WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems available today, with more than 60 million websites hosted. It’s simple to use and has many features that make maintaining a website easy. This post will cover the top 5 tips for beginners to help you get started with WordPress.

1) Make sure you have an up-to-date version of WordPress on your computer before proceeding. If you aren’t sure how to check this, follow these instructions
2) Download your latest copy of WordPress
3) Create a database in your hosting account. If you don’t know how to do this, ask your hosting company. It should be as easy as logging into your account and clicking a button or link to create one. It will probably be named ‘wp_’, so it’s easy to find.
4) In your wp-config file, add the database name and user information (username, password and host). Make sure you’re entering the information in the correct fields.
5) Now you have a working copy of WordPress, let’s install it. If you’re using a self-hosted hosting account, you’ll have access to your control panel. If you’re using a shared hosting service, check with your host for assistance with installation.

Some bonus tips

  • Once installed properly, navigate to the WordPress installation page and click ‘Install Plugins’. This will take you to a page where plugins can be installed from the list on that page. You can also search for plugins by keyword here.
  • We’ll be installing a few useful plugins today. The first one we’ll install is the Akismet plugin, which will help us get rid of spam comments on our blog. Once Akismet is installed, navigate to the Plugins page and click ‘Akismet’ in the list at the top of the page. You’ll be prompted to enter your Akismet Key and it should take you to a window that allows you to activate it.

More insights

If you’re a business owner looking to create a blog, or you’re just interested in blogging, there are plenty of reasons why WordPress may be the best choice for you. Not only is it the most used blogging software on Earth, but it’s easy to set up and simple to maintain. Ernie Miller, a returnable marketing consultant with 20 years experience, explains why so many companies are turning to WordPress and discusses the best ways business owners can use WordPress.

“When it comes to blogging, WordPress is at the top of the list,” said Miller, who offers Web-based consulting with his company EMR Business Consulting. “It’s extremely versatile, easy to use and easily scalable. 

WordPress has made for a very popular way for corporate America to get their business out there through the blog medium. It’s a very powerful tool for the small business owner, and the WordPress community is very supportive of one another.

“There’s no shortage of resources on the Web, so if you’re looking at starting a blog in WordPress from scratch, check out blogs.wordpress.com and check out some of the top blogs in the industry for some tips and best practises.”