The Ultimate Guide to WordPress: How to Build a High-Traffic Website That Converts Like Crazy

43% percent of all websites, including those without a CMS or with a custom-coded CMS, are powered by WordPress. In other words, WordPress is responsible for running more than a third of the entire web!

It means that you’re not alone. When you’re using WordPress to power your website, you join a community of millions of other users who are also using the platform to create their own websites.

WordPress powers 33.72 percent of the top one million websites. So if you’re thinking about creating a WordPress website, don’t hesitate. You’re in good company, and there’s plenty of help available if you need it!

This guide will cover everything you need to know about WordPress, including how to install it, choose the suitable theme and plugins, create, and optimize your content, and much more.

By the end of this guide, you will have all the knowledge and resources you need to build a high-traffic website that converts like crazy. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

What is WordPress?

WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that enables you to create a website or blog from scratch or to improve an existing website. WordPress is free and open-source software released under the GPL. Millions of people worldwide use WordPress, including many large organizations, such as The Guardian, Forbes, and The New York Times.

There are two ways to use WordPress:

· With a web host that provides WordPress hosting services (such as WP Engine).

· By installing WordPress on your web server (which requires some technical skills)

If you want to create a website or blog with WordPress, but don’t want to deal with the technical aspects, then using a web host that provides WordPress hosting services is the best option.

That’s why we will focus on the easiest one, using WordPress through a web host, so that it even works for a novice.

Let’s get started!

Step 1: Choose a Host

Before installing WordPress, you’ll need to choose a web host. This company will provide space on a server for your website.

There are a variety of web hosts to choose from, but we recommend using Bluehost. They’re one of the world’s largest and most popular web hosts, and they offer a free domain name and SSL certificate when you sign up for hosting through them.

Once you’ve chosen a web host, you’ll need to sign up for an account. This usually requires entering your name and email address and selecting a password.

Step 2: Install WordPress

Now that you have a web host, it’s time to install WordPress. Most web hosts offer a one-click install option for WordPress, which makes the process incredibly easy.

If your web host doesn’t offer a one-click install, don’t worry. Installing WordPress manually is still relatively easy. We have a detailed guide on how to do this, but the basic process is to download the WordPress files, upload them to your web host, and then run the WordPress installation script.

How to install WordPress?

In this section, you will learn to install WordPress through different installers:

Installing WordPress using Softaculous
Installing WordPress using Fantastico
Installing WordPress using cPanel
Installing WordPress using Plesk
Installing WordPress using an FTP client

1) Installing WordPress using Softaculous

Softaculous is an auto installer for cPanel and Plesk. It makes installing WordPress a breeze. Here’s how to install WordPress using Softaculous:

Login to your cPanel or Plesk control panel.
Look for the Softaculous icon and click on it.
In the search bar, type in WordPress.
Select the Install button.
Fill in the required fields such as the Site Name, Description, Admin Username, and Password.
Select the Install button again.
Once the installation is complete, you will see a success message.

2) Installing WordPress using Fantastico

Fantastico is another auto installer for cPanel. It is also straightforward to use. Here’s how to install WordPress using Fantastico:

Login to your cPanel control panel.
Look for the Fantastico icon and click on it.
Select WordPress from the list of scripts.
Click on the New Installation button.
Fill in the required fields such as the Site Name, Description, Admin Username, and Password.
Select the Install button.
Once the installation is complete, you will see a success message.

3) Installing WordPress using cPanel

cPanel is a web hosting control panel with a built-in WordPress installer. Here’s how to install WordPress using cPanel:

Login to your cPanel control panel.
Scroll down to the Software section and click on the WordPress icon.
Click on the Install button.
Fill in the required fields such as the Site Name, Description, Admin Username, and Password.
Select the Install button.
Once the installation is complete, you will see a success message.

