
WordPress is a powerful content management system that allows you to create and manage websites with ease. Whether you’re a beginner or have some experience with web development, this comprehensive guide will walk you through the essential steps to get started with WordPress. By the end of this guide, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to create your own website using WordPress.
Understanding WordPress
Begin by understanding what WordPress is and how it works. Explore its features, benefits, and the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org. Get familiar with the terminology and key concepts such as themes, plugins, and widgets.
WordPress is a popular and versatile content management system (CMS) that powers millions of websites around the world. It provides a user-friendly interface for creating, managing, and publishing digital content, making it an ideal choice for beginners and experienced users alike.
There are two versions of WordPress: WordPress.com (hosted) and WordPress.org (self-hosted)
- WordPress.com: This is a hosted platform where you can create a website without worrying about managing the technical aspects. It offers free and paid plans with varying levels of customization and features. However, the flexibility and control over your website are somewhat limited compared to WordPress.org.
- WordPress.org: This version allows you to download the WordPress software and install it on your own hosting server. It provides complete control and flexibility over your website, allowing you to customize it to your specific needs. With WordPress.org, you have access to a vast array of themes, plugins, and customization options.

Key Terminology
To better understand WordPress, it’s essential to familiarize yourself with some key terms:
- Themes: Themes control the visual appearance of your WordPress website. They include predefined layouts, styles, and design elements that determine how your site looks and feels. WordPress offers a wide range of free and premium themes to choose from.
- Plugins: Plugins are add-ons that enhance the functionality of your WordPress website. They allow you to add features such as contact forms, SEO optimization, social media integration, and much more. The WordPress plugin directory offers thousands of free plugins, and there are also premium options available.
- Widgets: Widgets are small modules that can be added to various sections of your website, such as sidebars, footers, or specific widget-ready areas of your theme. Widgets provide additional functionality and content, such as recent posts, search bars, calendars, and social media feeds.
WordPress Dashboard
Once you’ve installed WordPress, you’ll gain access to the WordPress dashboard. The dashboard serves as the control center for your website, allowing you to manage all aspects of its content, design, and functionality.

The dashboard provides several sections and menus:
- Dashboard Home: This is the first screen you see upon logging in. It provides an overview of your site’s activity, including recent posts, comments, and basic site statistics.
- Posts: This section allows you to create, edit, and manage your blog posts. You can categorize posts, add tags, schedule publication, and control comments.
- Pages: Pages are used for creating static content on your site, such as an About Us or Contact page. Unlike posts, pages are not organized in a chronological order.
- Media: The media library stores all the images, videos, and other files you upload to your site. You can manage, edit, and insert media files into your posts and pages.
- Appearance: This section is where you can customize the visual appearance of your site. You can choose and customize themes, create menus, add widgets, and edit the site’s header and footer.
- Plugins: The plugins section allows you to manage and install plugins to extend your site’s functionality. You can activate, deactivate, and configure plugins from here.
- Users: If you have multiple users contributing to your site, you can manage their roles and permissions in the users section. You can add new users, assign roles, and control their access to specific areas of your site.
- Settings: This section allows you to configure various settings for your site, including general settings, writing and reading settings, permalink structure, and more.
Understanding these key aspects of WordPress and navigating the dashboard will provide a solid foundation for managing and customizing your website.
Setting Up WordPress
Setting up WordPress involves a few key steps, including domain registration, choosing a hosting provider, and installing WordPress. Let’s explore each step in detail:
Domain Registration
The first step is to choose and register a domain name for your website. A domain name is the address that people will use to access your site (e.g., www.yourwebsite.com). Consider the following tips when registering a domain:
- Choose a domain name that is easy to remember, relevant to your website’s content, and reflects your brand or purpose.
- Use a reputable domain registrar to register your domain. Popular domain registrars include GoDaddy, Namecheap, and Google Domains. Your hosting provider may include a free domain name, make sure to check that before purchasing one.
