Jumping into WordPress for the first time was exciting and a little overwhelming. When my professor announced that my class and I would be making our very own professional portfolio, I was eager to begin and test out all of its features and tools. Fortunately, I began my WordPress journey through a hosting package that simplified much of the setup process. I approached WordPress not knowing what to expect—there were many moments of confusion, frustration, trial, and eventually, success. Along the way, I learned a lot, and I want to share five key takeaways from my experience to help beginners get started.
Top 5 Key Game-Changing Tips
- Start with an easy theme: My hosting package was defaulted to Astra. I recommend sticking with this theme as it is beginner-friendly and is a perfect starting point. You can always switch themes later on, however, if you want to explore other themes, do research beforehand!
- Focus on one page at a time: Building a website can be overwhelming, but putting your attention towards one page at a time helps keep it manageable.
- Don’t be afraid to explore: Trying out new things and making mistakes is a part of the process. The only way to learn is to test out the different tools and layouts. The more I explored the more I learned.
- Have your content prepared beforehand: Having your text and images ready makes the building process much smoother and less overwhelming.
- Take your time customizing: Prioritize adding essential features first, such as menus and backlinks.
As my professor often reminded my peers and me, ‘Your website is never complete.’ I never fully understood what he meant until I started building my own site and realized that creating a website is an ongoing process of improving, updating, and learning.