10 Steps to Plan a Perfect WordPress Website Project

Though started as a blogging tool, WordPress has undergone significant evolution and grown into a powerful website builder and the most popular CMS in the world.

As of the time of writing, WordPress already powers 43.4% of all websites as their CMS. Facebook, Microsoft, NASA, Sony, CNN, and Samsung are just few among the notable big-name brands that are using WordPress.

If you want to master the art of creating a WordPress website, you are in the right place!

This article will guide you through the ins and outs of creating a WordPress website from the stretch while answering all the questions you may have along the way.

One common question that often pops into the mind of users who might be considering setting up a website or planning to switch from another platform is: Why should we use WordPress?

Let’s clear that out first.

5 reasons professionals prefer websites on WordPress?

1. It is easy to use

WordPress, by default, is easy to install. No matter if you are 100% new to website development, web hosting or blogging, with this CMS, you can publish a website within minutes. The process is straightforward and usually requires just a few clicks.

The admin dashboard is also clean and well-organised. And this allow users to manage content, settings and features without any technical knowledge.

2. Cost-effective

As WordPress is an open-source platform, it allows users to download, install and modify without any cost. This eventually ends up reducing the initial investment that is required for website creation.

Also, WordPress offers a bunch of free themes and plugins alongside the premium themes and plugins. So, this allows users to add functionalities with no additional cost.

3. Intuitive user interface

Simply put, WordPress simplifies the process of adding, editing and managing content. Also, with WordPress, customising the appearance and functionality of a website turns straightforward. And the customiser tool allow users to make real-time changes to menus, themes and widgets.

4. You get endless theme and plugin options

WordPress comes with a vast library of free and paid themes to choose from. These allow users to select a design according to the brand and objectives. Also, it offers around 60,000 plugins, both free and paid.

Whatever feature you need to bring more functionality to your site, there will be a plugin for it. No matter whether you need SEO tools, contact forms, ecommerce capabilities, social media integration, or security enhancements, there is likely a plugin available to meet your needs.

5. Secure and safe

WordPress regularly releases updates to address security vulnerabilities and improve functionality. The security plugins that are available for WordPress provides features like malware scanning, login security or firewall protection to safeguard websites from threats and attacks.

Steps to plan your WordPress website

1. First, buy a domain name

A domain name is the unique address where users can access your website. Hence, it is important to find a good one. Professionals advise you to go for short, snappy, and easy-to-remember names that are relevant to your site’s purpose.

Preferably try to choose the .com extension instead of other ones like .net, .org, or, .co as it is the most recognised and trusted. Always do a quick check to find out whether any other businesses exist for any of the names you have shortlisted.

2. Get an SSL certificate

An SSL certificate is a digital certificate that keeps user data secure while verifying ownership of the website and conveying trust to users. This ensures that any information exchanged, be it personal data, login credentials or payment information, is secure and protected.

When your websites have an SSL certificate, the URL will start with https:// instead of http://. The padlock icon conveys the message that the user’s computer is encrypted and cannot be read by others.

3. Determine your hosting environment

The hosting environment is the server infrastructure that will impact your site’s performance, security and reliability. When choosing a hosting provider, look for the one who ensures fast server response times and CDN services to improve loading times. And opt for providers that have robust security measures and excellent customer support.

Decide on the type of hosting as well. Suppose you are looking for an affordable, easy-to-set-up and suitable one for your small website; go for shared hosting. But if you want more resources and control than shared hosting, choose VPS hosting.

4. Map out your site’s structure

First, plan out the key pages your site needs. For example, your home page should highlight the most important aspects of your business, while the About page should include your mission, history, team members and all other relevant details.

You must create a sitemap for the visual representation of your website’s structure that will show the hierarchy of your site pages. Go for a user-friendly menu and internal linking structure. Also, ensure the use of consistent design elements, including colours, fonts and styles.

5. Install WordPress and select a theme

WordPress themes allow you to customise the look and feel of your site. Also, themes that include built-in features and functionalities can boost your site’s capabilities. That is why selecting the right theme is important. Once you log into your hosting account, locate the WordPress installer to complete the installation.

Then, you can access the WordPress dashboard and log into your admin panel. Navigate through the themes and add a new one, be it by browsing through the free themes or uploading a theme you have purchased.

6. Install the essential plugins

Plugins are tools that boost the functionality of your WordPress site by allowing you to add specific features beyond what comes with the default WordPress installation. From SEO plugins to performance plugins to security plugins to backup plugins, you can add various functional plugins.

Once you install the needed plugins, you can configure it as per your needs and make sure to keep them updated to their latest versions for better performance and security. also deactivate or delete the ones that are of no use.

7. Plan for security and backup

In order to protect your WordPress website from threats, you need to plan for security and backup so that you can recover quickly in case of data loss. For security measures, encourage users, including yourself, to use complex passwords, including a mix of uppercase and lowercase numbers and special characters.

Ensure regular updates of WordPress core, themes and plugins to protect against vulnerabilities. Have an emergency plan for how you can quickly restore your site from backups if there is any security breach or catastrophic failure. You must choose a reliable storage location for backup, including cloud storage services while verifying that your backups are complete and functional.

8. Develop a maintenance plan

From regularly checking the speed and responsiveness of your website to periodically adding and updating content, a maintenance plan involves ongoing tasks and routines to keep a website running smoothly. In terms of setting a schedule to check for updates to installing themes and plugins, try to automate where possible by using tools and plugins.

Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to regularly test and analyse your site’s speed and performance. You can also maintain a calendar to plan and schedule content updates and new posts to engage your audience. Always have a plan for accessing support quickly, be it through your hosting provider or a professional WordPress support service.

9. Start creating content

You need to understand your target audiences first to understand what type of content they find valuable. Then, research relevant topics that align with your site’s goals and audience needs. Write clear, engaging, and well-researched articles or posts.

Add high-quality images, infographics, and videos to make your content more engaging, and use headings, subheadings, bullet points, and short paragraphs to make your content easy to read and scan.

Finally, publish!

Once you are ready, launch your website officially. Ensure all pages and content are set to public visibility. Test all links in order to ensure that they work correctly. After announcing your site’s launch, promote it through marketing channels, be it via social media, search engine optimisation, email marketing or paid advertising.

FAQs:

Is it easy to build a WordPress website?

If you are a beginner, no worry. WordPress comes with an intuitive interface and a large community with extensive resources. Key points that make it easy include one click installation, user friendly interface and thousands of themes and plugins.

Is it necessary to know coding to build a WordPress website?

No, it is not necessary to know coding when it comes to building a basic WordPress website. But yes, knowing some basic HTML, CSS, or PHP can be beneficial. However, you can always hire professional WordPress developers if you are uncomfortable.

Is a premium WordPress theme worth it?

Premium WordPress themes are definitely worth the investment for multiple reasons. They come with better designs, advanced features and greater flexibility. They also include customer support and regular updates with more customisation options and pre-built layout. Overall, using the premium themes help your site to stand out with a unique look.

What are the best practices for WordPress website maintenance?

In order to ensure your WordPress website remains secure, performs well and offers a great user experience,

• Keep WordPress core, themes, and plugins updated
• Regularly back up your website
• Implement security measures
• Do performance optimisation
• Ensure content management
• Clean up your database
• Monitor site health