- Check the availability of your desired domain name and consider alternative options if it’s already taken.
Choosing a Hosting Provider
After registering your domain, you’ll need to choose a hosting provider. Web hosting is a service that stores your website’s files and makes it accessible on the internet. Consider the following factors when selecting a hosting provider:
- Reliability and uptime: Look for a hosting provider with a strong track record of uptime (the percentage of time your site will be accessible to visitors).
- Speed and performance: Choose a hosting provider that offers fast server response times to ensure your website loads quickly.
- Support: Ensure that the hosting provider offers reliable customer support to assist you with any technical issues or questions.
- Scalability: If you anticipate your website’s traffic and content growing over time, consider a hosting provider that offers scalable hosting plans.
If you are just starting out, you may want to choose a provider located in the same country as you and your visitors to ensure low latency. In France, we would recommend O2Switch for example. If you’re starting to grow, you might also consider using a CDN such as Cloudflare, which makes a copy of your website available quickly anywhere in the world.
Installing WordPress
Once you have a domain name and a hosting provider, you can proceed with installing WordPress. Most hosting providers offer a simple one-click installation process through their control panel or dashboard. Follow these steps to install WordPress:
- Log in to your hosting account and access the control panel or dashboard.
- Look for an option like “Install WordPress” or “WordPress Installer” and click on it.
- Follow the prompts and provide the necessary information, such as your domain name, site title, and admin credentials.
- Choose a directory where you want to install WordPress. If you want your site to be accessible directly from your domain (e.g., www.yourwebsite.com), leave this field blank.
- Click on the “Install” button, and the installation process will begin. Once it’s completed, you’ll receive a confirmation message.
- Access your WordPress dashboard by visiting www.yourwebsite.com/wp-admin and logging in with the admin credentials you set during the installation.

Congratulations! You have successfully set up WordPress on your domain and hosting. Now, you can start customizing your site’s appearance, adding content, and exploring the various features and functionalities that WordPress offers.
Note: Some hosting providers may have slightly different installation processes or provide alternative methods, such as manual installation. Refer to their documentation or support resources for specific instructions.
Navigating the WordPress Dashboard
Once WordPress is set up, you’ll be introduced to the WordPress dashboard. Understand the various sections and menus, and learn how to navigate through the backend of your site. Familiarize yourself with the key features and settings available to you.
Choosing a Theme
Choosing the right theme for your WordPress website is crucial as it determines its visual appearance, layout, and overall user experience. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you choose the perfect theme:
- Identify Your Website’s Purpose and Goals: Consider the purpose and goals of your website. Are you creating a blog, an online store, a portfolio, or a corporate site? Understanding your website’s objectives will help you narrow down the theme options.
- Consider Design and Layout Preferences: Think about the design elements and layout that align with your brand or website concept. Determine if you prefer a minimalistic design, bold and vibrant colors, retro, or a more traditional style. Look for themes that match your aesthetic preferences.
- Responsive and Mobile-Friendly: Ensure that the theme you choose is responsive and mobile-friendly. A responsive theme adapts and adjusts to different screen sizes, ensuring your website looks great on desktops, tablets, and mobile devices. Mobile-friendliness is essential for providing a seamless user experience.
- Read User Reviews and Ratings: Check user reviews and ratings for the themes you’re considering. These insights can provide valuable information about the theme’s quality, performance, and support from the theme developer. Look for themes with positive reviews and high ratings.
- Theme Customization Options: Evaluate the theme’s customization options. A good theme should offer flexibility and allow you to modify colors, fonts, layouts, and other visual elements easily. Look for themes that provide a user-friendly customization interface or integrate with the WordPress Customizer.
- Supported Plugins and Integrations: Consider the plugins and integrations you may need for your website. Ensure that the theme is compatible with popular plugins you plan to use, such as WooCommerce for e-commerce functionality or Yoast SEO for search engine optimization. Compatibility ensures seamless integration of these features.
