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WordPress Website Building Essentials (My Way)
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items I’ve been in the WordPress space since 2015 and never look back. Over the years, I’ve tried many plugins and themes before settling on ones I trust with my sites. Two years later, I decided to ‘upgrade’ my WP knowledge and skills so I could design my...
Here’s the step-by-step list starting from searching for a domain name, creating a logo, to design inspirations and even down to my go-to YouTube channels.
Here’s the step-by-step list starting from searching for a domain name, creating a logo, to design inspirations and even down to my go-to YouTube channels.
Sections
9
Domain Name & Hosting
Content Management System (CMS)
Simple & Flexible Theme
Staple Plugins
Logo Creation
Font & Color Pairings
Domain Name & Hosting
Securing your domain name and having a good host are fundamental steps. These two go hand in hand.
I’ve been with them since forever. Their Live Chat support is second to none. They always manage to solve most of my problems within minutes.
As a host, they have affordable plans. Most suitable for basic and average users. This includes an affiliate link.
As a host, they have affordable plans. Most suitable for basic and average users. This includes an affiliate link.
Namecheap: Trusted Domain Name Registrar
The first hosting I used before moving to Namecheap. It was ok. I had no major problems with them. Most suitable for basic and average users.
HostGator: A Good Starting Point
Content Management System (CMS)
Having an easy-to-use CMS will save you time. WP is popular for a reason, and it powers 43% of online websites out there.
There are 2 versions of WP - .com and .org. The latter (which is a self-hosted) is what I’ve been using. It’s much more flexible than the former.
You can create your dream site with it. Add as many plugins as you want (just don’t go overboard) for free, etc.
You can create your dream site with it. Add as many plugins as you want (just don’t go overboard) for free, etc.
WordPress: The Best Of All
Simple & Flexible Theme
A theme is your site's overall look (design). Choosing one is easy, but finding the balance between simple and flexible will be a lifesaver.
I used this theme for years, and what I love the most is its flexibility in customization. You can customize almost every part of your site, unlike others. To maximize its potential, a page builder called Elementor is needed.
OceanWP: Free Multi-Purpose Theme
Most people like the ready-made demo sites/ starter templates feature. OceanWP has it too, though. In terms of customization, it’s not as flexible. You’ll need to use Elementor alongside it as well.
Astra: Beautiful Starter Templates
Staple Plugins
Think of it like apps that you install on your device. It extends the functionality of your site. These are my ‘staples’ I use on my sites.
You must optimize your site to be search engine-friendly so people can find it on search engines like Google, Bing, etc. I’ve been using this plugin from the beginning, and it works great.
All-in-One SEO
This plugin is a lifesaver. Having a backup plugin is vital so you can restore your site anywhere and anytime you want without hassle. It’s very straightforward.
All-in-One WP Migration
I no longer get spam on my contact form after using this. I love that they filter everything from IP addresses to emails before determining if a comment comes from a valid user or bot.
They have a 7-day free trial. The pricing plans are very cheap👍
They have a 7-day free trial. The pricing plans are very cheap👍
Anti-Spam by CleanTalk
I’ve been using this page builder since 2024. Starting with the free version and upgrading immediately after a few weeks of testing it. With BD, your imagination and skill are literally your limit! 😏
Also, you can disable your WP theme system, and BD will use its own theme called Breakdance Zero Theme. Meaning, you can customize every aspect of your site without limit.
Also, you can disable your WP theme system, and BD will use its own theme called Breakdance Zero Theme. Meaning, you can customize every aspect of your site without limit.
Breakdance
This is the default plugin my hosting uses. It’s the basic free caching plugin and it works just fine. Sometimes, you don’t need to pay for such a plugin if your site speed is already great.
LiteSpeed Cache
WP is a popular target among hackers, and that’s a FACT! Having a great security plugin is always my top priority. WordFence is excellent at it with its array of options. I especially love their Web Application Firewall (WAF) and Login Security featu...
Wordfence
Logo Creation
Creating a logo isn’t a one-and-done task. I guarantee you’ll change your logo multiple times as time passes. Most of the list below is free. No need to think too much in the beginning 😉 As Winston Churchill said, “Perfection is the enemy of progres...
It’s literally as easy as 1,2,3. You can always customize the final look.
Adobe Express
A bit similar to Adobe Express. The only difference is that it doesn’t ask for your business category.
Logo Maker
Use the Logo Maker feature to create your logo. Type your business name, add your keywords, start editing and voila! You’ll need to give your email before you can download, though.
BrandCrowd
This one isn’t free. SL will ask you a few questions related to your business before it generates your logo. I love the way they guide you with the questions. Very interactive! The whole presentation is WOW! This includes an affiliate link.
Smashing Logo
Font & Color Pairings
The fun part! Let’s explore these pairings now that you’ve set up almost all the basics.
I love that they categorize their fonts! You can also download them as it’s free for personal use.
DaFont
No need to visualize anything because you can clearly see how the pairing will look. Just type your sample heading and description text.
They also have color palettes, all categorized (pastel/ warm/ luxury/ corporate/ etc)!
