How To Use WordPress: Quick Building Guide for Beginners (2025)

If you’re excited to get your blog or ecommerce website up and running but are overwhelmed by the WordPress platform, you aren’t alone. This is a quick guide on how to get started on WordPress based on our firsthand experience. We can help you understand key WordPress features and what tools you should look for during your design phase.

The best web builders do the heavy lifting for you, so it’s good to check out other web-building platforms before you commit to WordPress if you’re unsure. To help get you started, we will walk you through setting up your first WordPress website in 10 steps.

1. Choose your plan or get started for free

When we tested WordPress, we didn’t see a free trial, but you can start with the free plan, which will allow you to build and design your site. You can choose a paid plan to start your website if you already know what features you need. If you’re still deciding the best plan for your goals, check out our comprehensive WordPress review to compare features and prices.

To get started, you’ll need to answer only a few questions. While there aren’t any AI tools to build your site like you’d find with Wix, WordPress will suggest templates based on your answers.

2. Customize your domain name

WordPress names your subdomain automatically depending on what you name your site, but you can alter the domain name before publishing. If you use the free plan, you have the option to purchase a domain name or use the free branded subdomain (i.e., your URL will end in wordpress.com). The premium plans come with a free domain name for a year if you pay for an annual subscription.

A website’s domain name and URL should be simple and easy to remember. While showing up in online searches is important, giving your visitors an easy URL to type in will help them remember how to come back time and again.

3. Choose your theme

After selecting your domain, you’ll be prompted to choose a theme. You can browse the free themes or pick a paid one. The themes are organized by type (e.g., if you’re launching a blog, portfolio, or online store) and topic (e.g., an educational blog or art & design portfolio). When we were looking through the themes, we read through the descriptions of each to figure out which was the best choice.

If you don’t like your theme, you always have the option to change it after you’ve started designing. You can also change it after your website’s been published. This isn’t a feature available with all web builders, so we were happy to see WordPress included it.

4. Take the design tutorial

WordPress doesn’t offer AI tools that completely build your website like other web hosting platforms. However, WordPress offers a helpful tutorial on the tools to edit your site, such as what constitutes a block and how to add design elements to your page.

If you need more resources than WordPress provides, there are plenty of YouTube tutorials to help you figure out how to edit your WordPress website.

Pro tip: Take screenshots while you watch tutorials to easily revisit the info later.

5. Customize WordPress

WordPress is known for its versatility because WordPress has so many aspects you can customize. One of our favorite sections is the optional upgrades. You can pay for extra storage, include your own code, and even pay for premium themes. Depending on your needs, one of these upgrades may be perfect for your website.

Add-ons aren’t the only customization options you’ll have. WordPress subscriptions include custom design elements and fonts, an AI image tool, and access to premium plugins. You’ll be able to make your website exactly how you want it.

6. Build your pages, add posts, and upload media

Start building and customizing your site by designing the elements you want to include. We loved the story feature, which allowed us to upload various photos and create a visual dialogue. Depending on your plan, you can also have video and other integrations.

If you think you’ll have a lot of media, consider upgrading to a higher-tier plan. The higher the plan you purchase, the more storage space you’ll get. Premium subscriptions also have the option to purchase additional storage.

7. Install plugins

Ecommerce tools, security preferences, accepting payments, and more can all be done by installing WordPress plugins. Plugins can run everything from SEO optimization to analytics for ecommerce sites.

Take some time to research the best plugins for WordPress and your individual site needs. Carefully selected WordPress plugins can take your site from a simple-looking blog to a fully functional online presence. You can make money from your website if you have the right tools for the job.

8. Preview desktop and mobile

Think about how often you pull up a site on your phone or mobile device. If you want your site to be functional on mobile, you’ll need to preview it. Also make sure the desktop version looks exactly the way you want it before publishing.

You can preview your desktop and mobile versions in the template library before building. Having a basic idea of how your website will look will give you ideas on how to structure the design when you’re editing.

9. Optimize for SEO

All of the SEO tools are through plugins, but you can still take action to optimize your site for SEO. Watch YouTube videos, take an SEO course, or hire a WordPress SEO expert to help you maximize your site for search engines.

Consider taking a free SEO course or following social media influencers who teach SEO. You’ll want to appear in search results when someone looks for what your site is offering. You can track organic traffic to see trends for your site.

10. Publish and review traffic trends

Once you have everything the way you want it, publish your site. The traffic reports will only begin coming in once you’ve had your site published for a while. It’s a good idea to review your traffic trends and then adjust the pages on your site to meet your goals.

While WordPress plugins are available for analytics, you can also follow trend forecasting and use Google to see what else should be added to your site. It’s a good idea to freshen up your pages from time to time so Google knows your site is active and full of updated information.

WordPress for beginners: pros and cons

When testing WordPress, we found that it felt heavily like a blogging site and that ecommerce might be an afterthought. Even though the WordPress plugins are robust, you can’t access them unless you purchase one of the two highest plans.

Many customization and modification options allow you to make creative and aesthetically beautiful sites — if you have the bandwidth to put in the work.

You’ll also have the option to use the free plan first to ensure your site is how you want it before committing to a monthly or annual subscription.

FAQs

Bottom line

WordPress is an established web builder with a massive plugin library, which allows almost limitless customization. You can also get started building your website with the WordPress free plan.

However, beginners may have a little trouble with WordPress, as it’s an extensive platform with so many customization options. Other web builders — like Hostinger and Wix — are easier to use because they offer robust AI tools to build your entire website. But you can always look into migrating to WordPress once you’re more comfortable with editing and design.

Bloggers, artists, and creatives will love WordPress's simple and elegant elements, but ecommerce entrepreneurs may want something more robust. The best web builders provide you with tools that you can use to achieve your goals.