WordPress is basically a factory that makes webpages. It is a free content management system used to build and maintain websites.

There are many other platforms that can be used to create a website, however, the stats show that WordPress is the most popular by far. In fact, the top 10,000 sites in the world use it more than any other option.

Here is a detailed beginner’s tutorial to the advantages and disadvantages of WordPress.

What is WordPress?

WordPress is a web-based user interface for designing, publishing, and updating websites that Matt Mullenweg created on May 27th, 2003. Matt created WordPress to democratize publishing on the open web, so the platform is open-source.

The technology behind WordPress allows any person off the street with no technical experience to design and build a website. Its open-source environment allows talented web developers from all over the world to continuously add contributions to its technology.

These contributions are what makes WordPress such an amazing CMS (Content Management Software). A CMS helps you create, edit, organize and publish content. You need to have CMS in order to create and edit websites.

What is WordPress used for?

Unlike other website building platforms, WordPress is a CMS known as Content Management Software. People use it to create websites and publish them online. To make a website you need a platform and software to develop your website.

WordPress acts as a custom website creator that allows you to publish blogs or publish posts on your website. You can also manage all of your content which means you can make edits to the layout of your website using WordPress.

It is the most popular Content Management Software in the world and more than 27 million websites use it to publish content and sell products.

What types of websites can WordPress make?

Many people believe that WordPress is for bloggers, but the truth is that people are using the platform for a variety of website types. Yes, WordPress does provide the internet with some of its best blogs, however, all of those open-source contributors are also making websites for every type of business imaginable.

So if you’re someone who’s running an e-commerce store or you are a website that is providing people with services, WordPress can be used to make your website.

The simplest way for beginners to make a WordPress website is through the use of its themes or templates. But before we dive deeper into what’s a theme, here is a list of the types of websites made with WordPress:

• Business Websites
• Podcasting Websites
• Photographers
• Portfolios
• Influencers
• Authors
• Coupon Websites
• News Websites
• Lawyer Websites
• Fitness Websites
• Schools
• Architechs
• And much much more…

Before you think about hiring a Web Designer to build a site for you, read this: Custom Websites are Outdated. Build a WordPress Website.

WordPress themes and how they work

Themes are what allow WordPress users to change the look and functionality of a website without changing the core code or content. Sometimes called templates, themes take the content and data stored by WordPress and display it in your browser. They decide how your content looks and is displayed.

WordPress themes are made-up of template files. They are most commonly PHP files that contain a mixture of HTML. The theme provides a better layout for your website, and you can customize the theme based on your liking.

Think of all the hard parts of making a website, then imagine someone else doing all that work, and giving you an easy way to make edits. That is what a theme does. However, not all themes are created equally.

There are plenty of free themes to choose from, however, if you want to avoid a lot of heartaches and wasted time fixing problems, you can buy a premium WordPress theme for less than $100.

Click here to read about some of the advantages of buying a premium theme.

What language does WordPress use?

In order to create a website, developers need to understand specific languages. Different software uses different languages to develop websites. WordPress is known to use the language PHP, but it also uses a considerable amount of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for different aspects.

Unless you are studying to become a web designer or developer, you do not have to worry about this. Good WordPress theme providers hire talented people to do the complex parts for you.

All you need to do is select a good theme provider, choose a design you like, and begin making small changes to fit your brand or personal style.

What’s the difference between WordPress.org vs. WordPress.com?

The main difference between WordPress.org vs. WordPress.com is who’s hosting your website. When you are using WordPress.org, you are hosting your own blog or website. WordPress.org will provide you with free WordPress software, which you can download and install onto your own web server.

WordPress.com is a paid service. The hosting is included, but it comes at a cost. It is recommended that you host your own blog or website, as it will give you the ability to monetize your site and have your own custom domain name.

This website is designed using WordPress.org. We did not want www.dilemmas.wordpress.com as the domain name, nor the rules that come along with it. The ability to buy your own custom themes and use the best plugins available is part of what makes WordPress so special. We will show you how to use this option to avoid any mistakes.

Do I need to hire a web designer?

You don’t need to hire a web designer when using WordPress, as the themes are very easy to use and edit. Some people get intimidated when they begin to look at the WordPress customization section, but that is the old way of using the platform.

You can upload a top-notch template and demo data with just one-click if you purchase a quality theme. Once you start using WordPress, you will see how simple it is to use. Building a WordPress website has never been easier. You can find high-quality themes here.

Does WordPress require coding?

You don’t necessarily need to know how to code since many themes and plugins will help you to achieve the same goal you might be looking to meet. Many people use WordPress without any coding knowledge or skills. It will help if you know some coding languages which are used by the platform, but a 1-hour WordPress tutorial on how to build your website will do just fine.

But to answer the question simply, you don’t need to know how to code when building your website and making it look better. It is as simple as changing your theme and adding more plug-ins. The newest features, plugins, and themes make WordPress very easy to use, similar to the Website Builders.

