Want to know how to build WordPress website without hiring a developer? You are in the right place.
WordPress powers over 43% of all websites on the internet. That is more than 835 million websites running on this platform. The best part? You do not need any coding skills to create a professional WordPress website.
Building a website with WordPress for beginners has never been easier. This step-by-step WordPress website tutorial will show you exactly how to create a WordPress website from scratch. Whether you want to build a blog, business website, or online store, this guide covers everything you need.
We will walk through choosing your domain name, selecting WordPress hosting, installing the WordPress software, and launching your new website. By the end, you will have a fully functional website up and running. If you are deciding between platforms, you might also want to check out our comparison of Webflow vs WordPress to make an informed choice. Let’s start building your WordPress site today.
Before you dive into creating a WordPress site, you need to understand a few basics. WordPress comes in two versions, and picking the wrong one can limit what you can do with your website. Most people get confused between these options when they first start using WordPress to build a website. If you are considering professional help, explore our tech services for expert WordPress development support.
WordPress.org is the self-hosted version where you use WordPress software on your own hosting environment. You download the free WordPress platform and install it on your web hosting provider. This gives you complete control to install any WordPress theme, add unlimited WordPress plugins, and customize everything.
WordPress.com is a hosted platform where everything is managed for you. You get limited control and the free plan puts advertisements on your website. You cannot install custom plugins or premium WordPress themes unless you pay for expensive plans.
For building your WordPress website, always choose WordPress.org. It is the version we will use throughout this guide.
Feature | WordPress.org | WordPress.com |
Cost | Hosting fee ($3-10/month) | Free (limited) or $4-45/month |
Control | Complete control | Limited control |
Plugins | Install any plugin | Restricted on free plan |
Themes | Unlimited options | Limited selection |
Best For | Businesses & serious sites | Personal blogs only |
WordPress lets you create almost any type of website. A simple blog lets you share articles and expertise. Business websites showcase your services and build credibility. Portfolio websites display creative work beautifully. Online stores powered by WooCommerce handle everything from inventory to checkout.
Your website goal determines which WordPress hosting provider you choose and what features you need. Building a basic WordPress site costs between $50 to $150 per year including domain and hosting. Plan for 4 to 8 hours to build a basic site, or 1 to 3 weeks for complex projects. For small business owners, understanding essential website design features can help you make better decisions about your site’s functionality.
Now that you understand WordPress basics and platform differences, let’s dive into the actual process of building your WordPress website from scratch. Follow these detailed steps carefully to create your professional site.
Your domain name is your website’s permanent address on the internet. It is how people find you online, so choosing the right domain name matters tremendously for your brand identity and memorability.
Tips for Choosing the Perfect Domain Name:
Where to Register Your Domain:
Several trusted registrars sell domain names at competitive prices. Namecheap and GoDaddy charge $10 to $15 annually for standard .com domains.
Many WordPress hosting providers include a free domain name with annual hosting plans, which saves money and simplifies management. Bluehost, Hostinger, and SiteGround all offer free domain registration for the first year as part of their hosting packages.
After purchasing your domain, you own it for the registration period. Remember to renew it annually to maintain ownership. Your domain is the permanent foundation of your website, so treat it as a long-term investment.
Web hosting is where your WordPress website lives online. Your WordPress hosting provider stores all your files and content on their servers. When someone visits your website, the hosting server delivers those files to their browser.
Choosing quality WordPress hosting directly affects your website’s speed, security, and reliability. Poor hosting leads to slow load times and frustrated visitors.
Shared hosting costs $3 to $10 monthly and works perfectly for beginners building their first WordPress site. It easily handles basic WordPress sites with traffic under 20,000 monthly visitors.
VPS hosting provides dedicated resources for $20 to $80 monthly when your traffic grows beyond 50,000 monthly visitors.
Managed WordPress hosting is optimized exclusively for WordPress websites. The provider handles all technical maintenance, security updates, and backups. It costs $15 to $50 monthly but saves time and eliminates technical headaches.
Recommended WordPress Hosting Providers:
Provider | Starting Price | Best For | Key Features |
Hostinger | $2.99/month | Budget beginners | Free domain, SSL, fast speeds |
Bluehost | $2.95/month | WordPress recommended | One-click install, 24/7 support |
SiteGround | $3.99/month | Speed focused | Daily backups, excellent support |
Network Solutions | $19.99/month | Enterprise | Advanced security, dedicated support |
Hostinger offers incredible value with a free domain name for the first year, free SSL certificate, and one-click WordPress installation. Their servers deliver fast speeds even on budget plans with 24/7 live chat support.
