How to Create Your WordPress Website in 24 Hours

With WordPress powering over 40% of all websites on the internet, having a deep understanding of its functionality is more than a skill—it’s necessary in today’s digital landscape. At Creato, a leading web design company in Sydney, we’ve mastered creating dynamic and effective WordPress websites. Our team, enriched with web design, content marketing, and SEO expertise, has decoded the formula for rapidly constructing successful WordPress sites.

Through this guide, crafted by Creato’s seasoned professionals, we walk you through each process step, from the initial planning stages to launching your site. You’ll learn the foundational aspects of WordPress and advanced techniques to make a website truly distinctive and engaging. Scroll down to explore!

What is WordPress?

WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that allows you to create and manage your website easily. Its popularity stems from its user-friendly interface, customisation options, and a vast community of users and developers. Whether you’re a blogger, business owner, or web developer, WordPress provides the tools to create a website tailored to your needs.

WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org: Choosing the Right Platform

WordPress.com is a hosted solution that handles all the technical aspects of website running, ideal for beginners. In contrast, WordPress.org is a self-hosted platform offering complete customisation control, suitable for those with more technical knowledge.

Essential WordPress Terminology for Beginners

Familiarise yourself with terms like ‘themes’, ‘plugins’, ‘widgets’, and ‘blocks’. Themes define your site’s appearance, plugins add functionality, widgets are content blocks for sidebars, and blocks are the primary content elements in the new WordPress editor.

8 Steps to Make a WordPress Website in 24 Hours

Step 1 – Planning Your WordPress Website (1-2 Hours) 

Before diving into WordPress, define your SMART(specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) website’s purpose and goals. Are you aiming to sell products, provide information, or showcase a portfolio? Knowing your target audience is key to tailoring your content and design to their preferences.

Step 2 – Setting Up Your WordPress Site (1-2 Hours) 

Choose a domain name that reflects your brand and is easy to remember. When selecting a hosting provider like HostGator, Bluehost, Dreamhost, GoDaddy, WP Engine, Hostinger or others, consider factors like uptime, support, and scalability. Follow a step-by-step guide to installing WordPress, which is usually a straightforward process many hosting providers offer.

Step 3 – Designing Your WordPress Website (2-3 Hours) 

Selecting a suitable theme, like Ocean WP, Astra, Divi, Hestia, Neve, Ultra, Inspiro, Oshine, Storefront and others, is crucial as it sets the visual tone of your website. Customise your theme to match your brand identity. Incorporate essential plugins like UpdraftPlus, MonsterInsights, Jetpack and others to enhance functionality and focus on creating visually appealing layouts to engage visitors.

Step 4 – Building and Organising Content (2-3 Hours) 

Content is king in the digital world. Focus on creating high-quality, engaging content optimised for SEO. Use categories and tags to organise your content efficiently, and design a navigation structure that enhances user experience. You can use website wireframes like Figma to plan your content structure meticulously to ensure easy navigation and a user-friendly experience.

Step 5 – Optimising and Securing Your WordPress Site (1-2 Hour) 

SEO is vital for online visibility. Implement basic SEO practices, like optimising website speed, keyword research, sitemap, and SEO-friendly permalinks to improve your site’s ranking. Security is equally essential; follow best practices to protect your site from threats, which includes installing an SSL Certificate. Regular maintenance and updates are essential to keep your site running smoothly.

Check for WordPress core, theme, and plugin updates at least once a month to keep your website updated with the latest trends.

Step 6 – Launching and Promoting Your WordPress Website (1 Hour)

Before launching, complete a pre-launch checklist to ensure everything is set. Once your site is live, use various promotion strategies to attract visitors. Social media, email marketing, and SEO effectively get your site noticed.

You can also integrate social media WordPress plugins like Smash Balloon, RafflePRess, and Envira Gallery and email marketing WordPress plugins like MailChimp, HubSpot, and Brevo to make your website more engaging and exciting.

Step 7 – Advanced WordPress Development (1-2 Hours) 

Explore custom themes and plugins to tailor your site further. Integrate advanced functionalities like APIs for added capabilities. Focus on performance optimisation to ensure your site is fast and responsive.

Step 8 – Measuring Success and Making Improvements (Ongoing Process) 

Use tools like Google Search Console, Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager to track your website’s performance and user behaviour. Analyse this data to make informed improvements. Stay updated with the latest WordPress trends to keep your site relevant and efficient.

Note

Creating a WordPress website in a day is an ambitious yet achievable goal, but only if the following pre-assumed requirements are already met!

• The developer has a clear website purpose and goals defined and only needs to execute them on the website.
• Depending on the experimenting speed, if a developer opts for customised WordPress themes, which are more effective than the provided ones, it may take slightly longer.
• Content creation, including blogs and visuals, is already prepared and is only to be published.
• Securing your WordPress website also includes getting an SSL certificate and ensuring your website is safe. An SSL certificate approval for standard single-name and wildcard websites may take a few hours, which may extend the timelines for website creation.
• To measure the website’s success, setting up Google Search Console, Google Tag Manager, and Google Analytics may also demand some extra time, depending on the complexity of the website.

Conclusion

Successfully building a WordPress site is a journey of continuous learning and experimentation. Embrace the process, and don’t hesitate to try new things and improve.

Creato combines creativity and technical expertise to transform your vision into a compelling digital presence. Choosing Creato means more than just building a website; it’s about partnering with a team committed to enhancing your online image. We focus on creating a meaningful and impactful digital experience through WordPress tailored to connect deeply with your audience.

Connect with WordPress web design Sydney experts to know more!

Frequently Asked Questions

How does WordPress compare to other website-building platforms?

WordPress offers more customisation and flexibility than other platforms like Magento and Weebly.

Can you build a professional-looking website with WordPress without coding skills?

Yes, WordPress’s user-friendly interface and plethora of themes make this possible.

What are some common challenges in WordPress development and how to overcome them?

Common challenges include theme and plugin compatibility, website speed, and SEO optimisation. Overcome these by choosing reliable themes and plugins, optimising images, and following SEO best practices.

How important is SEO in the development process of a WordPress website?

SEO is crucial for online visibility and attracting the right audience. Incorporating SEO strategies helps build a website that ranks higher in search engine results.

Can WordPress handle high-traffic and large-scale websites?

With the right hosting solution and optimisation, WordPress can efficiently handle high-traffic and large-scale websites.

What are some success stories of businesses growing through WordPress websites?

Thanks to its flexibility and scalability, many businesses, from small startups to large corporations, have seen significant growth and success through their WordPress websites.

How does the choice of hosting impact a WordPress site’s performance?

Good hosting provides faster loading times, better security, and improved site performance, which are critical user experience and SEO factors.

What are the latest trends in WordPress development?

Trends include the rise of block editors, AI and machine learning integration, increased focus on mobile responsiveness, and voice search optimisation.

How can I ensure my WordPress website is mobile-friendly?

Choose responsive themes and test your site on various devices. Also, consider mobile-first design practices.

What are the best practices for maintaining a WordPress website?

Regularly update your site, backup your data, optimise for speed, monitor security, and consistently add fresh, relevant content.