WordPress vs Website Builder

Earlier we defined “What is WordPress” and explained how it is used. During that section of this tutorial, we informed you that WordPress is a CMS instead of a website builder, but let’s discuss the differences between each:

If you want more freedom with your website in terms of creating and customizing it to your liking, then we would highly recommend you go with WordPress instead of a website builder. A CMS might be intimidating at first, but once you start using it, you will see how easy it is to use.

Just watch the Dilemmas tutorial videos on the related topics and you should not have any problems editing your website, and using it on a daily basis even if you are a beginner who has no idea about coding.

Why every Web Developer needs to learn WordPress

Aspiring web developers have many options when choosing which skills they should develop to be a successful developer. As a freelancer or employee, learning WordPress provides the options that beginners need to start their careers off right.

As a beginner, you want to remove as many obstacles to growing your business as you can. Learning the most successful and desired platform will assist in that goal. Most of the websites on the first page in the search engines use WordPress. It is the most popular platform to use when it comes to building and customizing a site, regardless of the type of business or service offered.

So if you learn WordPress, you will have more opportunities to create your own themes and plugins that help others grow their businesses. And as you develop your skillset you will be a part of the open-source community of web developers that create themes and websites with clean code, are easy to use, and rank high in search engines. This will increase your value as a developer which will lead to better jobs and more clients.

Advantages and disadvantages of WordPress?

There are many advantages and disadvantages when it comes to WordPress as with any platform. Below are some of the benefits you will notice once you start working with WordPress, as well as some of the difficulties using the platform.

Who uses WordPress?

Many people believe that WordPress is for bloggers. But the truth is many people and companies use WordPress for a variety of applications. Yes, WordPress provides you with some of the best blogs and gives you the SEO boost for well-written posts. However, if you’re running an e-commerce store or a website that is providing people with services, WordPress can also meet those needs.

Getting the “what is WordPress” is helpful, but understanding the types of businesses and organizations that use the platform is where the magic happens. Reinventing the wheel is a waste of time and there is no better pathway to success than having a model to follow.

Below is a list of organizations that not only get a lot of traffic to their websites but also make a lot of money. Each one made the decision to use the WordPress platform over any other option.

Here are some well-known WordPress users:

• Microsoft – is one of the biggest companies in the world and uses WordPress for its official blog to provide its customers with valuable information and stories.

• Booking.com– gets more visits to its website than any other travel platform in the world. They receive over 500 million visits per month to their WordPress powered website.

• Business Insider– is the largest business news site on the web with over 200 million visits per month. WordPress is the platform used to power its growth.

• State of California– even governments like the State of California use WordPress to power the 50 million monthly visitors to its website.

How to start a WordPress website? (WordPress Tutorial)

We’ve covered all the information on what is WordPress, why you should use it, its advantages over other platforms, and even examples of the very large and successful organizations that use it. Now you need to know how to start a website of your own with the platform.

Starting a WordPress website is very easy, even for a beginner. We always recommend that you start by purchasing a premium theme by a quality theme provider. This will make it easier to get started but you can also use a free theme. Below is a tutorial on how you can create your WordPress website step by step:

1. Pick a name: There are billions of websites online, so you must find a name that helps your blog or website stand out. Spend some time thinking about a name that will be catchy and relatable to your niche. But don’t get paralyzed spending too much time thinking about the name. Check here to see if the name is available or not before you proceed.
2. Buy a domain name and hosting: Once you figure out the name of your website, its time to buy the domain and choose hosting. The hosting company you choose should be based on your business size or revenue. As a beginner, you just need a low-cost option to get started. Click Option A to keep costs down as a beginner. Click Option B for a slightly higher cost but better support and options you grow. And Option C is the high-end option for larger organizations or those with real income. Each works well with WordPress and their starting prices range from $2.95 a month to $25 a month.
3. Install WordPress – You can install WordPress from the cPanel of your hosting company.  It is very easy, just click WordPress. Support at the hosting company can help you if needed, but the video tutorials should do just fine, even for a beginner.
4. Upload WordPress Theme – When you get to this step hover over “Appearance”, and click “Themes”, then at the top of the page press “Upload Theme”, then press “Upload Theme” again. Scroll down and you will see the option to “choose file” and then upload the zip file of the theme you purchased. Once installed make sure to “Activate” your premium theme.
5. Customize Your Website – You can now easily change colors, add images, and create content for your website. If you purchased a quality premium theme, you can download the theme options and demo content with only one click. Don’t spend too much time over customizing your site. Focus on getting it up and going with color changes that match your brand.

What’s the difference between Posts and Pages?

Once you start adding content to your WordPress website you will need to know the difference between posts and pages. Posts are usually content. They are the news or information about a topic that has tags, categories, and/or something you will need to organize and upload often. You are currently reading a post. Pages are generally the “about us” page or “contact us” page, which is typically stagnant and present on your website.

What is Gutenberg?

