Creating a website may seem confusing at first, regardless of whether you use a free or paid platform. Among many platforms, WordPress is the best, making the process easier and more accessible, even for beginners. Whether you start a blog, launch a business website, or create an e-commerce store, this guide will help you move through every step required in installing WordPress and set up your website personally without hiring a professional developer.
In this article, we will go through the process of Installing WordPress and Setting Up Your Website and things to consider when installing WordPress for your website.
WordPress is the most popular Content Management System (CMS), powering over 43% of websites online. It is open-source, highly customizable, and user-friendly, making it the most preferred choice among beginners and professionals. The platform helps users create and manage various websites for free without technical knowledge or programming language, just requiring basic knowledge, saving your time and money. For more details about WordPress and its features visit our previous article.
Requirements Before Installing WordPress and Setting Up Your Website
Before diving into installation, here are a few essential elements required and set up your website.
Domain Name
A Domain name is a website’s address that makes users easy to remember when accessing their website instead of remembering a complex numeric IP address.
Read more- What is a Domain Name? Types of Domain Names.
Web Hosting
Web Hosting is a service that enables individuals, businesses, and organizations to create a website by renting storage on a server consists of a powerful computer to store a website’s data, files, information, and other elements. Read more- What is Web Hosting? Types of Web Hosting.
Database (DB)
WordPress uses a database to store all your content and settings. The platform uses a database to store, retrieve, and display all the content that you create on your website. A WordPress database stores all your website data and content using MySQL Open open-source system.
FTP Client
FTP is an optional network protocol tool that stands for File Transfer Protocol used to transfer files between clients and a server on a computer network.
It is important to decide whether you want to use WordPress.com or WordPress.org based on control, custom plugins, and monetization. To learn more about their difference, read the article- WordPress.com vs WordPress.org.
Automatic Method for Installing WordPress
This is the easiest method for installing WordPress offered by most web hosting service providers with a one-click installation option. The automatic method is the most convenient and widely recommended way for beginners and install WordPress. The entire installation process just takes a few minutes without touching a single code or configuration file.
Benefits of the Automatic Method
- You do not require manual database setup.
- No requirement to upload any file for installation.
- quick and user-friendly installation
- Best options for beginners and non-technical users.
Most web hosting company provides a one-click WordPress installation option where you can just click on the domain name and get an option to one-click WordPress installation.
Installing WordPress from cPanel
cPanel is a control panel used by different web hosting service providers, providing you access to essential tools for managing your website.
Step-by-Step Guide on Installing WordPress from cPanel
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Automatic Method for Installing WordPress
In the automatic installation method, you can easily set up WordPress without manually downloading WordPress software, and upload it to your hosting account, creating a database and configuring wp-config.php. The web hosting provides a 1-click installation tool that easily handles all the steps in the background. Among different automatic methods, the most popular method is Softaculous, and other steps include QuickInstall, Mojo Marketplace, and Fantastico. These tools make the installation process quick, beginner-friendly, and error-free.
Installing WordPress using FTP
FTP is another widely used process mainly preferred for complete control or having a custom hosting environment, This process is also known as the manual installation process of the WordPress CMS platform. To install WordPress using FTP, there are different requirements including-
- FTP Clients (FileZilla)
- MySQL Database and User
- WordPress ZIP file from wordpress.org
Steps to Follow to install WordPress using FTP
Step:1 Download WordPress software from their official website. To download the latest version of WordPress software, Click Here.
Step: 2 Unzip the Folder on your Computer.
Step 3: Connect to your Hosting with FTP using a client as FileZilla or other alternative clients.
Step 4: Upload WordPress files into the root directory (public_html) or a subfolder.
Step 5: Create a Database in cPanel. To create a Database, go to MySQL Database and create a new database and user, and assign the database all privileges.
Step 6: Visit your domain in a browser and follow the on-screen instructions and enter the database info in the configuration wizard.
Step 7: Complete the Installation and log in to the dashboard.
This is the best option for advanced users and gives better insight into your website’s structure.
Configuring Basic WordPress Settings
After installing WordPress, the first thing you should do is configure the basic settings that specify how your website needs to perform. The WordPress settings may seem simple, but they are important for search engine optimization, site performance, and user experience. For basic configuration, you need to start with General Setting, where you set the Title and Tagline of your website to describe what your website is all about. This is important as it not only appears in search engines but also in your browser tab. Other settings under general settings include Admin Email Address so you don’t miss important notifications, and other includes Timezon adjustment, Date and Time format so your post and scheduled updates reflect your local time.
The permalink structure is another important step you need to consider. By default, WordPress uses long and unfriendly URLs, which should be changed to “Post Name,” which makes your URLs cleaner and SEO friendly.
🚀 Change Permalink Structure For Clean and SEO Friendly
Transform your website links from long and unfriendly to clean and SEO Optimized that are loved by users and search engines.
The "Ugly" URL
Such URLs are difficult to read or understand and do not convey content meaning, and often contain query parameters or arbitrary IDs.
The "Friendly" URL
Such URLs are known as Clean, descriptive, and keyword-rich URLs that clearly indicate the page’s content and boost both user experience and search engine rankings.
Why User or SEO Friendly URLs Matter?
- Improved SEO: Keywords with such descriptive URL helps your website rank better on Search Engines.
- Enhanced User Experience: Easy-to-read URLs are easier to remember and share.
- Better Shareability: Clean URLs look professional on social media or email.
- Clear Site Structure: Supports a logical hierarchy for users and crawlers.