4) Installing WordPress using Plesk

Plesk is a web hosting control panel with a built-in WordPress installer. Here’s how to install WordPress using Plesk:

Login to your Plesk control panel.
Click on the Websites & Domains tab.
Scroll down to the Website Scripting section and click on the WordPress icon.
Click on the Install button.
Fill in the required fields such as the Site Name, Description, Admin Username, and Password.
Select the Install button.
Once the installation is complete, you will see a success message.

5) Installing WordPress using an FTP client

If you don’t have cPanel or Plesk, you can install WordPress manually using an FTP client. Here’s how to do it:

Download the WordPress files from WordPress.org.
Extract the WordPress files to your computer.
Upload the WordPress files to your web server.
Create a database for WordPress.
Edit the wp-config.php file and enter your database details.
Run the WordPress installation script by visiting your website in a web browser.
Fill in the required fields such as the Site Name, Description, Admin Username, and Password.
Select the Install button and wait a while.
Installation done! That’s what should pop up on your screen.

6) Installing WordPress manually

You can still install WordPress manually if you don’t have cPanel or Plesk and don’t want to use an FTP client. Here’s how to install WordPress manually:

Download the WordPress files from WordPress.org.
Extract the WordPress files to your computer.
Upload the WordPress files to your web server.
Create a database for WordPress.
Edit the wp-config.php file and enter your database details.
Run the WordPress installation script by visiting your website in a web browser.
Fill in the required fields such as the Site Name, Description, Admin Username, and Password.
Select the Install button.
You are done!

Step 3: Choose a Theme

Once WordPress installation is complete, it’s time to choose a theme. A theme is a collection of files that control the look and feel of your WordPress site.

Thousands of free and premium themes are available, so you’re sure to find one that fits your needs. Once you’ve found a theme you like, you can install it by going to the Appearance > Themes section of your WordPress dashboard.

Here are a few things to look for when choosing a WordPress theme:

Make sure the theme is responsive.
Make sure the theme is fast-loading.
Make sure the theme is easy to use.
Make sure the theme is SEO-friendly.
Make sure the theme has a clean design.
Make sure the theme is compatible with the plugins you want to use.
Make sure the theme comes with support.
Make sure the theme is updated regularly.
Make sure the theme has a good rating on WordPress.org.

Once you’ve found a WordPress theme that meets the above criteria, it’s time to install it on your website.

Installing Your WordPress Theme

Installing your WordPress theme is easy. Just follow these simple steps:

Login to your WordPress dashboard.
Go to Appearance > Themes.
Click the “Add New” button.
Search for the WordPress theme you want to install.
Click the “Install” button.
Click the “Activate” button.

And that’s it! Your WordPress theme is now installed and activated.

Configuring Your WordPress Theme

Now that your WordPress theme is installed and activated, it’s time to configure it. Most WordPress themes come with a few default settings. And while these settings are usually fine for most websites, you’ll likely want to change a few of them to match your specific needs.

Here are a few things you’ll want to configure in your WordPress theme:

The site title and tagline.
The header image.
The background image.
The navigation menu.
The social media icons.
The footer text.
The opt-in email form.

Once you’ve configured your WordPress theme, it’s time to add the essential plugins.

Step 4: Install Plugins

Plugins are software programs that extend the functionality of WordPress. There are plugins for everything from social media integration to security.

Installing plugins is easy. Head to the Plugins > Add New section of your WordPress dashboard and search for the plugin you want to install. Once you’ve found it, click “Install” and follow the prompts.

There are thousands of WordPress plugins to choose from. And while you don’t need to install all of them, there are a few essential plugins that will do the job. Here are a few most popular WordPress websites:

Yoast SEO.
WPForms.
Gravity Forms.
Contact Form
WP Super Cache.
W3 Total Cache.
Jetpack.
Google Analytics for WordPress.

Installing these essential plugins will help you optimize your website for search engines, create forms, and speed up your website.