Gutenberg is an editor that allows you to create new page layouts, it is a new page builder. It is now integrated with WordPress core. The Gutenberg WordPress editor will enable you to build and design posts just the way you want to. With Gutenberg, you can add new blocks of various WordPress backend. It takes the benefits of website builders and adds it to WordPress. In fact, this post is an example of Gutenberg in use.

Conclusion

You should have a clear idea of what WordPress has to offer you, and what you can expect once you get started. This easy WordPress tutorial can be used as a reference as you start building your new website.

If you want a website that performs and gives you the right tools to grow as a store, news site, service provider, or a blog, then there’s no better option than WordPress.

Many beginners are lured by the pretty designs and try using different website builders or platforms, but end up coming back to WordPress because it has the options and functionality needed to actually grow your website. When you look at the sites at the top of the search results, most of them use WordPress.

If you want to join the club of websites that get traffic, make sure to start with WordPress and get the results you need.

You can find a step-by-step video on how to build your WordPress website here.

More WordPress tips

• How to Start a Blog?

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Blogging is one of the best ways to express your thoughts and knowledge out to the world. Ever thought about sharing your life’s story? What about teaching people how to communicate better? Does your business have a product that you would like to teach consumers about? If you answered yes to any of these, starting a blog is the answer for you.

This step by step guide will teach you how to start a blog without making typical beginner mistakes. Save time, money, and energy with these tips from a professional blogger. You will learn from someone else’s mistakes so that you don’t have to make so many of your own. By the end of this guide, you will have all the knowledge you need to create a successful WordPress blog today.

Mistakes to avoid when starting a Blog

1. Where to get ideas to start a blog

Starting a blog can be very exciting. With that excitement comes many rookie mistakes. Many professional bloggers would love to go back in time and avoid some of their setbacks. One such blogger is Cathrin Manning of TheContentBug. She realizes that she had to make her mistakes to get to where she is today. Cathrin learned quite a bit from her mistakes and would do things very differently in 2021. Here is your opportunity to start a blog with successful tips from a professional who already did it.

One of the first mistakes many bloggers make is trying to get their “where to start” ideas from Pinterest. Even though they have some good tips, it is hard to decipher which posts have useful information. Most of the posts have catchy titles like “How to Start a Blog in 15 Minutes” or “How to Make Money Blogging in a Month”.

From a marketing standpoint that is great, but it is not what you need as a beginner. You need a complete process from a successful blogger’s point of view, not generic tips. Here at Dilemmas, we are all about providing a better way to find what you need. We will go through a step by step process, allowing you to start a blog the right way from the start.

2. Procrastination

The biggest hurdle most people face when starting a blog or any other business is their own procrastination. Don’t fall victim to this disease. The best way to avoid procrastination is to start right now. Take an action toward your blog that is outside of your mind. If you want to be successful, you need to create a habit of keeping promises to yourself. You can do this by actually choosing a blogging site today.

3. Don’t start with a free blog

There are many blogs that recommend you get started with a free or low-cost website such as Wix. We will be the first one to tell you that it isn’t a good idea. Sure, you might get a website up fast and very cheap, but that is only good in the short term. Once you start getting more visitors and avid readers to your blog, you will need to switch to a better platform.

Switching platforms can be a big headache. It could cause you to lose your traffic at a time you should be focusing on growth. It is much better to spend some money upfront and get started with a better platform. Pro bloggers like Cathrin recommend that you do NOT start with a free plan or low-cost plan.

The better platforms are not expensive, so you might as well start on the right foot. Besides all the time you will save not transferring your content to another platform later, you will get many SEO benefits as well. This will allow you to rank your blog higher and to get traffic a lot faster. You don’t want your backlinks and other SEO tactics going to waste, so do NOT start with a free platform.

4. Start with the best blogging platform

Choosing which blogging platform to start with can be quite confusing for a beginner. There are tons to choose from, but Cathrin and other pro bloggers recommend WordPress. WordPress provides bloggers with the customization options and flexibility needed to scale. Other platforms seem easy at first, but later you learn of their limitations.

With WordPress, you have the freedom to do whatever you want with your blog. And when you combine the power of WordPress with a good theme, the SEO benefits are unrivaled. For this reason, the most visited websites in the world use it as their platform of choice.

SEO stands for search engine optimization. It allows you to rank higher on search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. If you can make your website rank high on any of these platforms, then you will get more traffic for free. The best way to rank high on SEO is to avoid using blogging platforms that are hard for the web crawlers to read.

Many people try to start their blogs off on the cheap but usually end up coming to WordPress. You can avoid this mistake and save time by choosing the best blogging platform from the start. Read What is WordPress to learn more about WordPress and its benefits.

Now that you know the mistakes to avoid, let’s go over the 7 steps of how to start a blog.

How to start a blog in 8 steps

Step 1: Choose a domain name for your blog

When picking a domain name for your blog, it is better to select a name with intent. Think about the type and the quality of information you’re going to provide to readers. Imagine you are looking to make an authoritative site about the best blogging tips. You look up the domain options with the term “best tips” and see it’s available so you buy it. You will likely regret that decision.