Bluehost is officially recommended by WordPress.org. They provide seamless one-click WordPress installation and optimize servers specifically for WordPress performance. Plans start at $2.95 monthly with a free domain included.
SiteGround excels at customer support and website speed. They use cutting-edge caching technology to make WordPress websites load incredibly fast. SiteGround includes free daily backups, free SSL, and staging environments.
Network Solutions targets businesses needing professional-level reliability. Their managed WordPress hosting includes advanced security monitoring and dedicated support teams.
Look for hosts offering one-click WordPress installation, free SSL certificates, 99.9% uptime guarantees, and 24/7 customer support. Your hosting must support PHP 7.4+ and MySQL databases. Daily automatic backups protect your website.
Modern WordPress hosting providers offer automatic WordPress installation in just a few clicks. After purchasing your hosting plan, you will receive login credentials via email within minutes.
Log into your hosting control panel and find the WordPress installer tool. Bluehost calls it “WordPress,” Hostinger uses “Auto Installer,” and SiteGround has “WordPress Starter.”
Click the installer and enter your website name and tagline. Choose your domain from the dropdown. Leave the directory field blank unless you want WordPress in a subfolder.
Create a unique admin username and strong password. Never use “admin” as your username because hackers specifically target this default option in automated attacks.
Click install and wait 2 to 5 minutes. You will see a success message with your WordPress login URL, typically yourdomain.com/wp-admin. Bookmark this page since you will visit it frequently.
Understanding the WordPress Dashboard:
The WordPress dashboard is your website’s control center. Log in using your admin credentials. The left sidebar contains all WordPress features organized in a menu.
Key Dashboard Sections:
Posts and Pages are the two main content types. Posts are blog entries with dates displayed chronologically. Pages are static content like About and Contact.
Media Library stores all images, videos, and files you upload. WordPress automatically creates multiple image sizes optimized for different devices.
Appearance controls your website design. Customize your WordPress theme, create navigation menus, add widgets, and access the theme customizer.
Plugins extend WordPress functionality. Search, install, activate, and manage all plugins for WordPress from this section.
Settings contains configuration options. Control your site title, timezone, homepage layout, URL structure, and comment settings.
Users manages dashboard access and permission levels. Add team members as administrators, editors, or contributors with different capabilities.
Spend 10 to 15 minutes exploring each menu item. You cannot break anything by clicking around, and understanding the WordPress dashboard makes building your website much easier.
Your WordPress theme controls how your website looks and represents your brand. It determines layout, colors, typography, and overall design. WordPress offers thousands of free themes plus premium options with advanced features.
Modern WordPress themes are responsive, automatically adjusting to look great on desktops, tablets, and smartphones. With over 60% of website traffic from mobile devices, responsive design is essential.
Free themes work perfectly for beginners building a WordPress site. The WordPress theme directory contains over 9,000 free options reviewed for quality and security.
Best Free WordPress Themes:
Astra loads incredibly fast and works beautifully with page builders like Elementor. It offers dozens of free starter templates perfect for business websites, blogs, and online stores.
GeneratePress focuses on speed and accessibility. It passes all performance tests and provides excellent customization options without overwhelming beginners.
Kadence provides modern, professional designs with a comprehensive starter template library for different industries like restaurants, agencies, and portfolios.
OceanWP offers versatility with multiple demo sites you can import instantly. It includes built-in ecommerce features ideal for WooCommerce stores.
Premium WordPress themes cost $30 to $80 on average with additional features and professional support.
How to Install a WordPress Theme:
For premium themes: Appearance → Themes → Add New → Upload Theme, choose your ZIP file, install, and activate.
Page Builders for Easy Design:
Gutenberg is WordPress’s free built-in block editor. It lets you build pages using content blocks like text, images, buttons, and galleries. Drag blocks to change layouts visually.
Elementor is the most popular page builder with over 5 million installations. It provides drag-and-drop editing with live visual feedback. The free version includes 40+ widgets and hundreds of templates.
WPBakery is an older page builder bundled with many premium themes, offering both frontend and backend editing modes.
For beginners building a WordPress website, start with Gutenberg or Elementor’s free version for design without code.
WordPress plugins are like apps for your smartphone that add specific functionality. They add new features to your website without requiring code. The official WordPress plugin directory contains over 60,000 free plugins. The key is installing only the plugins you actually need. Too many plugins slow down your website and create security vulnerabilities.
Must-Have Plugins for Every WordPress Site:
SEO Plugins help search engines understand and rank your content. Yoast SEO is the most popular choice with over 5 million active installations. Rank Math offers similar features with additional functionality in the free version. Both provide everything beginners need for solid SEO foundations.