They also have color palettes, all categorized (pastel/ warm/ luxury/ corporate/ etc)!
Font Pair
A bit similar to Fontpair but with lots of options 😍
Fontshare
I like how the font is categorized alphabetically and how I can visually see how each font looks (light/ bold/ italic/etc) in their order right off the bat.
The ability to filter at the end what I choose in the beginning is great, so I can make an informed decision about what I’ll actually use.
The ability to filter at the end what I choose in the beginning is great, so I can make an informed decision about what I’ll actually use.
WordMark
Each color has its own meaning. Take your time to learn them. It’s fascinating to know their names. Have you heard of Scallop Seashell? It’s my first time hearing it!🙃
Canva Colors
Simply press the Space bar on your keyboard, and it will generate a color palette. You can easily change the individual colour and/or copy the code.
P/S: It can be a bit tiring 😫
P/S: It can be a bit tiring 😫
Coolors
All it takes is one color code, and they’ll generate a bunch of amazing palettes. If you’re into gradient like me, you HAVE to try the 3-Color-Gradient features. It’ll even generate the CSS Code for you!😍
ColorSpace
Sometimes, I just don’t want to overthink. That’s why I love sites that have categorization. SchemeColor is good at that. Click on any color scheme, and it will tell you more details (the color name, codes, etc).
The Color Scheme Generator is nice. Choose your category and click generate. As simple as that.
The Color Scheme Generator is nice. Choose your category and click generate. As simple as that.
SchemeColor
If you want to find all shades of a color as well as its hue, saturation, lightness and alpha, this is it. The only con is that you only have a 10-minute free trial. You can extend it to 7 days by creating an account, though.
0to255
I love the extract themes & gradients feature the most. If I want to know and use the color combinations in a picture, I just upload it, and Adobe Color will extract the theme and gradient. How cool is that!
Adobe Color
Choose one of the 10 default colors, and they’ll show you a list of gradients with it.
uiGradients
Web Design Inspirations
These are my go-to when I create my own sites and/ or demos. Some of them are undoubtedly beyond my capability, but I always try to recreate something similar. That’s how I slowly build my skills 😎
My top preference. There are some astonishing designs here. Even if you’re not building a WP site, they have examples for Shopify, React, 3D, Figma, Gsap, Framer, Webflow, etc.
Awwwards: Best Web Design Trends
I haven’t thoroughly checked out this (only some pages). I can’t help but recommend it. You’ll see why.
Craftwork: UX/UI Kits, Illustrations, Mockups, Fonts & More
This is where I look if I still can’t find what I’m looking for. Lots of beautiful designs! 🤩
Dribbble
Another optional site. Quite similar to Dribbble.
Behance
Tools You Don’t Want To Miss Out On!
Some of these are a must. If you’re serious about your site/ blog, don’t skip the first five.
You can generate all your legal pages for free here. All you have to do is answer the related questions in the 6-step guide.
Privacy Policy Generator
If you want to know which page/post visitors are coming from (their behavior), how long they spend on your site, how much traffic you’re getting, and more, you’ll want to submit and verify your site to this platform.
Google Analytics (GA)
A bit similar to Google Analytics, but GSC is more about knowing which keywords your site is ranking for, what keywords people are using to find your site, etc. You need to submit and verify your site first.
Google Search Console (GSC)
The autoresponder I currently use (not free). You don’t need to use exactly this. There are others with free trials out there, such Aweber, Kit, GetResponse, etc.
It’s not a must to have an autoresponder if you’re just starting. However, once you have consistent traffic, you may want to consider getting one.
It’s not a must to have an autoresponder if you’re just starting. However, once you have consistent traffic, you may want to consider getting one.
Sendiio
A great tool to find lots of relevant keywords/ topics/ questions related to your main keyword.
KeywordsPeopleUse
They have so many features, but what I use the most is the image converter to convert my images to SVG.
Pixelied
You can’t afford not to use this one! I use it to create all my featured images.
Canva
Ah, what would I do without Grammarly? Despite my being a language enthusiast, I’m still suck at English grammar! 🤪 This includes an affiliate link.
Grammarly
YouTube WP Website Building Channels
When I began to take an interest in knowing how WP works, these are the YouTube channels I refer to the most 😃
Adam is my go-to guy if I want to know more about what’s happening around WP.
WPCrafter: WordPress Tutorials For Non-Techies
His WP tutorials are one of the best. Back then, I often watched his videos to practice building demo sites. I learnt how to ‘Inspect’ a site to fix CSS code through him, if I’m not mistaken.
Tyler Moore
A bit similar to Tyler, but Hogan covers more, such as setting up a Shopify store, building a WooCommerce site, a dropshipping site, hosting tutorials, and the list goes on.
Hogan Chua
I’d say Darrel is a combination of Tyler and Hogan in the sense that he uses Elementor in most of his tutorials (like Tyler) and covers a wide range of topics (like Hogan). I learnt how to use Divi through him.
Darrel Wilson
I rarely watch Ferdy’s tutorial, but I've realized that he sometimes talks about things that others have overlooked. It’s a good idea not to always rely on just one or two channels.
Ferdy Korpershoek