If you enter “best tips” on Google, you will find that most of the results are about sports betting. This will not serve the intent of your blog. A better option is to choose a name that includes a niche term like “blogging expert”. You could also choose a more general term such as “expert tips” since its searches cover many topics.

Make sure your name matches the content you are blogging about. So if you are providing your audience with factual knowledge, pick a name that is professional and exudes confidence. One way to find a name is to use a name generator. Write down 10 to 20 possibilities.

Just remember the name is the identity of your blog and it tells readers how to interact with your site. There is no right or wrong way of choosing a domain name, but you must select a name that resonates with your blog. Don’t overthink this process. Think about a name that you will feel great about in the future and will match your blogging tone.

Step 2: Select the Best Web Hosting Service

To make your website accessible to everyone on the Internet, you need a web hosting service. There are several hosting companies out there, but our job is to help you choose the best ones to start your blog.

The best web hosting services are Hostgator, WP Engine, Bluehost, GoDaddy, and SiteGround. Any of these can do the job of storing your website files on servers that connect your blog to the internet. However, they all have unique features that may be a better fit based on the size and needs of your blog. To make things simple, we will compare the pricing and features of each of these web hosting services.

We always recommend choosing a plan that includes “unlimited websites”. It gives you the flexibility you need to add and change websites without starting all over.

• Hostgator: One of the cheaper shared hosting options and comes with many options. This company was founded back in 2002 and has upwards of 1,000 employees. The most affordable plan starts at $2.75 a month and goes all the way up to $5.95 a month. You can go with the Baby plan to get started, as it comes with a one-click WordPress install, and it also provides you with a free domain.
  • The downside is their customer service. Very long wait times. Also, some limitations if you have a bigger website with lots of files.
• Wp Engine: A newer company that was started in 2013, but it’s proliferating. It already has more than 700 employees and does over $100M a year in revenue, which means many people trust this hosting company. The hosting is more expensive than the other options, starting at $25 a month, going all the way up to $241 a month. This is because it is a WordPress Managed hosting solution. This means you don’t have to worry about any of the technical headaches that come with managing everything yourself.
  • The $25 a month will allow you to have 25,000 visitors a month, whereas the $241 a month option will allow you to have 400,000 visitors a month. Most hosting platforms allow for unlimited visitors. So if you are just getting started, we recommend you pick a different hosting. This option is really for established businesses that are ready to scale with a team of WordPress experts on their side.
• Bluehost: Started in 2003, this hosting company has around 750 employees. There is a high chance that you have heard of Bluehost since many people promote this platform. Bluehost used to be one of the best web hosting services around. You can start with the basic plan, which is $2.95 a month or get the most expensive plan, which is $13.75 a month. With the basic plan, you get a free domain, and with the expensive plan, you get unlimited domains. Installing WordPress on Bluehost is very easy, as it will guide you through the process. We recommend the basic plan, as it provides you with many features.
  • The company was hacked in 2018 and it impacted many people’s websites. Since the hack, some bloggers have moved to other web hosting services.
• GoDaddy: This hosting service is another good and affordable option. GoDaddy was founded in 1997 and has around 5,990 employees. Many bloggers that have used other hosting platforms say GoDaddy has some of the best customer services around. This makes sense since they are doing over 2 billion dollars in yearly revenue. The pricing starts at $4.99 a month for the basic plan, and it goes all the up to $12.99 a month. With both plans, you get a free domain.
  • Professional blogger Cathrin started with Bluehost but has changed her blog to GoDaddy. She now recommends them.
• SiteGround: Founded in 2004, it is considered to be a small company with only 500 employees but it is our favorite! The plans for SiteGround start at $3.95 a month and go up to $11.95 a month. Similar to WP Engine, you have a limit to the visitors your website can take. With the basic plan, you can host about 10,000 monthly visitors, and with the most advanced plan, you can host 100,000 monthly visitors. But the good news is, you get free WordPress updates.
  • We recommend their Grow Big plan. Their customer service is outstanding and it comes with features like staging and on-demand backups. These features are not available on most of the other web hosting services. Many pro bloggers have moved their sites to SiteGround after starting with other companies. You can start a blog just like the pros with SiteGround.

Step 3: Buy a Domain Name for your Blog

Depending on the web hosting service you choose, there is an option to buy a domain name. If not, I recommend buying your domain name from GoDaddy. In fact, we buy all our domains there because of the extra privacy and security features offered. Having a good domain name is very important, as it helps readers find your blog easier.

This site’s domain name is www.dilemmas.co. Other examples of domain names are www.microsoft.com and www.wordpress.org. So if you followed the first step, you should already have a list of 10-20 possible names for your blog. Enter these into the domain search and see if your favorite is available.

Try for a “.com” first, if it is not available try a “.co” or another option. Just know that the other options are a lot more expensive after the 1st year and not as easy to remember as a “.com” domain name.