See It In Action: Slug Generator
Type a hypothetical post title below and see how it would be transformed into an SEO-friendly URL slug.
In addition, review your Discussion Settings to manage how comments are handled and set up media preferences to control the size of the image.
Considering all the above settings helps your WordPress site be optimized from the start, which gives a professional look when you add content.
Things to Consider after Installing WordPress
After successfully installing the WordPress software and performing the basic configuration, you need to identify the following items for a better user experience. As a beginner, launching a WordPress website can lead to some basic errors without setting up the essential features, which can create issues related to performance, security, and user experience. Here are some key points to consider after installing WordPress.
Update Site Title, Tagline, and Timezone
Your site title and tagline represent your brand identity and help in search results. All you need to do is go to Settings- and then General to update your site as a blog, business, or organization. Also, set the correct timezone to ensure your posts are published at the right time.
Enable SSL Certificate (HTTPS)
Securing your website is important for the beginning of your site. Many well-renowned web hosting companies offer free SSL certificates through Let’s Encrypt. This enables HTTPS, which not only secures the website but also boosts SEO rankings as Google prioritizes secure sites.
Delete Default Content
WordPress comes with a sample post (“Hello World”), a sample page with a default comment. You need to delete these sample posts to maintain professionalism and avoid duplicate content.
Choose an SEO-Friendly Permalink Structure
To configure the permalink structure, you need to go to Settings and Permalink. Here, you select “post name” so that the URL created looks clean, user-friendly, and SEO-optimized instead of long, confusing links with numbers.
Install a Preferred Theme
The default WordPress theme design is functional but with basic customization options. So, choose a lightweight, SEO-friendly, and responsive theme that matches your website niche. And delete other unwanted pre-installed WordPress themes from your site through the dashboard> themes.
Install Essential Plugins
Plugins are pieces of software that we use on our website to extend WordPress functionality. Some important plugins you need to install are-
- Contact 7 or WPForms – For creating a Form
- Yoast or RankMath -For SEO Optimization
- UpdraftPlus- For Backups
- Wordfence- For Website Security
- Elementor or Divi – Website builder
However, you need to avoid installing too many plugins, which can slow down your website. To Learn more about some of the essential plugins for your WordPress Site. Also, explore different types of plugins you may require for your blog and website.
Set Up Backup System
Backup software is another safety measure you need to consider in case of hacks, errors, or crashes. For that, you can use plugins like UpdraftPlus or the hosting’s built-in backup option to schedule automatic backups.
Configure Discussion Setting
Go to Settings> Discussion and decide how you want to handle your comments. This setting helps your website prevent spam, or consider using Akismet Anti-Spam for better control over spam comments
Optimize For Search Engines
For advanced optimization for a search engine, you can install an SEO plugin, connect to Google Search Console, and generate an XML sitemap. This helps search engines crawl your website and rank your content faster.
Set Up Google Analytics
To understand the users’ behavior, you can use Google Analytics or plugins like MonsterInsights to track traffic, user engagement, and conversions.
Set Up Essential Pages
WordPress pages are static type content that builds trust and offers essential information about your website, business, and business’s goals. Some known essential pages are-
- Home – Your Website main Page
- About Us – Information about your mission, background, or business
- Contact Us – The form includes a contact form, contact details, and a map
- Blog- A place where you can display your articles and updates
- Privacy Policy and Terms – An important page for legal compliance
To create a new Page > go to Dashboard> hover over Page > and click on Add new Page.
Setting Up Your Blog
If your blogging is a part of your strategy, you need to set up your website as a blog, following these steps.
Go to Settings> Reading
Choose a static homepage
Assign a blog page under “Post Page”
Securing Your WordPress Site
WordPress is a common target for hackers. To secure your website, implement these following steps for securing your site.
- Use Strong Admin Passwords.
- Change the default admin username if possible.
- Install a security plugin (like Wordfence or Sucuri)
- Use SSL/HTTPS to encrypt data
- Keep WordPress, Themes, and Plugins updated
- Limit login attempts and use two-factor authentication
A secure site protects your data and builds trust with visitors.
Mobile Optimization and Speed
Do you know that more than half of website traffic actually generates from mobile devices? Therefore, for any website or blog you create, you need to consider a full responsive design and also ensure your site loads faster. This also benefits your website rank on different search engine optimization
For mobile-responsive
- Choose the fast-loading website with a responsive design
- Use the Google Mobile-friendly test to check your site
- Optimize images with plugins like Shortpixel or Smush
- Enable lazy loading to defer loading of off-screen images.
For Speed Optimization
- Use caching plugins
- Minify HTML/CSS/JS files
- Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) like Cloudflare
- Regularly test the speed of your website using GTmetrix or Pagespeed Insights.
Launch and Promote Your Website
Before Going Public
- Test everything: Test Links, forms, mobile views, and so on.
- SEO basics:Add meta titles, descriptions, and image alt texts.
- Tracking setup:Use Site Kit or manual code
- Google Search Console: Submit your site for indexing and performance tracking.
- Branding: Submit your site to Google Console Install a favicon and logo
Promotion Tips
- Social media: Share your website on Social media. Decide which social media gives you are result.
- Communities: Join online communities and forums to reach the right audience. Some important communities are Quora and Reddit
- Email marketing: Use email marketing to notify subscribers.
- Guest posting: Consider guest posting and link building.
Conclusion
Installing and setting up WordPress is just the beginning of your website journey. This is the right foundation to manage and grow a website with a powerful platform to reflect your brand, share your voice, and serve your audience. This helps you to stay learning, experimenting, and optimizing – making you a WordPress pro.