Step 5: Create Your First Post

Now that your WordPress site is running, it’s time to start creating content. To do this, head to the Posts > Add New section of your WordPress dashboard.

Here, you’ll be able to create a new post or page. For your first post, we recommend just making a simple blog post. You can add a title and some content and publish it by clicking the “Publish” button.

And that’s it! You’ve now installed WordPress and created your first post. Congratulations!

Step 6: Driving Traffic to Your Website

Websites are no longer a luxury; they’re now necessary for businesses in nearly all industries to remain relevant and competitive.

There are around 2 billion websites online, but only 17% of them are active, or only 200 million websites exist. The absence of traffic is the primary reason for this inactivity, which means driving traffic to a website is essential for a business to be successful online.

The best way to drive traffic will vary depending on your niche and audience. Here are a few of the most effective methods:

SEO.
Social media.
Content marketing.
Email marketing.
Paid advertising.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Over 68% of online interaction begins with a search engine, meaning ranking on top of the search results is crucial.

SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of optimizing a website for Google’s search algorithm. When done correctly, SEO can result in your website ranking higher in Google’s search results, leading to more traffic being driven to your website.

Most internet marketers (70%) believe that SEO is more effective than PPC (Pay-per-click) at driving revenue.

Several factors contribute to a website’s ranking in Google’s search results. Still, some of the most important include the quality and quantity of the website’s content, history, the number of backlinks, and the website’s loading speed.

Social Media

Social media is now one of the most effective methods for driving traffic to a website. This is mainly because there are now over 4.5 billion active social media users worldwide, representing a vast potential audience for businesses to reach.

In addition, social media platforms are now incredibly sophisticated and have several features that businesses can take advantage of to drive traffic to their websites. For example, Facebook has a “Facebook Lead Ads” feature that allows companies to collect leads directly from Facebook users.

Content Marketing

Content marketing involves creating and sharing valuable content relevant to your target audience. This can be in the form of blog posts, infographics, videos, or even e-books.

A large portion of your target demographic is already hanging out online, which is why content marketing is so effective. The use of content marketing is highly effective because it meets the target audience where they already spend their time online.

Researchers at Pew found that 26% of all US adults are always online. A large percentage of people in the United States regularly use the web.

That’s not all; over 4 billion people throughout the world have access to the internet. That number includes the 3.7 billion people accessing the internet via mobile devices. A little more than 3 billion people are active on social media.

The key to content marketing is creating valuable and engaging content that people want to share with their friends and followers. If your content is shared, it will reach a larger audience, and you’ll ultimately drive more traffic to your website.

Email Marketing

Email marketing involves sending emails to a list of subscribers to promote a product, service, or website. The key to email marketing is to create a compelling email that will encourage the recipient to click through to your website.

Email Subscription rates average between 1.95% and 4.77% across all sectors. Simply put, if you have a list of 100 subscribers, on average, between 1 and 5 of them will sign up to receive your emails.

Why is this number significant? Because it gives you an idea of how many people are interested in receiving your emails. A low email subscription rate could mean that your content isn’t relevant to your audience or that they’re not finding it valuable. On the other hand, a high email subscription rate could mean that you’re doing something right and that people are interested in hearing from you.

Either way, the email subscription rate is an excellent metric to keep an eye on because it can give you insights into how well your email marketing campaign is performing.

Paid Advertising

Paid advertising involves paying for ads displayed on Google, Facebook, or other websites.

Paid advertising can effectively drive traffic to a website, but it’s important to note that it can also be costly. In addition, paid advertising can be very complex, so it’s essential to make sure that you understand what you’re doing before you dive in.

Each of these traffic-driving strategies is effective in its own right. But to see the best results, you’ll need to combine these strategies. For example, you’ll need to optimize your website for SEO, share your content on social media, and email your list regularly.

So, you are all set to embark upon the journey to creating a highly successful website. Provided that you follow all the steps religiously. Best of Luck!