Step 4: Install WordPress (Content Management System)

Earlier we explained that WordPress is the best blogging platform. For this reason, your content management system (CMS) should be wordpress.org. Read “What is WordPress” for a deeper dive into everything WordPress. Just know that WordPress is the best option for blogging if you want traffic from search engines.

Now that you have web hosting, you need to connect WordPress. Connecting them is very easy and doesn’t require a lot of effort from your end. In most cases, the hosting platform will guide you through the process step by step.

WordPress will be in the CMS & Site builder section of your hosting provider’s website. Most of the providers we recommended have a one-click install option for WordPress. You can view step-by-step video instructions on how to install WordPress by skipping to the 10:34 mark.

Step 5: Choose a Blog Design

Having an excellent design for your blog is crucial to the success of a blog. In the video, one of Cathrin’s pro blogging tips is to hire a website designer. The main reason is that she made so many mistakes and wasted so much time trying to figure out how to design her blog. But you do not have to make those mistakes, nor do you need to hire a professional web designer.

You can build a functional blog that stands out from your competitors by purchasing a theme. We wrote an entire article about how web design is outdated and using a WordPress theme instead.

A high-quality theme is professionally designed to not only look great but also for SEO. Their designs offer great performance, speed, and functionality to increase your blog’s traffic. Many beginners design blogs based on an idea in their heads. But these designs will hinder your goals because you are a blogger, not a web designer. Let the professionals focus on the designing and you focus on the content.

You can do this by getting a WordPress theme that matches your blog’s niche. There are many themes you can pick from, you can start with a paid theme, or you can use free themes. We recommend paid themes since you can get one for less than $100. Here is an example of a premium theme from a quality company. It will provide your blog with a professional look and blazing fast loading speeds for SEO.

Step 6: Find your Why

If you really want to know how to start a blog, you better find your “WHY”. In fact, the author Simon Sinek wrote a great book entitled “Start with Why” for leaders, it is a must-read. It is your reason for deciding to start a blog in the first place and it will be the driving force behind your success. Maybe you think you know what type of content you want to make for your readers, but do you know why?

For instance, let’s assume you are looking to start a blog that is going to be the go-to blog for fitness enthusiasts. You will need to figure out why you are making a blog about fitness. Is it to help people lose weight? Is it to gain notoriety as a thought leader in the fitness world?

Or is it because you have helped a few friends become healthier, it felt good, and now want to do the same for blog readers? You must understand your mission and why you are blogging, only then will you be able to add value to your readers.

Step 7: Choose a Blogging Content Strategy

You can’t add value to your readers if you are not creating good content. If you are going to avoid novice mistakes, you need to know what types of content you will be blogging about. After you figure out your “why”, think about the type of content needed to achieve that goal. You can also study other blogs that are similar to yours and figure out how they are writing their content. There is nothing wrong with modeling success.

Look at their content and then create your own unique version. Study their keywords, SEO techniques, target audience, and blog titles/headlines. Do plenty of research to figure out what type of content you need to start a blog as successful as possible. The time you spend on this strategy will be invaluable later.

It is better to take the time to write one high-quality piece of content a week than seven low-quality posts a week. Blogging is not about quantity; it’s about quality. This is how you start a blog with content that matters to your readers.

Step 8: Make a Content Calendar

If you want to be successful as a blogger, then you need to have a content calendar. It is a blogging process used by the pros and will make your life as a blogger much easier. A content calendar helps you to stay organized with your postings. You can’t expect to write blogs out of thin air and hope they do well.

Blogging takes research to find topics that are trending by your audience. To do that, you need to plan out each blog topic and when you’re going to publish that content on a weekly or a monthly basis. The content calendar provides a level of accountability you need when blogging. Since there is no one there to force you to write regularly, it is easy to make all other tasks in your life urgent. And your blogging falls to the wayside as something important but not urgent.

For this reason, many pro bloggers plan out their postings a month out, make sure you do the same. If you want to make things easy for yourself, you can plan it out weekly. Whatever you do, make sure to take your time and create a content calendar you can stick with.

Be realistic and keep the promises you make to yourself. If you say you are going to write a piece of content every Tuesday, make sure you do it. Don’t make excuses. Write out the titles of the next 4 blog posts on your content calendar and start blogging on those dates!

4 Pro Blogging Tips for a Better Start

You now have most of the information you need on how to start a blog. But we don’t want you to have most, we want you to finish reading this and have everything you need to get started today. We will achieve this by finishing with bonus tips from professional blogger Cathrin. She has 4 bonus tips that she wishes someone had told her before she started her blog, TheContentBug. Use these blogging tips from your virtual mentor and start like a pro.

– Pro Blogging Tip 1: Find your Unique Voice

There are lots of people writing blogs related to your topic, and the way to stand out is to have your own voice. Make sure to put a different spin on your blogging and that you are as genuine as possible. It’s fine to follow trends to get more traffic, but make sure to add your own unique touch.

Readers online are very savvy these days. They can notice the difference between when someone is being real or fake. Whenever you start a blog post, make sure to be original and write in your voice. Don’t overthink it; write the way you would like to write and not try to be someone else you are not. This will allow you to get more readers and build fans based on your personality and uniqueness.