Security Plugins protect your WordPress website from hackers and malware. Wordfence includes firewall protection, malware scanning, and login security features. It blocks millions of attacks daily. Installing a security plugin is essential for every website.
Performance Plugins make your website load faster. WP Super Cache generates static HTML files, dramatically reducing server load and speeding up delivery. Fast websites keep visitors engaged and rank better in search results.
Backup Plugins save your entire website regularly. UpdraftPlus automatically backs up files and database to cloud services like Google Drive or Dropbox. Schedule automatic backups weekly minimum, or daily for active sites.
Contact Form Plugins let visitors message you without exposing your email. Contact Form 7 is simple and flexible. WPForms offers drag-and-drop building for beginners. Both integrate with spam protection services.
Spam Protection stops comment spam and bot submissions. Akismet Anti-Spam comes pre-installed with WordPress. Activate it using a free API key from WordPress.com.
For online stores, WooCommerce transforms WordPress into a complete ecommerce platform. Over 5 million ecommerce websites run on WooCommerce successfully.
How to Install WordPress Plugins:
For premium plugins, go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin, choose your ZIP file, install, and activate.
Your WordPress website needs several core pages before launching publicly. These essential pages tell visitors who you are, what you offer, and how to contact you for business or questions.
Pages Every Website Needs:
Click Pages, then Add New in your dashboard. Enter your page title at the top where it says “Add title.” The title becomes your page’s main headline and significantly affects SEO rankings. Make it clear, descriptive, and include relevant keywords naturally.
Click the plus icon anywhere in the content area to add various blocks. The most common block type is a paragraph block for regular text. Simply start typing to add paragraphs of text content. Press Enter to create new paragraphs automatically.
Adding Images enhances visual appeal and breaks up text walls. Click the plus icon and select Image block from the menu. Upload images from your computer or choose from your existing media library. WordPress automatically optimizes images for web display. Always add descriptive alt text for each image to improve accessibility and SEO.
Adding Videos keeps visitors engaged longer on your pages. You can upload videos directly to WordPress or embed from YouTube and Vimeo. Click the plus icon, select Video or Embed block, and paste your video URL.
Adding Buttons creates clear calls to action guiding visitors. Insert a Button block, type your button text like “Get Started” or “Contact Us,” and add the destination URL. Customize button colors and alignment to match your design.
Set a featured image in the right sidebar by clicking “Set featured image.” This image represents your page in listings and social shares. Write compelling meta descriptions using your SEO plugin for better search visibility.
Click Preview to check layout before publishing. When satisfied, click Publish to make your page live.
Creating Blog Posts:
Posts differ from pages because they show publication dates and use categories for organization. Navigate to Posts, then Add New to create blog content.
Categories group related posts thematically like “Tutorials,” “News,” or “Case Studies.” Assign posts to one or two relevant categories. Tags are specific keywords like “WordPress plugins” or “beginner tips.” Add 3 to 5 tags per post maximum.
Setting Up Navigation Menus:
Go to Appearance, then Menus. Create a new menu and add your important pages. Drag items to reorder or create dropdown sub-menus. Keep menus simple with 5 to 7 top-level items maximum. Choose your menu location and save.
The WordPress Customizer provides real-time visual editing. Click Appearance, then Customize.
Site Identity controls branding elements. Upload your logo and site icon (favicon). Write your tagline. Colors and Typography define your visual style. Choose colors matching your brand and fonts for headings and body text.
Header and Footer customization affects sections appearing on every page. Widget Areas add functionality like search boxes or recent posts to sidebars. Homepage Settings determine what visitors see first when landing on your site.
Click Publish to save all customizations.
Configure Important Settings:
Navigate to Settings in your dashboard. Under Permalinks, change to “Post name” structure for clean, SEO-friendly URLs immediately after installing WordPress.
Set your timezone under General Settings. Configure Reading Settings for posts per page display. Set up Discussion Settings to moderate comments before they appear publicly.
Before launching publicly, run through essential checks.
Pre-Launch Checklist:
Essential Security Measures:
Install an SSL certificate for HTTPS. Change the default “admin” username. Use 12+ character strong passwords mixing types. Enable two-factor authentication. Limit login attempts. Schedule automatic weekly backups to cloud storage.
Speed Optimization:
Compress images before uploading to under 200KB each using free tools like TinyPNG. Install and activate WP Super Cache immediately after launch. Choose quality WordPress hosting that delivers consistently fast speeds. Minimize active plugins to only essentials. Consider a CDN like Cloudflare for global audiences.
SEO Fundamentals:
Install Yoast SEO or Rank Math. Set focus keywords, and write concise meta titles (<60 chars) and descriptions (<155 chars). Submit the automatically generated XML sitemaps to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.