- Check for Regular Updates and Support: Look for themes that are regularly updated and supported by the theme developer. Regular updates ensure compatibility with the latest version of WordPress and security patches. A responsive support system is crucial if you encounter any issues or need assistance.
- Preview and Demo the Theme: Before finalizing a theme, take advantage of the preview or demo feature. Most theme marketplaces allow you to view a live demo or preview the theme on your own site. This helps you assess how the theme looks and functions, giving you a better idea of its suitability.
- Consider Premium Themes: While there are many free themes available, premium themes often offer additional features, customization options, and dedicated support. If your budget allows, consider investing in a premium theme to benefit from its advanced features and ongoing updates.
On BrutalistThemes, we have several premium retro WordPress themes that you might like for your website. Our most famous is W95 Theme which give your website a real look of an old computer. Have a look at our theme directory to find the theme that suits you the most! - Trustworthy Theme Sources: Choose themes from trustworthy and reputable sources such as the official WordPress theme directory, reputable theme marketplaces like ThemeForest, or reputable theme developers. This reduces the risk of using poorly coded or insecure themes.
Remember, choosing a theme is an important decision, but it’s not set in stone. You can always change your theme later if needed. However, it’s best to spend some time upfront to select a theme that aligns with your website’s goals and provides an excellent user experience.
Customizing Your Website
Take control of your website’s appearance by customizing the theme. Dive into the WordPress Customizer and explore options for changing colors, fonts, layouts, and more. Understand how to add a logo, customize headers and footers, and make your site visually appealing.
All of the themes you’ll find on our website has different options to help you customize your website appearance. Feel free to contact us if you need any more customization!

Extending Functionality with Plugins
Plugins are a key component of WordPress that allow you to add additional functionality to your website without having to write code from scratch. Here’s a detailed guide on how to extend your website’s functionality using plugins:
- Identify Your Needs: Start by identifying the specific functionality you want to add to your website. Do you need a contact form, social media integration, search engine optimization, performance optimization, or e-commerce capabilities? Make a list of the features you require.
- Explore the WordPress Plugin Directory: The WordPress Plugin Directory is the official repository of free plugins. It offers thousands of plugins across various categories. Use the search functionality to find plugins that match your needs. Read the plugin descriptions, user reviews, ratings, and check if they are compatible with the latest version of WordPress.
- Install and Activate Plugins: Once you’ve found a plugin you want to use, follow these steps to install and activate it:
- From your WordPress dashboard, navigate to “Plugins” and click on “Add New.”
- Use the search bar to find the desired plugin.
- Click on the “Install Now” button next to the plugin you want to install.
- After installation, click on the “Activate” button to activate the plugin.
- Configure Plugin Settings: Many plugins have settings that you can customize according to your requirements. Access the plugin settings either through a dedicated menu item in the WordPress dashboard or under the “Settings” or “Tools” section. Configure the settings based on your preferences and website needs.
- Recommended Essential Plugins: While the plugin selection will depend on your website’s specific needs, here are some essential plugins that many WordPress websites find useful:
- Yoast SEO or RankMath: Helps optimize your website for search engines.
- Contact Form 7 or WPForms: Enables you to create and manage contact forms.
- Jetpack: Offers a suite of features including security, performance optimization, and site statistics.
- WooCommerce: Transforms your website into a fully functional e-commerce store.
- Akismet: Protects your site from comment and form spam.
- W3 Total Cache or WP Super Cache: Improves website performance by caching pages.
- Premium Plugins: In addition to free plugins, there is a wide range of premium (paid) plugins available. Premium plugins often offer advanced features, dedicated support, and regular updates. Before purchasing a premium plugin, read reviews, check the developer’s reputation, and ensure the plugin aligns with your needs.
- Regularly Update Plugins: Keeping your plugins up to date is crucial for security, performance, and compatibility. Regularly check for plugin updates in the WordPress dashboard and update them as soon as new versions become available. Outdated plugins can pose security risks and may not work correctly with the latest version of WordPress.
