose a hosting plan for your website.

Basic and Choice Plus plans are the most popular choices among our users.

Bluehost pricing plans

You’ll need to click on ‘Select’ to choose the plan that you like and continue to the next step.

On the next screen, you’ll be asked to select a new domain name.

Bluehost buy domain name

Ideally, you should stick to a .com domain name. Make sure it is related to your business, easy to pronounce and spell, and easy to remember.

Need help with choosing a domain name for your website? See these tips and tools on how to choose the best domain name.

After choosing your domain name, just click on the ‘Next’ button to continue.

Now, you’ll be asked to provide your account information, such as name, address, email, etc.

On this screen, you will also see optional extras you can purchase. We generally don’t recommend purchasing these extras, but you can always add them later if you decide that you need them.

Bluehost package extras

Next, you will add your payment information to finish the purchase.

After completing your purchase, you’ll receive an email with details on logging in to your web hosting dashboard.

This is your hosting account control panel where you manage everything, like getting support, setting up emails, and so on. Most importantly, this is where you’ll install WordPress.

Step 3: Install WordPress

When you sign up with Bluehost using our link, they will automatically install WordPress for you. They launched this one-click WordPress installer to make it easier for non-techy users to create their websites.

What this means is you simply need to log in to your Bluehost account and head to the ‘Websites’ tab from the menu on the left. From here, simply click the ‘Edit Site’ button.

Bluehost login WordPress

You can also log in to the dashboard by going to your WordPress login URL (e.g., example.com/wp-admin/) directly from your browser.

If you are using a different WordPress website hosting service like SiteGround, Hostinger, or HostGator, then you can see our detailed guide on how to install WordPress for step-by-step instructions for those providers.

Once WordPress is set up, you’re ready to continue building your website.

Wasn’t that easy?

Now, let’s move on to the next step and choose a design for your website.

Step 4: Choose a Website Layout

By default, your WordPress website will use a basic WordPress theme, like this:

Twenty Twenty Five WordPress default theme

While this default layout works fine, it won’t help your website stand out from the crowd.

In WordPress, a layout is called a theme, which is a collection of files that control how your website looks and feels. Think of it as your website’s outfit – it determines colors, fonts, layout structure, and overall design without changing your actual content.

One of the things we love about WordPress is the incredible variety of themes available. Whether you’re building a small business website, an online store, or a personal blog, there’s a perfect theme for your needs.

In the past, switching to a new web design involved hiring a website developer, which was expensive and time-consuming. However, the process is now so much easier. I just need to choose a WordPress theme that works for my site, install it, and activate it. That’s way quicker than looking for a developer or coding a theme from scratch.

john turnerJohn Turner – SeedProd

Installing a theme is straightforward. Just go to Appearance » Themes in your WordPress dashboard and click ‘Add New Theme’.

Activate or install default theme

You’ll find over 13,000 free themes in the official WordPress.org directory, including Sydney, Neve, and OceanWP.

For step-by-step instructions, you can check out our beginner’s guide on how to install a WordPress theme.

That said, we know all these options can feel overwhelming. Between the thousands of free themes and countless premium options, choosing the right one can be challenging.

Here are the questions we ask when selecting a WordPress theme:

  • Is it mobile-friendly? With over half of web traffic coming from mobile devices, your theme needs to be responsive and look great on all screen sizes.
  • Does it load quickly? A slow-loading theme can hurt your search rankings and cause visitors to leave your site.
  • Is it compatible with major plugins? Your theme should work well with the plugins you will use to avoid functionality issues later.
  • When was it last updated? Regular updates mean better security and compatibility with the latest WordPress version.
  • Does it match your website’s purpose? For example, if you’re building an online store, make sure your theme has features like product galleries to highlight what you sell.
  • What’s your budget? Not all free themes are poor quality, and not all premium themes have the best support. See our comparison of free vs. premium WordPress themes for more information.

If you’re not sure where to start with your theme search, then we have compiled a list of the most popular WordPress themes, hand-picked by our experts.