Finding your voice starts with liking who you are. Be confident and find out what others like about you, even if you never valued it yourself. There are billions of people in this world, but there is only one you.

– Pro Blogging Tip 2: Define your Target Audience

When you write a blog post, think about who you are writing it for. For example, if you are writing about health and fitness, then people who want to get in shape will read your blog. But, if you are blogging about bodybuilding, then young men who are 18 to 25 will read your blog.

Many people think only think about their target audience in relation to demographics. This is only partly correct. To truly define your target audience, you need to think of one person. And that is the specific person who would benefit most from your content. Think about someone you know that needs this information, then write it for her. She is your target audience and you can define your target demographics around her.

When Tim Ferriss wrote The 4-Hour Workweek, he wrote it with only 1 or 2 people in mind. He didn’t make it for everyone, he thought of a specific person and gave her the advice she needed. This is why it has been one of the best selling self-help books for over 10 years. Write a blog post to that one person who would love to read your content, and you have discovered your target audience.

– Pro Blogging Tip 3: Be Consistent

Being consistent with your blogging is essential to starting a successful blog. There will come a time when you start getting unmotivated and things are not going your way. Consistency will be your savior during these times. If you want to be successful, then you will have to fail a couple of times before you get to your end goal. Even when the tough gets going, make sure to stay consistent, and you can still achieve your goals.

The key to being consistent is having and using a content calendar. Make sure you plan out your week or month and try and post at least two to three times a week. Keep your schedule manageable; don’t try to do things you can’t.

Look, the odds of getting millions of visitors to your blog in the first 2 months is unlikely. If you want to be successful with blogging, you will have to be in it for the long haul. Write your best blog posts and give it 100% effort every day. It takes patience but it will increase your odds of not giving up before you make it to the finish line. So keep blogging until you know how to serve your audience so well that they keep coming back for more.

– Pro Blogging Tip 4: Never Give Up

And Cathrin’s final blogging tip is to never ever give up. It’s related to being consistent, but with an extra kick. Consistency is like drinking an energy drink to stay awake during a long road trip. But not giving up, is like actually doing the drive while you are awake and energized. It’s not pulling over to a rest stop then turning back home. Not giving up is what helps you actually finish the trip and see your plan out.

One of the worst things you can do is give up, it is what the masses do and you are not them. So make sure you stay consistent and keep working on your goals until you get them. Don’t let setbacks discourage you, they happen. Things will not go perfectly, so don’t expect them to. But if you are moving forward every day, you will eventually get to your goals. It may not happen the way you originally pictured it and that is ok. Always stay positive and don’t let anything discourage you.

Conclusion

The fact that you read through all this information on how to start a blog says a lot about you. You are different than the majority of people that say they are going to start something but never do. This guide detailed tips on what to avoid on your journey to successful blogging. As well as a better way to get started. Tips such as the best services to use, ideas to consider, and how to overcome obstacles will help you win the race.

Blogging is one of the best ways to reach people online. Put these tips to use and you will see the benefits of using the wisdom of those that have gone before you. Make sure you don’t waste any more time and start a blog on WordPress today! You have the tools to get started, but using them is in your hands.

Interested in a few tips to be more productive? Click here for our tips!

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The post How to Start a Blog (2021): WordPress Blogging Tips from a Pro appeared first on DILEMMAS

WordPress has made website design super easy

Custom websites are so 1999. Would you still pay $7000 for a 55 inch TV? Probably not, but that is what they use to cost. Today you can get a much higher quality 4k Ultra HD 55 inch TV for under $400. Paying for a custom website design vs using WordPress in 2021 is the equivalent of paying an extra $6600 for your next TV. Here is why.

Advances in website building technology has made it easier than ever to build your own website with just a few clicks. You no longer need to understand coding, HTML, or any other programming or markup languages to build a website that is comparable to the top websites in the world.

Although there are still cases when it is better to use a custom website design vs WordPress, it is not applicable to the majority of businesses. This article will discuss why that is and teach you how to build a WordPress website of your own.

Custom Website vs WordPress Website

So what is the difference between hiring someone to build a custom website vs building one on your own with WordPress?

Custom Website Design

Build a WordPress Website

WordPress is basically a factory that makes webpages. It is a free content management system used to build and maintain websites. WordPress provides a web-based user interface for designing, publishing, and updating websites. Instead of writing HTML, you can simply choose one of many different website templates or “themes” that has a design you like.

WordPress is most associated with blogging (its original purpose when first created) but has evolved to support other types of web content including more traditional mailing lists and forums, media galleries, membership sites, learning management systems (LMS) and online stores.

Wikipedia

The technology behind WordPress is what makes it so amazing. It allows any person off the street with no technical experience to design and build a website. Most of the credit is due to awesome web designers that build these templates/themes via the WordPress open-source platform.

Click to read more about What is WordPress?

But before we dive deeper into website building with themes, let’s talk more about who uses WordPress.