Launching is just the beginning of your journey. Successful WordPress websites require ongoing maintenance and fresh content creation.
Weekly tasks: Check broken links, moderate comments, monitor analytics, review form submissions.
Monthly tasks: Update WordPress core, themes, and plugins. Review site speed performance.
Quarterly tasks: Run security audits, remove unused plugins, verify backups work, analyze traffic patterns.
Publish consistent blog content starting with one quality post weekly. Create a content calendar for social media planning alongside blog posts. Build an email list using Mailchimp or ConvertKit with strategic signup forms offering valuable resources.
Monitor Google Analytics monthly to understand visitor behavior patterns. Improve SEO continuously by updating old content with fresh information. Engage with visitors by responding to comments and messages promptly.
If you are a small business owner looking to scale your online presence, working with a website design company for small business can provide professional guidance on growth strategies and advanced features.
White screen problems usually indicate plugin conflicts. Access via FTP and rename your plugins folder to deactivate all plugins simultaneously.
404 errors can be fixed by navigating to Settings, then Permalinks and clicking Save Changes to refresh URL structure.
Slow performance often results from too many plugins or uncompressed large images. Deactivate plugins to test and check image file sizes.
Login issues can be solved by clearing browser cookies, trying different browsers, or resetting passwords using the lost password link.
WPBeginner offers comprehensive free tutorials covering every WordPress topic imaginable. Their guides explain complex concepts in simple, accessible language perfect for beginners.
HubSpot Blog provides valuable marketing strategy alongside WordPress technical guidance. Learn how to grow website traffic organically and convert visitors into customers.
SCORE offers completely free mentoring for small business owners from experienced entrepreneurs. Get personalized guidance on using your website effectively for business growth.
YouTube channels publish thousands of helpful WordPress video tutorials. Popular channels include WPBeginner, WPCrafter, and Darrel Wilson with step-by-step visual instructions.
Reddit communities like r/WordPress connect you with other WordPress users worldwide for troubleshooting help, plugin recommendations, and general advice.
You now know exactly how to build a WordPress website from scratch using this complete guide. We covered every essential step from choosing your domain name through launching and maintaining your new website successfully.
WordPress powers 43% of all websites because it balances powerful functionality with user-friendly simplicity. You do not need coding skills to create a professional website using WordPress.
Start with solid WordPress hosting and a memorable domain name. Install WordPress using one-click installation. Choose a responsive WordPress theme. Add essential WordPress plugins for security and SEO. Create valuable content and test thoroughly before launching.
After launch, maintain your WordPress site through regular updates and fresh content. Monitor website traffic and continuously improve.
Building your first WordPress website from scratch might feel overwhelming initially. Take it one step at a time. You can build a basic WordPress site in a single focused day.
The best time to start was yesterday. The second best time is now. Choose your WordPress hosting provider today, register your domain name, and begin building your WordPress website immediately.
How long does it take to build a WordPress website?
A basic WordPress site takes 4-8 hours including hosting setup, installation, theme selection, and essential pages. Complex sites with advanced features, custom designs, and extensive content require 1-3 weeks. Work at your comfortable pace.
WordPress.org or WordPress.com – which is better?
WordPress.org provides complete control, unlimited themes and plugins, and full customization freedom. WordPress.com limits functionality severely on free plans and displays annoying ads. Choose WordPress.org for serious websites and businesses.
Can I build an ecommerce store with WordPress?
Yes absolutely. Install the free WooCommerce plugin to create powerful online stores. WooCommerce handles products, inventory, checkout, and payments seamlessly. Over 5 million ecommerce sites worldwide run on WooCommerce successfully with various payment processors.
What makes good WordPress hosting?
Quality WordPress hosting includes one-click installation, free SSL certificate, 99.9% uptime guarantee, fast loading speeds, and responsive 24/7 support. Must support PHP 7.4+ and MySQL databases. Daily automatic backups protect valuable data.
How do I keep my WordPress website secure?
Install security plugins like Wordfence, use strong unique passwords, enable two-factor authentication, keep WordPress core and plugins updated regularly, avoid “admin” username, install SSL certificates, and schedule automatic weekly backups to cloud storage.
Why is my WordPress website slow?
Common causes include large uncompressed images, too many active plugins, cheap overcrowded hosting, lack of caching, and poorly coded themes. Compress images before uploading, deactivate unnecessary plugins, enable WP Super Cache, and upgrade hosting.
Angela Schmidli is the Founder and CEO of Webwonder. She helps entrepreneurs and businesses build strong online identities through web design, branding, SEO, and strategic marketing.