At WPBeginner, we actually use a custom theme built on the Genesis framework. This gives us complete control over our design and helps us create the exact user experience we want for our readers.

Want that level of customization for your website? We recommend using SeedProd, which is a powerful theme and page builder that comes with over 350 ready-made theme templates. You can choose any template and customize it to match your vision perfectly.

SeedProd even includes an AI website builder that can create a complete website in under 60 seconds. You can watch the video below to see how it works:

Subscribe to WPBeginner

The best part? You don’t need any coding knowledge to use SeedProd. It’s all drag-and-drop, making it perfect for beginners who want professional results.

At this stage, you don’t need to finalize all theme settings right away. You can customize it much better once you have some content on your website.

💡Need help designing your WordPress site? Let WPBeginner Pro Services bring your vision to life. Our experienced designers can create a custom WordPress website for you at affordable prices. Get Our WordPress Website Design Services Today!

Now, let’s see how to add content to your WordPress site.

Step 5: Create Essential Pages and Blog Posts

WordPress comes with two default content types: pages and posts. Let’s see how to use each one effectively.

Pages are for static, timeless content like your about page, contact page, and privacy policy. Think of them as the foundation of your website – they rarely change, and visitors expect to find them easily.

Add links to your social media profiles

Posts, on the other hand, are for your blog content and appear in reverse chronological order (newest first).

They’re perfect for regular updates, news, or any content you publish frequently.

wpbeginner blog

Whether you need both types depends on your website’s purpose. If you’re building a simple business website, you might only need pages. But if you plan to share regular updates or create content marketing, you’ll want to use posts, too.

By default, WordPress shows your latest blog posts on your homepage. However, most business websites prefer a custom static front page instead or use a separate page for blog posts.

Don’t worry – you can easily change this in your settings. You can read our detailed guide on creating a custom homepage to do this and our article on disabling blog features in WordPress if you don’t need them.

Our tip is to start a WordPress blog anyway, even if you’re not planning to write any content right now.

A lot of our WordPress business websites have a blog section, even if their main goal is to sell a product. This is because blogging allows you to establish expertise in your field, increase traffic from search engines, and connect with your target audience.

Now, let’s add some content to your website. Don’t worry if you don’t have enough content right away – you can always edit and update later.

To add either a page or post, head over to your WordPress dashboard. Click Pages » Add New for a page, or Posts » Add New for a blog post. Both use the same editor screen, which looks like this:

WordPress page editor screen

First, add your title at the top.

Then use the editor below to add your content – you can include text, images, videos, and more. If you need help with the editor, check out our beginner’s guide on how to use the WordPress block editor if you need help.

One thing you may notice is that posts have extra settings like categories and tags. You can use them to organize your blog content and help readers find the right information.

Adding categories and tags when creating a post

When you’re done, you can either save it as a draft to finish later or click ‘Publish’ to make it live on your website.

Not sure which pages to create first? Check out our list of essential pages every WordPress website should have.

Step 6: Customize Your Website

Now that you have created some content for your website, let’s make it look professional and work smoothly for your visitors. Let’s start with some basic but important settings.

First, let’s change your site title and tagline. These appear in search results and at the top of your website, so they’re often the first thing visitors see. You can head over to Settings » General to update these:

Change site title

If you’re planning to have a blog section, you’ll want to set up your comment settings next by going to Settings » Discussion. This helps prevent spam and keeps discussions meaningful.

For more details, check out our beginner’s guide to WordPress comment moderation.

Require all comments to be manually approved

Next comes theme customization. The exact process varies depending on your theme but typically involves setting up:

Sounds like a lot? Don’t worry. Our guide on key WordPress design elements walks you through exactly which parts of your site you need to customize.

We’ve also written an ultimate guide on how to edit a WordPress website. The reason we created this article is that WordPress offers so many ways to customize your theme, and you may need pointers on which method is best for your needs and skill level.

Using the WordPress Theme Customizer to edit a transportation and logistics website

Here are some other important customizations to consider:

Step 7: Install Must-Have WordPress Plugins

Have you noticed how some websites have special features like contact forms, popups, lightbox photo galleries, and so on? These are all made possible with WordPress plugins.