- Plugin Compatibility and Performance: While plugins can enhance your website’s functionality, it’s important to exercise caution. Too many plugins can slow down your site’s performance. Regularly review your installed plugins and deactivate or uninstall any that are no longer necessary. Additionally, ensure that your plugins are compatible with each other to avoid conflicts.
- Stay Informed and Explore New Plugins: WordPress plugins are continually being developed and updated. Stay informed about new plugins, updates, and trends by reading blogs, participating in forums, and attending WordPress events. Be open to exploring new plugins that can enhance your website’s functionality and improve the user experience.
By leveraging the power of plugins, you can extend your website’s functionality without extensive coding or development work. Choose plugins that meet your specific needs, keep them updated, and monitor their performance to ensure a smooth and secure website experience.
Creating and Managing Content
Master the art of creating and managing content in WordPress. Learn how to write and publish blog posts and pages, add images and media, and organize your content effectively. Understand the concept of categories and tags, and create a solid content strategy.
WordPress provides a powerful and user-friendly interface for creating and managing your website’s content. Whether you’re writing blog posts, creating pages, or adding media, here’s a detailed guide on how to effectively create and manage content in WordPress:
Creating Posts
To create a blog post in WordPress, follow these steps:
- From your WordPress dashboard, navigate to “Posts” and click on “Add New.”
- Enter a title for your post in the designated field.
- Use the editor to write your post content. The editor provides a toolbar with various formatting options for text, including headings, bold, italics, bullet points, and more.
- You can also add media, such as images or videos, to your post by clicking on the “Add Media” button. Upload media files from your computer or select files from the media library.
- Configure additional settings such as categories, tags, and featured images for your post on the right-hand side of the editor.
- Preview your post before publishing by clicking on the “Preview” button.
- Once you’re satisfied with your post, click on the “Publish” button to make it live on your website.

Creating Pages
WordPress allows you to create static pages for content such as an About Us page, Contact page, or Services page. Here’s how to create pages:
- From your WordPress dashboard, navigate to “Pages” and click on “Add New.”
- Enter a title for your page in the designated field.
- Use the editor to add content to your page, similar to creating a post.
- Configure additional settings such as page attributes (template selection) and featured images on the right-hand side of the editor.
- Preview your page before publishing by clicking on the “Preview” button.
- Once you’re ready, click on the “Publish” button to make the page live on your website.
Managing Media
WordPress provides a media library where you can upload and manage images, videos, audio files, and other media. Here’s how to manage media:
- From your WordPress dashboard, navigate to “Media” and click on “Library.”
- Click on the “Add New” button to upload new media files from your computer. You can also drag and drop files directly into the library.
- Once uploaded, you can edit media details, such as title, alt text, captions, and descriptions.
- To insert media into your posts or pages, go to the respective editor, place your cursor where you want to add the media, and click on the “Add Media” button. Select the desired media file from the library and insert it into your content.
Organizing Content with Categories and Tags
Categories and tags help organize and classify your content, making it easier for visitors to navigate and find relevant information on your website. Here’s how to use categories and tags effectively:
- Categories: Create broad categories that represent the main topics or sections of your website. For example, if you have a food blog, your categories might include “Recipes,” “Tips & Tricks,” and “Restaurant Reviews.” Assign relevant categories to your posts to classify them accordingly.
- Tags: Tags are more specific keywords or phrases that describe the content of your posts in more detail. They can be used to highlight specific topics, keywords, or themes within your posts. Add relevant tags to your posts to make them more discoverable.
Using the Gutenberg Block Editor
WordPress introduced the Gutenberg block editor, which provides a more intuitive and flexible way to create content. With blocks, you can easily add and arrange different elements, such as text, images, galleries, buttons, and more. Explore the various block options and experiment with different layouts to create visually appealing and engaging content.
Managing Comments
WordPress allows visitors to leave comments on your posts, enabling interaction and engagement. Here’s how to manage comments effectively:
- From your WordPress dashboard, navigate to “Comments.”
