WordPress Installation and Customization Guide

Wordpress currently powers more than half of the websites on the Internet. For those new to front-end development, it can be difficult to grasp the idea of creating your own website from scratch. Using Wordpress is one of the easiest ways to build your own website and it is actually not as complicated as you might expect.

We have prepared an extensive list of resources to help you learn the art of building your own website with Wordpress, right from the moment when you need to install WordPress to the point when you are publishing your WordPress website.

1. How do I Install wordpress?

Most WordPress web hosting companies support WordPress and the process of installing it takes less than 5 minutes. Domain hosting companies use different WordPress Installer tool such as QuickInstall, MOKO Marketplace etc. This method allows you to install WordPress within 1-click, and removes the need to create a database manually or upload any files, as the procedure is automated.

Installing WordPress with 1 click method

WPBeginner: How to install WordPress

However, many WordPress experts express that installing WordPress manually is a more secure alternative to 1-click installation. It may sound intimidating, but it is still a 5 minutes process that simply requires a few additional steps. ​

Installing WordPress manually

WP101: How to install WordPress

Long-form Guide to installing WordPress

Codex: Installing WordPress

2. How do i replace the default theme in wordpress?

Apart from the default theme included in your WordPress installation, you can also customize your own WordPress theme according to the look and feel of your website.

Installing a new Theme on WordPress

IThemes: How to install a WordPress Theme

WP Beginner: Beginners Guide - How to install a WordPress Theme

Long-form Guide to installing a WordPress Theme

Codex: Using Themes

Online Library of WordPress Themes

Themify

Theme Forest

Template Monster

A few of the Most Popular WordPress Themes in 2017

Sydney

Shapely

Hestia

3. How do i create pages in wordpress?

If you think of your WordPress website as a book, then the pages form the chapters of your book. Find out how to create new pages and maintain them on the following websites.

Creating Pages in WordPress

Tutsplus: How to create Content in WordPress with Posts and Pages

Tips and Tricks HQ: How to create a Blog Page in WordPress

Long-form Guide to creating Pages in WordPress

Codex: Pages

4. How do i customize wordpress with plugins?

Even though WordPress offers a wide range of features and flexibility, its capabilities out of the box are limited. The solution to this is to install plugins for further customization, giving you a head-start without having to build a feature from scratch.

However, with almost 40,000 plugins to choose from, it can be difficult to select options that are most beneficial for your WordPress website. Following is a list of websites that have curated the top WordPress plugins.

Installing Plugins in WordPress

WP Beginner: 24 must have WordPress Plugins for Business Websites

WPMU Dev: 37 Essential WordPress Plugins

AThemes: The Best WordPress Plugins for 2017

A few of the Most Popular Plugins of All Time

Yoast SEO: For managing your website's Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Contact Form 7: For adding and managing contact forms on your WordPress website

Jetpack: For website analytics, engagements and social sharing

5. Where can i learn more about wordpress?

​Being one of the most popular and powerful content management systems (CMS) out there, working with WordPress is not as complicated as you might expect. The great thing is that there is an abundance of resources for you to learn and master WordPress. We have collated our favorite resources to help you discover the extensive features available on WordPress.

Resources to Master WordPress

Make A Website Hub: 18+ Great Resources to Learn How to Use WordPress Like A Pro

Udemy: How to Make a Website Without Coding - WordPress & Web Skills

Code Conquest: The 50 Best Websites to Learn WordPress

6. Any other interesting resources for wordpress?

​Now that you have picked up the necessary skills to install, create, build and customize your WordPress website, you may have a specific feature you are looking to build with your website. Or perhaps you are looking for interesting WordPress related resources that do not fall in the categories mentioned earlier.

To find out what WordPress Theme a particular Website is using

What WP Theme Is That

To convert an HTML website to a WordPress Theme

HTML to WordPress

To build your WordPress website with a Point-and-Click site builder​

Layers

To generate Codes to make basic Front-end Edits to your WordPress website

Webcode

To build an Ecommerce website

ShivarWeb: How to set up a WordPress Ecommerce Website

To start your own Podcast​

WP Beginner: How to start your own Podcast?

To build a Coupons website

Themeisle: How to build a Coupon site on WordPress

To build a Web Directory

Tutsplus: How to create a Business Directory website with WordPress

To build a Multilingual WordPress website

WPLang: How to make a Multilingual WordPress site

To build a Non-Profit website

WPExplorer: How to build a website for your Non-Profit Charity with WordPress

To build a Community-based website

Elegant Themes: How to build a Community website with WordPress

To see a list of the Most Popular websites running on WordPress

Awwwards: Some of the best WordPress websites around the World

We hope that this article has provided you with the resources you need to kickstart your journey in building your own website with WordPress. Let us know if you have any other useful resources to recommend!