WordPress plugins are like apps for your WordPress site. They allow you to add features and customizations without needing to write any code. There are currently more than 59,000 free plugins available, plus many premium options from third-party developers.

With this many plugins, how do you find which ones to install? Our rule of thumb is to go with plugins that are:

  • Regularly updated
  • Well-reviewed by users
  • Compatible with your WordPress version
  • From reputable developers
  • Focused on solving your specific needs

If you want to learn more about choosing the right plugins, check out our detailed guide on how to choose the best WordPress plugin.

But regardless of the website type, we believe all WordPress websites can benefit from the following plugins:

MonsterInsights

MonsterInsights logo

Connects your site with Google Analytics to track visitor behavior

What we like: See key stats right in your WordPress dashboard without opening Google Analytics.

Free version available

Paid plans start from $99.60/yr

Read Our Review

WPForms

WPForms

Creates any type of form, from contact forms to payment forms

What we like: Drag-and-drop form builder makes it easy to create professional forms in minutes.

Free version available

Paid plans start from $49.50/yr

Read Our Review

All in One SEO

All in One SEO

Optimizes your website for search engines and higher rankings

What we like: Simplifies complex SEO tasks with automatic XML sitemaps and custom SEO settings.

Free version available

Paid plans start from $49.60/yr

Read Our Review

We consider these three plugins absolutely essential because they allow you to track your site performance, communicate with your visitors, and boost your website’s search engine rankings.

Besides these three must-have WordPress plugins, we also recommend installing the ones below, depending on your needs:

  • Performance – Speed matters for both users and search engines. We recommend WP Rocket (premium) or WP Super Cache (free) to make your site load faster.
  • Security – Add an extra layer of protection to your website with Cloudflare. They offer a free plan that includes basic security features and CDN services.
  • Design – Want to build custom pages without writing code? We use SeedProd to design custom pages, but Thrive Theme Builder is another excellent option.
  • Marketing – We use PushEngage for push notifications (which are now one of our top traffic sources) and OptinMonster for lead generation.
  • Email delivery – Make sure your website emails reach users’ inboxes with WP Mail SMTP. It fixes WordPress email delivery issues that many users face.
  • Social media feeds – Display social feeds beautifully with Smash Balloon. It works with Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, and even review sites like Google and Yelp.
  • eCommerce – Building an online store? Use WooCommerce for physical products or Easy Digital Downloads for digital products (this is what we use for our WordPress businesses).
  • Image galleries – Create beautiful image galleries with Envira Gallery. It’s fast, lightweight, and easy to use.
  • Translations – Make your website multilingual and reach a wider audience with Weglot. It automatically translates your entire website with powerful machine learning.

We also highly recommend visiting the WPBeginner Solution Center. Here, we have curated the best WordPress plugins, themes, and tools based on our years of experience testing and reviewing WordPress products.

You can also check out the WPBeginner Blueprint to see exactly which tools and plugins we use to run WPBeginner successfully. It’s like getting a behind-the-scenes look at how we built our multi-million reader website.

Need help installing plugins? See our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Step 8: Master WordPress

WordPress is easy to use yet incredibly powerful. While you can get started quickly, you might need help along the way – and that’s perfectly normal. Even we still run into common WordPress errors after years of experience!

The good news is that there are plenty of free WordPress help available. Here’s how to make the most of it:

First, bookmark these essential guides. They’ll save you lots of time and money in the future:

As the largest WordPress resource site on the internet, WPBeginner also offers multiple ways to learn:

  • WPBeginner Blog – This is where we publish our WordPress tutorials, how-tos, and step-by-step guides.
  • WPBeginner Videos – These step-by-step videos will help you learn WordPress FAST.
  • WPBeginner on YouTube – Need more video instructions? Subscribe to our YouTube channel with more than 1 million subscribers and 54 million+ views.
  • WPBeginner Business Tools – Access a collection of free business tools to help grow your website and compete with the big guys.
  • WPBeginner Dictionary – The best place for beginners to start and get familiar with the WordPress lingo.
  • WPBeginner Deals – Exclusive discounts on WordPress products and services for WPBeginner users.
  • WPBeginner Engage Group – Connect with our WordPress experts and other like-minded website owners (over 98,000 members).