- Review and moderate comments by approving, deleting, or marking them as spam.
- Configure comment settings by going to “Settings” > “Discussion.” You can choose whether comments require manual approval, enable comment moderation, and set up spam filters.
Creating and managing content in WordPress is straightforward and flexible, allowing you to publish blog posts, create static pages, organize media, use categories and tags, leverage the Gutenberg block editor, and manage comments. With these tools, you can create engaging and dynamic content for your website.
Optimizing Your Site for SEO
Gain insights into optimizing your WordPress site for search engines. Learn about keyword research, on-page optimization techniques, and SEO-friendly plugins. Understand how to create SEO-friendly URLs, write meta descriptions, and improve your site’s visibility in search results.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) plays a crucial role in driving organic traffic to your WordPress website. By optimizing your site for search engines, you can improve its visibility and rankings in search results. Here’s a detailed guide on how to optimize your WordPress site for SEO:
- Install an SEO Plugin: Start by installing an SEO plugin like RankMath, Yoast SEO or All in One SEO Pack. These plugins provide a comprehensive set of tools and features to optimize your website for search engines. They offer functionality such as meta tags, XML sitemaps, keyword optimization, and more.
- Optimize Page Titles and Meta Descriptions: Page titles and meta descriptions are essential elements for SEO. They appear in search engine results and influence click-through rates. Ensure that your page titles are concise, descriptive, and include relevant keywords. Meta descriptions should accurately summarize the page content and entice users to click.
- Create SEO-Friendly URLs: Craft SEO-friendly URLs (permalinks) that are descriptive, readable, and include relevant keywords. Avoid using generic or auto-generated URLs that don’t provide any meaningful information. Modify the permalink structure in WordPress settings to reflect your desired URL format.
- Conduct Keyword Research: Keyword research is vital for understanding the search terms your target audience uses to find content related to your website. Use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to identify relevant keywords with high search volumes and moderate competition. Incorporate these keywords naturally into your content.
- Optimize Content: Optimize your content to make it more search engine friendly:
- Use headings (H1, H2, H3) to structure your content and include relevant keywords.
- Write high-quality, engaging, and unique content that provides value to your audience.
- Include relevant keywords in your content, but avoid keyword stuffing. Aim for a natural and organic use of keywords.
- Add internal and external links within your content to provide additional context and enhance SEO.
- Enable XML Sitemaps: XML sitemaps help search engines discover and index your website’s pages. Install an SEO plugin that generates XML sitemaps automatically. Submit the sitemap to search engines like Google and Bing through their respective webmaster tools or settings.
- Optimize Website Speed: Website speed is a crucial factor for SEO. A slow-loading website can negatively impact user experience and search engine rankings. Optimize your website’s speed by:
- Using a reliable and fast web hosting provider.
- Caching your website to reduce server load and improve page loading times.
- Compressing images without compromising quality.
- Minifying CSS and JavaScript files to reduce file size.
- Optimize Images: Images are an integral part of a website, but they can impact page load times. Optimize images for SEO by:
- Compressing images without sacrificing quality. Use image optimization plugins or online tools for this purpose.
- Adding descriptive alt tags to images. Alt tags provide text descriptions for visually impaired users and improve SEO.
- Build High-Quality Backlinks: Backlinks are links from other websites to yours and are an important ranking factor for search engines. Focus on building high-quality backlinks from reputable websites within your industry. Some strategies for acquiring backlinks include guest blogging, creating valuable content that others want to link to, and reaching out to influencers or website owners for collaboration opportunities.
- Monitor and Analyze SEO Performance: Regularly monitor and analyze your website’s SEO performance to identify areas for improvement. Use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track important metrics such as organic traffic, keyword rankings, click-through rates, and more. Adjust your SEO strategy based on the insights gathered.
By implementing these SEO optimization techniques, you can improve your website’s visibility, increase organic traffic, and enhance its overall search engine rankings.