Which brands use the platform?

This is the social proof portion of this article. Despite the fact that Instagram is removing likes from its platform, social proof matters at times. And when it comes to one of the best vehicles to bring income into your business (a website), this is one of those times.

WordPress is by far the most popular way to build a website in the entire world. Not only is it used by well-known global brands such as Sony, General Motors, and Ebay, it is also used by some of the most-visited websites in the world:

1. CNN – 555 million website visits per month
2. New York Times – 250 million website visits per month
3. Forbes – 119 million website visits per month

If that is not good enough for you and your business, what is?

Now there is a high probability that most of these huge brands used a web designer or web design company to build their WordPress websites. But please remember, all of these companies make hundreds of millions to billions of dollars each year in revenue.

When you get to that level and feel like the WordPress theme you bought for under $100 is no longer working for you, please feel free to upgrade to a custom website design. But until you get to that point, try to focus your time & energy on getting sales, traffic, brand awareness, and happy clients, over customization of a non-revenue generating website.

How you can benefit from the big brand’s web designers

One of the benefits of technology is that it allows you to avoid the mistake of trying to reinvent the wheel. In fact, it gives you a pre-made wheel and the materials to custom design it based on already approved safety and performance specifications. So you get a working wheel without paying for the research and development.

When big brands hire a web designer, they test several factors prior to selecting the custom website design. In the book, The Power of Habit, it discusses how big brands use research and experiments to take advantage of their customer’s habitual urges. Some as simple as the direction you turn when entering a retail store.

Did you know you turn right? It’s almost certain you do. There are thousands of hours of videotapes showing shoppers turning right once they clear the front doors

Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

Based on that research, these big brands design their stores to fill the right side with the most profitable products so that you will buy them right off the bat.

These brands do the same thing when it comes to their custom websites. Their web designers don’t just design for how pretty a website looks, but for its ability to predict and trigger buying habits. In other words, their websites are designed to make money!

And thanks to WordPress’s belief in the democratization of publishing, the platform is open-source. This means that talented web developers from all over the world are able to design WordPress themes based on the structure, functionality, research, and work of the big brands and their web design teams.

You can benefit from all of this by purchasing these themes at very low prices and launch your business on the web in just a few hours!

What is a WordPress theme?

Themes are what allow WordPress users to change the look and functionality of a website without changing the core code or content. Sometimes called templates, themes take the content and data stored by WordPress and display it in your browser. They decide how your content looks and is displayed.

At their most basic level, WordPress themes are collections of different files that work together to create what you see, as well as how your site behaves.

WordPress.org

Think of all the hard parts of making a website, then imagine someone else doing all the hard work, and giving you an easy way to make edits. That is what a WordPress theme is. However, not all themes are created equally.

The internet is full of both free and premium themes. You would think that the money spent on a premium theme is money well spent. But that assumption would be wrong. Many of them were designed by amateur or lazy developers. This results in bad code, lots of performance issues, and compatibility problems. You need a theme designed by talented people.

Beware of low-quality theme providers

As with any solution you buy, quality matters. There are so many web designers creating themes for entrepreneurs, so whether you are starting your first blog or expanding your fitness company, law office, or any other business, there are countless options to choose from. But selecting the right company is vital to your success.

A lot of people do the trial and error method of choosing their WordPress themes like they do with other areas of their business. But choosing the wrong company for your website is like making a bad hire. Not only is it a waste of money, but it is also a waste of your time, energy, and resources.

Below is a list of 6 problems you could experience when you buy low-quality WordPress themes:

1. Compatability Issues – WordPress is always evolving and updating its platform. So if your theme does not have a company behind it that is constantly keeping up with these updates, your theme will not function properly.
2. No or Poor Customer Support – What happens when you want to add customization or if something is not working properly on your website? You need a company that will respond to your problems within 24 hours so that you can get your site fixed quickly.
3. Lack of Alternative Themes – After you get going you may discover that the design of your theme does not fully meet your needs and a course-correction is necessary. Many companies only offer a few themes, so if their’s does not work for you, you will need to start from scratch with a whole new company and customer support team. A stable theme provider gives you access to numerous alternative designs to fit your business needs.
4. Poor User Experience – Some WordPress themes are not designed with you (the user) in mind. They are not easy to use, so you spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to build the website work versus spending time making content to grow your business.
5. Slow Load Times – You may select an inexpensive theme that looks terrific, but if it takes forever to load, your visitors will move on to the next company’s website with faster load times. Not to mention Google severely penalizes slow websites in its search results.
6. Unfavorable SEO Design – Poorly designed and free themes have code that is not optimized for organic search. This results in your site not achieving the rankings it deserves. Themes designed with SEO friendly code keep the search engine bots crawling deeper and deeper into your site so it has the best chance of ranking high in search results.

Wasting energy correcting items from the above list is very time-consuming. Plus if you want to really grow your business and bring in more clients and revenue, time is a valuable commodity. The WordPress theme that you ultimately choose will play an important role in the success of your business.