Need to find something specific? Here’s a pro tip: Use Google search with ‘wpbeginner.com’ at the end of your search term. For example: ‘how to create a contact form wpbeginner.com’

Can’t find an answer? Send your question directly using our contact form, and we will try our best to answer.

If all of that is not enough, you can always take a look at our expert-picked list of blogs about WordPress you should read and follow.

Step 9: Take It Further

So far, we have shown you how to make a WordPress website, add a new theme, add new web pages, and install essential plugins.

Want to take it even further? With years of experience helping our users, we’ve discovered that WordPress is capable of creating almost any type of website you can imagine.

Here are just some possibilities:

The best part? Each of these website types can be created using WordPress plugins and themes – no coding required.

For more examples, check out our list of types of websites you can create with WordPress.

Frequently Asked Questions About Making a Website (FAQs)

Having helped thousands of WordPress users, we have answered quite a lot of questions about building a website. Below are the answers to the most frequently asked questions about creating a WordPress website.

What do I need to build a website?

You’ll need the following three things to start your WordPress site:

  • WordPress hosting – this is where your website files are stored.
  • A domain name – this is the name of your website, such as google.com
  • 45 minutes to set up your website by following the tutorial above.
How much does a WordPress website cost?

A typical personal website can cost as low as $100. The cost of a business website can range from anywhere between $100 per year to as high as $30,000 per year.

But honestly, the answer to this question really depends on what kind of website you are trying to build. We have written a comprehensive guide explaining how much it really costs to build a website.

We recommend all our users start small and then add more features to your website as your business grows. This way, you will save money and minimize potential losses while avoiding overspending.

Which is the best website builder platform?

We recommend using self-hosted WordPress as your website builder platform.

WordPress is the most popular website platform in the world. It powers nearly 43% of all websites on the internet.

WordPress is free and open-source. It comes with thousands of pre-built website designs and extensions. It is extremely flexible and works with almost every third-party tool and service available to website owners.

We use WordPress to build all our websites, including this one, WPBeginner.

What’s the difference between WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org?

When we mention WordPress in our tutorial, we’re talking about the popular self-hosted WordPress.org platform. It’s the powerful open-source software that you always hear about.

WordPress.com is a limited blog hosting service. They have recently expanded their platform to offer website and eCommerce plans with custom domains, but they’re more expensive than other WordPress hosting services like Bluehost or SiteGround.

For more details, see our detailed comparison chart of WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org.

Is WordPress the only way to create a website?

No, there are a lot of other website builders out there such as Wix, GoDaddy, and more. But we believe that WordPress is the best and easiest platform for building a website that works on both desktop and mobile devices.

Other industry experts agree with us, which is why over 43% of all websites use WordPress.

Do I need to know HTML / CSS to create and customize my website?

No, you don’t need to know how to use HTML / CSS to build a website with WordPress. You can use one of the many drag & drop WordPress page builder plugins to easily customize your web design.

We recommend using SeedProd because it lets you create completely custom WordPress themes from scratch without any code. Check out our guide on page builders vs. manual coding to see how much easier it is.

How can I start a website for free?

Some website builders may offer free options, but we strongly recommend against using those website-building solutions. Often, they will insert their advertisements on your website, which doesn’t look professional and offers a terrible user experience.

It’s always better to purchase your own domain name and hosting so you have full ownership of your website. See what is the difference between domain name and web hosting.

Can I get a free domain for my website?

Yes, some web hosting companies offer a free domain if you choose to start a website with them. Bluehost is an officially recommended WordPress hosting provider, and they’re offering WPBeginner users a free domain + a big discount on hosting if you choose to build your website using their service.

With that said, you can always register a domain name separately from a popular domain registrar and then purchase web hosting from a different hosting company like SiteGround.

Can I pay someone to build my WordPress site?

