How to Develop WordPress Site: A Step-by-Step Guide

Seeking ideas on how to develop WordPress site as a business startup? You are not alone. More than 500 websites are built daily on WordPress by users including small business owners. 

WordPress is the most popular choice, owing to its user-friendly interface, strong community support, cost-effectiveness, and flexible customization. 

The WordPress Directory has 59,000 free plug-ins and it keeps increasing. 5,200 paid plug-ins are available on CodeCanyon. If you add the third-party site plug-ins, the total count will exceed 70,000.

The extensiveness of the plug-ins and themes makes it difficult for users to choose the right ones. Moreover, many users lack the technical expertise to set up a WordPress site. 

If you are one among them, this article is for you. This easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide will show you how to make a website for a small business that scales.

Step 1: Choose a Domain Name

A domain name is a unique address that helps identify a website. A good domain name helps people remember and find your brand easily online, making it essential for branding.

When choosing a domain name, pick something short and easy to remember. It should be SEO-friendly, scalable, catchy, and memorable, a name that stays on the brand.

Ensure to choose reliable domain name registrars such as GoDaddy, Hostinger, and Bluehost.

Step 2: Choose a Hosting Provider

Performance, security, and scalability are the top priorities during WordPress web development. A good web host will provide you with all these features and more.

40% of web browsers will abandon a site if the site loading speed is longer than 3 seconds. Also, a website should maintain 99.9% uptime lest you lose revenue, face security breaches, or see a negative SEO impact.

A report revealed that downtime results in small businesses losing $137 – $427/minute while large companies lose $16,000/minute. 

Remember, WordPress-specific hosts are optimized for WordPress. It will enable you to set up and manage your site with ease.

Step 3: Install WordPress

Here’s a guide on how to start up a website by installing WordPress with One Click.

For shared hosting users…

you can install WordPress with one click: Once you pay the fee, your host will redirect you to the Customer Portal Dashboard.

1. Click on Websites
   
2. Next, click on the ADD SITE button on the right
   
   
3. You’ll be directed to the hosting tab. Choose the package to install WordPress, Select MANAGE.
   
   
4. Click on ADD SITE
   
5. Choose Install WordPress. Click on the CONTINUE button.
   
   
6. Choose your website title.
   
   
7. Enter the site domain name.
   
8. Here you have it! WordPress will start installing in next step.

To install WordPress manually:

Download WordPress

1. Choose a hosting account to upload WordPress, and Create a MYSQL database and user.
   • To do that, Log in to cPanel
   • If you have a single hosting, go down to Quick Links
   • Under the Quick Links, click the cPanel button
     
2. Within cPanel, the Databases. Click on MySQL Database Wizard
   
   
3. Next, create a database name. Click Next Step.
4. Enter the database user name and password to create database users. Click Create User.
   
5. Add User to the Database. Choose the All Privileges option. Click Next Step.
6. Complete the task.
7. Configure wp-config.php
   • Go to the folder where WordPress is installed. Find the wp-config-sample.php file in the File Manager.
   • Within cPanel, choose Files. Click on File Manager.
     
8. Click on public_html on the left in File Manager, Then, click on Settings in the right-hand corner at the top. A pop-up box will appear.  Locate Show Hidden Files (dotfiles). Click Save.
9. In the pane of the File Manager, find the wp-config-sample.php file.
   
10. Right-click on the file. Choose Rename. Change the file’s name to wp-config.php. Click the Rename File button. Enter save. Right-click again on the new wp-config.php file. Choose Edit.
11. In the second pop-up box, click Edit. A file will open containing the information below:
    

    /** The name of the database for WordPress */ 
    define( 'DB_NAME', 'database_name_here' );  
    /** MySQL database username */   
    define( 'DB_USER', 'username_here' );  
    /** MySQL database password */   
    define( 'DB_PASSWORD', 'password_here'' );  
    /** MySQL hostname */    
    define( 'DB_HOST', 'localhost' );

    • Replace the database and user names, and replace the password. Enter the ones you created above in Create MySQL Database and User.
    • Click on Save Changes. Close to exit and return to the File Manager.
12. Run the installation. Open a new browser window. Enter your domain.
13. Congratulations! You have successfully installed WordPress manually.

