The Basics Of Learning WordPress

It is relatively simple to install WordPress theses days. In fact, a lot of hosting companies offer a one-click installer that you can use to get it up and running easily even if you are not confident in server administration and technologies like PHP and MySQL. Once you have WordPress set up, you can do everything you need to do (install plugins to add new features, install themes to change how the site looks, add new posts and moderate comments) without needing to access the FTP or do any back-end coding work. Everything is presented in a simple, user-friendly interface.

The WordPress admin panel puts everything you need at your fingertips. It can be a little confusing the first time you see it, but it is an incredibly user-friendly way of doing things. Adding new posts is just like typing into a word processor. For example, installing plugins is as simple as searching for them, clicking ‘install’ and letting WordPress do the work for you.

Getting Your Site Up And Running

It can be a little intimidating to set things up at first. Out of the box, WordPress is quite searched engine friendly, but the default theme is rather bland. You will probably want to install a new theme and add some plugins for extra features such as better comment moderation and social media sharing.

The good news is that when you install new themes and plugins, they are not automatically activated. You can install a new theme in the Appearance section of the admin panel. You can then click on ‘Preview’ to see what the theme will look like, without having to worry about it changing your site. You can preview new posts, in the same way, before publishing them. When you edit your posts, you can save them draft form. Then have the post go live later (either by publishing it yourself, or selecting a ‘schedule’ date. The scheduling feature is so your post will get published as set automatically, without you needing to do anything).

If you are doing a lot of work on your website and are worried about something going wrong, you can install a ‘Maintenance Mode’ plugin. This will put your site into Maintenance Mode while you work on it. This is a good idea because it will ensure that no-one sees strange themes, broken links, or misconfigured plugins. When you are happy that the site is exactly how you want it to be, Disable Maintenance Mode so that normal users can get back online. This is quick, easy, convenient, and the perfect way to work on a site that is already up and running.

If you ever need help, be sure to have a look at the WordPress forums. There are a lot of users there who would be happy to offer advice to a beginner.