Yes, you can hire a WordPress development agency to build a WordPress site for you. This is a great investment if you aren’t technically savvy or you just don’t have the time to build a website.

We recommend using WPBeginner Pro Services because we offer expert WordPress Website Design Services at revolutionary pricing. The custom site design includes a dedicated project manager, WordPress setup, bespoke homepage design, professional logo, 5 template subpages, analytics setup, and much more.

How much traffic can WordPress handle?

WordPress can handle virtually unlimited website traffic, depending on your hosting platform and caching setup. We have written a detailed guide on how much traffic WordPress can handle, along with expert scaling tips.

Can you build a website from scratch with WordPress?

Yes, you absolutely can use WordPress to build a completely custom website from scratch using a no-code drag-and-drop page builder plugin like SeedProd.

How do I make money from my website?

After helping users create a website, this is by far the most commonly asked question. There are a lot of ways to make money online from your website.

We have a list of ways to make money online using WordPress. These aren’t get-rich-quick schemes. If you’re looking for a way to get rich quickly by making money online, then sorry to break the bad news; there’s no such way.

How do I start a website where I can sell products?

You can easily add an online store to your WordPress website. We have created a list of the best eCommerce plugins for WordPress. You can also follow our step-by-step guide on how to start an online store.

While there are many other eCommerce platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, etc, we recommend using the WooCommerce plugin for WordPress.

It offers more user-friendly features at an even more affordable price, which is why WooCommerce is the most popular eCommerce platform in the market.

If you’re looking to sell digital products, then we recommend using Easy Digital Downloads. This is what we use to sell our digital products in WordPress.

How can I start a website like eBay?

You can easily create a website like eBay using an auction plugin for WordPress. We have a step-by-step guide on how to build an online auction website using WordPress that you can follow.

Can I create a website like Facebook?

Yes, you can absolutely use WordPress to turn your website into a social network. We have a step-by-step guide on how to make a website like Facebook using WordPress.

Can I start a website with a discussion board / forum?

The answer again is yes. You can use one of these forum plugins in WordPress to build a website with discussion board features.

How do I grow my online presence?

Now that you have created your new website, it’s time to grow your online presence and get more traffic.

We have created an ultimate guide with actionable tips to drive traffic to your new WordPress site.

The most important advice we give to small business owners is to immediately start building an email list.

Email marketing allows you to stay in touch with website visitors and customers after they leave your website. It’s proven to have a 4300% ROI on investment.

Here is our comparison of the best email marketing services for small businesses.

I accidentally started my site with WordPress.com or another website builder, can I switch?

Yes, you can always switch your website to WordPress. Often, beginners make the mistake of using the wrong website builder and then realize that those platforms don’t have all the features they need.

We have written detailed tutorials on how to properly migrate from other website builders to WordPress. The most important part is to make sure that your permalinks (URL structure) moves over seamlessly, so you don’t lose SEO rankings.

Here are our detailed tutorials on how to move your website to WordPress:

We hope this guide helped you learn how to make a website without hiring a web designer or overspending money. You may also want to see our tutorial on how to create a professional business email address and our comparison of the best business phone services for small businesses.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

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297 CommentsLeave a Reply

  1. How can you switch from an external provider who currently hosts your website outside of your organization? Do they own the domain, or do you? Or do you have to make a clean sheet and start over?

    Reply

  2. Sadly, this tutorial failed entirely for me because, trying to follow along, I am not able to use the Astra theme without upgrading to a business account. You say it is a free theme, but it is not.

    Reply

  4. This is a fantastic guide to the top contest plugins for WordPress this year! The detailed breakdowns and comparisons are incredibly helpful. I especially appreciate the insights into RafflePress and ShortStack—they seem perfect for boosting engagement on my site. Thanks for the valuable recommendations!

    Reply

  5. This is a fantastic site! Thank you!
    I will be starting a new blog. One quick question – is it better to write a post first in Microsoft Word or any such editor, and then copy paste in Wordpress editor? Or do you recommend I start typing in Wordpress directly? The idea is to write 3 or 4 blogs posts before publishing live. What’s the best way?
    Thank you!