As a website owner, you shouldn’t have to worry about performance issues or compatibility nightmares. You need themes and plugins that are easy to use, and highly effective. We wanted our products to solve problems most website owners face when starting out.

MyThemeShop

Where to Find High-Quality WordPress Themes?

By now you should be fired up about starting your online business and you need to know where to begin. If this is you, then you are in the right place. As the saying goes “the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second-best time is now.”

But which companies make the best WordPress themes? Who are you going to choose as your business partner? Because that is really what this choice is. You are choosing more than website design. You are selecting a partner to grow your business with for years to come.

The first place most people look for WordPress themes is in its own marketplace. It has lots of free themes but not the types for business owners ready to step up their game.

The second place is in the largest premium theme marketplace in the world, Envato Market or ThemeForest. This is actually where I started the first time I bought a theme. It was a disaster, but it was because I focused on the appearance and ignored the list of problems that occur with the selection of themes by poor website designers listed above. They do have some quality themes but you may have to do a little trial and error to find out which ones work best for you.

Some of the largest theme designers by revenue sell their themes via that marketplace. See a list of the top 5 WordPress theme companies (by revenue) below:

Example of a High-Quality theme designer and why

As you have probably guessed by the quote above that addresses the problems website owners should not have to worry about, MyThemeShop is the ultimate example of a high-quality theme designer. And it is all about the intention they apply to their website designs from the beginning.

Here’s a list of the reasons they are one of the best choices for your WordPress theme:

1. Compatability – Not only did they design their code with compatibility in mind, but they also don’t sacrifice code quality for good design. The best part is that their teams are always updating existing themes and designing new ones so your website will stay up to date. No need to constantly try to figure out how to fix parts of your site that no longer function properly after updates from WordPress.
2. Reliable Customer Support – They have an awesome support team comprised of bloggers, entrepreneurs, developers, & web designers that understand what it feels like to need help and have no one look to. Part of the company’s culture is to serve You, the customer! You are not an inconvenience, you are the reason for their existence. So despite having a small team, when questions come up, they don’t keep you waiting too. Usually, problems are addressed within 24 hours.
3. Options, Options, & more Options – Their web designers have created over 100 themes & plugins for you to choose from (including 25+ new releases this year alone). Just enough for you to find what you need without causing analysis paralysis. Even if you create a second business or have different needs for your website in the future, you will have options that are just a few clicks away, with a support team that is already familiar with your wants and needs.
4. Fantastic User Experience – Many WordPress websites look similar because they all use the same theme framework. This company understands that you have a unique brand and you need a design that strengthens it, not a generic website. So they build WordPress themes to make your job easy so that you can focus on creating good content and not fixing your website problems.
5. Lightning Fast Load Times – We are in the age of speed. If your website loads slow, people will move on and search engines like Google will not show your site in their results. These themes load super fast because they are designed with performance in mind. Your customers will love your website.
6. SEO Friendly Designs – The web designers implemented clean code in their themes to keep that Google bot crawling deeper and deeper into your site. This gives you the best chance of achieving the ranking you deserve in search results.

Our themes aren’t loaded up with useless features which do nothing but get in the way, confuse you, and slow down your site. We make sure nothing is loaded on the page unless it’s absolutely necessary.

MyThemeShop

This quote says it all. Having a good business starts with a good plan. As you start and/or grow your business, you will want to put the same intention into every aspect of your company as MyThemeShop did in designing WordPress themes to support your business goals and grow your website traffic.

This starts with the business partners you choose and it is why they are a smart option to begin this journey.

Get Started Building a Website on WordPress

By now you should understand that there is no need to spend thousands of dollars on web designers to create a great website. The technology and tools available on WordPress allow you to purchase predesigned website templates that are easily customized if you choose a good theme developer.

All you have to do is take action! The video above gives you step by step instructions for building your own website in just a few hours. The only difference is that this article suggests a different WordPress theme company. Below are the steps to get started but I do recommend watching the video as you go.

Step-by-Step Instructions: Build a WordPress Website

Conclusion: Start capitalizing from advances in Web Design

You did it! You stepped out of the 1999 age of heavy projection TVs and expensive custom websites, and into today’s world of 4k Ultra HD TVs, cellphones that can play all your shows at your fingertips, and WordPress website themes that allow you to purchase top-notch designs for less than $100.

The only thing constant in life is change and it’s time to change your life and business for the better. You now know what WordPress is, the names of some of the big brands that utilize it for their websites, and that its technology has closed the gap between professional web designers and novices like yourself.

With just the click of a few buttons and a couple of hours, you can be on your way to creating content on your new platform that will help your business grow its traffic, customers, and revenues. Seize the day!

Do you feel like you understand the differences between buying a custom website vs WordPress? If so, are you ready to build a WordPress website of your own?

More ways to Build a WordPress Website

• How to Start a Blog?
• What is WordPress?

The post Custom Websites are Outdated. Build a WordPress Website Instead (Custom Website Design vs WordPress) appeared first on DILEMMAS