Ensuring Site Security
WordPress security is crucial to protect your website from threats. Discover best practices for securing your site, including updating WordPress and plugins regularly, using strong passwords, and implementing security plugins. Learn how to perform regular backups to safeguard your data.
Website security is of paramount importance to protect your WordPress site from potential threats, hacking attempts, and data breaches. Here are a few things to ensure the security of your WordPress website:
- Keep WordPress Updated: Always keep your WordPress core, themes, and plugins up to date. Developers release updates to address security vulnerabilities and improve overall performance. Enable automatic updates for WordPress core, and regularly check for updates in the WordPress dashboard for themes and plugins.
- Use Secure Usernames and Strong Passwords: Choose a strong username and password combination for your WordPress admin account. Avoid using default usernames like “admin” or common usernames that are easy to guess. Create strong passwords that include a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Consider using a password manager to securely store your login credentials.
- Limit Login Attempts: Brute force attacks, where hackers attempt to gain unauthorized access by trying multiple username and password combinations, are common. Install a plugin that limits login attempts and temporarily blocks IP addresses after a certain number of failed login attempts. This adds an extra layer of security to your site.
- Implement Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Two-Factor Authentication adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to provide an additional piece of information, typically a temporary code generated on a mobile device, in addition to their username and password. Enable 2FA for your WordPress admin account using a plugin like Google Authenticator or Authy.
- Use a Secure Hosting Provider: Choose a reputable and secure hosting provider for your WordPress site. Look for providers that offer robust security measures, such as regular backups, firewalls, malware scanning, and SSL certificates. Consider managed WordPress hosting services that handle security updates and monitoring on your behalf.
- Install a WordPress Security Plugin: Install a security plugin like Sucuri, Wordfence, or iThemes Security to add an extra layer of protection to your website. These plugins offer features such as malware scanning, firewall protection, login security, and monitoring for suspicious activities. Configure the plugin settings according to your security needs.
- Regularly Back up Your Website: Perform regular backups of your WordPress site to ensure that you can restore it in case of any security incidents or data loss. Use a backup plugin or your hosting provider’s backup solution to schedule automatic backups of your website’s files and database. Store backups in a secure location, either on a different server or a cloud storage service.
- Secure Your WordPress File Permissions: Set appropriate file permissions for your WordPress files and directories. Restrict write access to critical files and directories, as excessive permissions can allow unauthorized modifications. Set permissions to 644 for files and 755 for directories, and avoid using 777 permissions, which are highly permissive.
- Use SSL Encryption: Implement SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption on your website to establish a secure connection between your server and users’ browsers. SSL encrypts data transmitted between the user and the server, ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive information, such as login credentials or payment details. Obtain an SSL certificate from a trusted certificate authority and configure your website to use HTTPS.
- Regularly Monitor and Scan for Malware: Periodically scan your WordPress site for malware and security vulnerabilities. Use security plugins or online tools to scan your site’s files and database for malicious code or suspicious activity. If any malware or vulnerabilities are detected, take immediate action to remove or patch them.
- Educate Yourself and Your Users: Stay informed about the latest security practices and threats in the WordPress community. Educate yourself and your users on best security practices, such as avoiding suspicious links, practicing good password hygiene, and being cautious while installing themes and plugins from untrusted sources.
By implementing these security measures, you can significantly enhance the security of your WordPress website and protect it from potential threats and attacks.
Troubleshooting and Getting Help
Every WordPress user encounters challenges at some point. Learn how to troubleshoot common issues such as plugin conflicts, theme problems, and error messages. Discover resources for getting help, including the WordPress support forums, documentation, and community.

Congratulations! You’ve completed this comprehensive guide to getting started with WordPress. You now have a solid understanding of WordPress’s core features, how to set up a website, customize its appearance, and manage content effectively. With this knowledge, you’re well-equipped to embark on your WordPress journey and create a successful website. Remember to keep exploring and learning as WordPress continues to evolve and offer new possibilities. Happy WordPressing!