    Reply

    • Great question, Nusi! Honestly, both options work. Typing directly in WordPress can save time on formatting issues, plus it’s easy to edit drafts there. Grammarly browser extension can also help. Best of luck!

      Reply

  6. Detailed and easy illustration of step by step guide on how to start a wordpress website keeping it beginners friendly. I really appreciate the approach of wpbeginner editorial team.
    I have been using wordpress for quite a long time but whenever I come to wpbeginner website, I get new insights for even the simpler topics.

    Reply

  7. Clear and easy to follow as always. Thanks to wpbeginner.

    Remember that you can always start your website using free version of plugins listed above.

    When you ready, scale it up by trying suitable plugin plan. Happy blogging mates!

    My fav is Monsterinsight btw, as I have to track multiple author’s performance

    Reply

  8. Awesome!

    Thank you for this tutorial. As someone who is working towards exiting the blue collar life and entering the powerful world of digital business this helps immensely.

    Here’s to all that the future holds!

    Reply

  9. I wish I had met this post before. I think I was just wasting my time with Blogger platform now I have to switch to Wordpress.
    Hope to find more great articles in this site.

    Reply

  13. I have been interested in web development since I did some experiments with it in lockdown but never really learned how to properly do it. I was recommended this sight at a career fair at my school, and I have read a few articles that explain how to use WordPress as a beginner from this sight. This article was well explained, and the steps were clear and easy to follow. I personally understand things better when I can see them, therefore the pictures throughout the article with the arrows pointing to the function really helped me to process the information and understand how it would apply to the website. Thank you so much for this resource!

    Reply

  14. When I first started my blog back in late 2020, this article helped me get my WordPress site up and running. Although I did not buy hosting back then when I tried cause I was just trying XD. But now I run multiple blogs thanks to this knowledge

    Reply

    • Glad our article was helpful back then and we hope the recommendations we add continue to be helpful :)

      Reply

      Admin

  15. We have domain and hosting. Used GoDaddy. Also purchased wordpress from them to build our site. Will the directions you provided work okay with their site?
    Please advise.

    Reply

    • The steps to install the site on the hosting may be slightly different but you should still be able to follow the guide :)

      Reply

      Admin

  17. Fantastic blog. Thank for sharing this wonderful website with us. I’ll share this blog with my colleagues. I’m sure this info will be useful to those who need it.

    Reply

  18. The woman who narrated the 27-minute How To video was the best I’ve ever heard. It was so clear, and so well paced that I was able to follow the Dodgers game at the same time.

    I plan to start a travel blog with a ton of material that I have. Now I will go back over the video without the distraction of the baseball game, and get serious.

    Reply

  19. Thank you for taking the time to create and share this video! I was feeling frustrated and believing that I was not going to be able to create my own website, but you walked me through the whole process. It became fun and easy instead of frustrating and scary.

    Sincerely,
    Amber

    Reply

  20. Hello,
    I do already have a domain and a hosting. But I want to create a new website i WP with same domain. It’s a small business web. I want to run my exiting site on-line until launch of the new with same domain. How do I do this ?
    Rgds
    René

    Reply

  21. Thank you Editorial team. My question is can one use WordPress on mobile phone to create a website?

    Reply

    • Yes, you can create a WordPress site using a mobile phone. The reason most do not other than ease of typing is on mobile you would not be able to see how your site would be viewed on desktop devices.

      Reply

      Admin

  22. First I would like to thank you for all your help. My question know is. once I have created a home page, about page and a blog, if I publish them so I can view them to make changes, add plug-ins, etc. can anyone else see them? Or would it be better to save them in draft?
    Thanks

    Reply

  23. Thank you for this detailed article. The offer that’s linked on this page also has a 3 year upfront payment option. Would that include everything that thrown in for free for the 1st year as well such as domain name etc?

    Reply

  24. Thank you so much for this informative article. I’m a newbie to WordPress and your article just clearly explained a lot of the things I’ve been unclear about. I appreciate the time and effort you put in.

