Creating a homepage with Wordpress - a quick guide

Wordpress is an open source software that allows you to create a homepage in just a few steps. In this guide, we show you how to use Wordpress to design your own homepage. Beginners are advised to get started with the CMS at wordpress.com. Experienced users can start the installation directly on their own web space.

Create homepage on wordpress.com

To quickly and easily get your first experience with Wordpress, you can save yourself the installation and get started on wordpress.com. All you have to do is log in to Wordpress:

1. Register with Wordpress. To do this, you must enter your email address, user name, password and your preferred domain. Please note that a free domain with the ending ".wordpress.com" cannot contain special characters such as hyphens.
2. Please log in. You land directly in the dashboard - the area through which you can access all the functions of Wordpress.
3. In the menu on the left you will find the most important buttons "Posts" and "Pages". With "Pages" you create static content - for example the imprint or a homepage. Posts end up on your blog and are intended for news or current articles.

Preparation for WordPress installation

If you want to design your page more freely, you should install the blog software on your web space or server. Wordpress requires MySQL 5.0 or higher and PHP 5.2.4 or higher.

1. Obtain suitable web space. Providers such as United-Domains or Strato offer affordable webspace packages that also enable a simplified 1-click installation.
2. First, inquire whether your hosting provider offers a 1-click installation for WordPress. If so, all you have to do is start the installation package and WordPress will be installed automatically.
3. To install Wordpress yourself, first download the current version.
4. Unzip the package and open the file "wp-config-sample.php". Enter the values ​​of your web space and your database in the list with the server data. At United-Domains you will find all values ​​in your user profile under "Webspace".
5. Save the file under the name "wp-config.php" and load the entire folder to your web space using an FTP program such as FileZilla.

Install Wordpress on the web space

Once you have created the installation directory, you can install Wordpress on your web space.

• Start the WordPress installation by opening the "install.php" file in the previously uploaded directory. If the installation files are in the "Wordpress" folder, start the installation at "www.musterdomain.de/wordpress/install.php".
• During the installation you set a user name and password. Your username will appear below your posts later. Alternatively, you can create new users at any time, for example to write with several authors on one page.
• If you have difficulty installing WordPress, this detailed guide could help you. The helpful WordPress community is also always at your side.

Install themes in Wordpress

After you have successfully installed Wordpress, either with a 1-click installation on your web space or after registration via Wordpress.com, your website will be in a default design.

The next step is to install a WordPress theme.

1. Log in to your WordPress
2. Navigate to 'Design' in the Wordpress Dashboard and select the 'Themes' tab.
3. In the 'Themes' tab click on 'Add'
4. There you have the option to choose between popular themes under 'Add' or to upload an externally acquired theme with 'Upload Them' (above).

Free vs. Premium theme - what are the differences?

There are basically two types of themes - free and paid premium themes. Both types can be found directly in the WordPress admin area under "Themes", or acquired for example on Themeforest.

While the first variant is often a slimmed-down version of paid themes and only has limited functionality and performance, premium themes offer a wide range of options.

The following aspects should be considered when deciding between free and premium themes.

Free theme - pros and cons

+ No mandatory costs

+ Themes that are listed in the WordPress directory go through an official quality control

+ High usability

- Limited functionality and flexibility

- No guaranteed regular theme updates

- Limited or no customer service

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Premium theme - pros and cons

+ High flexibility, functionality and compatibility

+ Excellent support

+ Guaranteed regular updates

+ Responsive web design (mobile, tablet, desktop)

- Often overloaded multifunction themes (can slow down your website significantly)

Pagebuilder - Personalize your website

If you want to design your website according to your own requirements and preferences, sooner or later you will reach your limits with the standard editor. It is almost impossible, especially without advanced coding knowledge.

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This is where page builders come into play. These are visual front-end editors, which mostly work according to the drag and drop principle in a kind of modular system.

This gives the user full control over the design of both pages and posts.

Overall, this saves a lot of time for experienced developers and a lot of money for newbies, who usually give this work to experts.

So that you know what to look for when choosing a page builder, here is a small checklist:

• Responsive web design (mobile, tablet, desktop)
• Speed, fast loading times are essential for a good online presence
• Compatibility with your WordPress theme
• Avoid ' lock-in ' pagebuilders by using shortcodes
• Recommended Pagebuilder on the current market: - Elementor-Beaverbuilder Pagebuilder are either integrated directly into a theme or can be installed in the Wordpress Dashboard just like plugins (see steps in chapter 'Useful plugins')

Useful plugins in Wordpress

By choosing a suitable theme, you have laid a solid foundation. Through the targeted use of plugins, you can optimize and expand your WordPress website. However, the principle applies here - each additional plugin uses storage space and slows down your website - so think carefully about what is necessary and what can be dispensed with.

Here is a list of useful plugins:

• Yoast SEO helps you improve visibility and rankings by adding XML sitemaps, meta descriptions (and much more)
• WP Rocket is arguably the best caching plugin on the market that can dramatically improve the loading time of your website
• WordFence is a comprehensive security plugin that secures your website and protects it from external attacks
• UpdraftPlus backs up your website with regular backups to ensure that it can still be reached in the event of technical problems or hacker attacks

How to install plug-ins in WordPress

• Navigate to 'Plugins' in the WordPress Dashboard
• There you can upload a plugin under 'Install' or search for a specific plugin in the search bar
• If you do not yet have your own website, here you will find extensive instructions for creating a Wordpress website.

In our next practical tip, we will show you how you can easily integrate a cookie notice into your website.