    Reply

  25. I thought “.org” was used solely for non-profits. If so, how can I include affiliate marketing on my site to at some point make some money? Do I need to use “.com” instead which you state is more limited? I am confused.

    Reply

  26. This article explains the steps really well. Thank you for this!

    Last year I made my first and only website in WordPress, which I now want to change the content of.
    I have chosen a theme and I also know how to create new pages.
    But as soon as I install and activate a theme, it immediately takes over the content/information of my “old website”.
    Is there a way to choose a new theme and completely rebuild each page?

    Are there any useful tips for this or is there a guide or a video that explains this?

    Reply

  27. How will other people be able to see this website? Only people with username and password will be able to see?

    Reply

    • If someone visited your domain they would see the site but not have access to the editing tools. Logging into the site is what allows you to edit it.

      Reply

      Admin

  28. Could you recommend best plugin(s) or method(s) for having guest contributors write for your blog?

    Thanks!!

    Reply

  29. I really thank you for this article. I have been looking for it so that I can start building a website with WordPress. I am sure this step by step guide will help me. Thank you for your hardwork.

    Reply

  30. I have a blogspot Web site but I am thinking to move it to WordPress but I want all the content as it is in blogger and the website name as well is it possible? And thanks for the guide.

    Reply

  32. how to write custom css for separate pages.
    i m trying to write some custom css but it applies on all pages like i m trying to change the color of header of my about us section but it changes rest of the pages solution.

    Reply

  33. That was really helpful as I want to build a website (Portfolio Website).
    This will help me.
    Thanks :)

    Reply

  35. Really impressed with how detailed you made this. It clarified so many things for me and I felt ready to make a website! Sadly when I went onto Bluehost, it does not offer .co.uk as a domain. Which other web host site would you recommend please? Many thanks

    Reply

  37. Definitely interested to use Wordpress.org for my small business, but with the free standard themes for all to use I might be using in a worst case scenario a theme that looks similar to my “competition”?

    Reply

    • There are thousands of themes you can choose from and you can use page builders for further customization should you want to modify the design so there is a low chance of that.

      Reply

      Admin

  38. is it necessary to first buy domain and hosting whatif if we want to create first website by installing wordpress, make it and at last i buy domain and hosting to run it

    Reply

  39. hello i have started my website but have encountered a problem on the mysite section on blue host.
    after reading the wpbeginner in the settings tab i tried to change the http to https and also changed the wordpress address url

    Reply

    • If you reach out to BlueHost they should be able to assist with your domain working correctly and ensuring you are pointing it to the correct location.

      Reply

      Admin

  41. Hi WPB,

    I need some clarity. I have read your post about wordpress.org vs wordpress.com and choose to use wordpress.org as it seems to be the better of the two.

    I just want to be sure here: this tutorial page is about the creation of a website on wordpress.com or wordpress.org?
    Because I thought it was about a creation of a website on wordpress.org at the beginning. But I googled wordpress.org and on the website I found it says you have to install a software.

    Looking forward to hear from you

    Thanks

    Reply

  42. Hi

    Such a great guide thank you. I’m looking at the blue host plans and I’m unsure of which one I need!! If I go for the basic plan can I upgrade it before the term is up?

    Reply

  43. Your article have too much information for beginners. You and your team doing great work for worldwide. I have expertise about how to create website,But after the reading of this article mine expertise change in concrete form.
    You way of convey is outstanding. On every top you have bundle of content which is amazing for understanding what should i do and how to do.

    Thanks a lot brother for this great virtue

    Reply

  44. I have a domain address. But when I changing the host site, can I also change the designing site to wordpress?

    Reply

    • It may take some custom tools but you can create a site like thsoe with WordPress.

      Reply

      Admin

  46. there is no “add new” button for new theme installation. i am beginner so i am using free wordepress.com . i want to install a new theme which i downloaded from another website. But i cant find “add new” button for theme installation.
    plz help me.

    thankyou

    Reply

  47. hello,
    I am now working on an iPad pro. when I log in to wordpress I have to re enter each time my password even though I select « se souvenir de moi »
    can you tell me why?
    tali

    Reply

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