Step 4: Choose a WordPress Theme

WordPress themes are essential to make a business website stand out. Themes are responsible for a site’s look, feel, and functionality. 

There are more than 13,000 free WordPress themes. However, they offer limited features. Paid versions offer efficient customization features and functionalities. You don’t need to rely much on third-party plug-ins.

To find WordPress themes, visit marketplaces like WordPress.org, Astra, Elegant Themes Divi, ThemeForest, and StudioPress.  

Ensure to use business-oriented themes like Astra, Divi, and OceanWP.

Step 5: Install Essential Plugins

Installing the right plug-ins can boost website functionality. Features like interactive forms, easy-to-use navigation menus, and social media integrations can increase user engagement and retention.

Here are 8 essential plug-ins to make a business website:

1. Yoast SEO
2. Jetpack
3. WPForms
4. WooCommerce
5. Akismet Spam Protection
6. Redirection
7. WP AutoTerms
8. Optimole

The easiest way to build a website is to use essential plugins. Read this blog on must-have plugins for business websites for more details.

Step 6: Customize Your Website

Using WordPress Customizer, you can upload a logo to appear in all themes that support the logo. Use Color Picker to set brand colors. Further, you can modify navigation menus and widgets to offer a user-friendly experience.

To access WordPress Customizer:

• Log in to your WordPress dashboard
• Choose Appearance on the left-hand sidebar
• Click Customize.

For quick results, use Elementor Website Builder to build a WordPress page. It is the best website builder for small businesses with 10+ million active users. Its intuitive drag-and-drop builder and design tools ensure easier customization.

Step 7: Create Essential Pages

Here is the list of key pages every business website should include:

• Home: While creating a Home page, add a headline and subheads clearly stating the purpose and target. Add a professional logo, testimonials, case studies, intuitive navigation, videos, a contact page, a hero image, infographics, and a call-to-action.
• About Us: On your About Us page share the whys and whos. Mention what sets your business apart, the background story, the founding team’s role, and stories about your evolution. Also, state your mission and vision and try to incorporate product demo videos and images of team members.   
• Services/Products: Your services/products page should show that you understand the customer’s journey. It involves the customer’s pain points, solutions, and ways your business can resolve them. Incorporate interactive videos, graphics, and images. Add not only features but also benefits.
• Contact Us: A good Contact Us page includes existing contact information like email address and phone number, physical location, and contact form. Also, add social media links, CTA, support hours and response times, and user feedback fields. Ensure that the page is accessible to all.
• Blog: The Blog page should have a search feature to improve user experience and social share buttons. Also, add a comment section for engagement and feedback, and a subscribe button.

Step 8: Optimize for SEO and Performance

Writing unique content and including keywords, meta titles and descriptions, headings, backlinks, and internal links will boost SEO and performance. Also, implement tools to optimize images, track results, and conduct technical SEO audits. 

Some of the best tools to compress images without distorting quality include Smush, Optimole, JPEG Optimizer, Compressor.io, and Squoosh.   

Implement tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, Pingdom, and GTmetrix to test website speed.

Step 9: Test and Launch Your Website

Follow these steps while testing a website for responsiveness and user experience:

• Test on different models of smartphones, desktops, and tablets.
• Test on real devices instead of simulators.
• Test on several browsers like Chrome, Safari, and Internet Explorer.
• Test with all screen sizes and resolutions.
• Test with different network speeds.
• Test for accessibility.

Why Work with a Professional WordPress Development Company?

Professionals know the ins and outs of how to develop a WordPress site that performs. You can set up a website with all the pre-built themes available. But will your site be user-friendly and personalized? Will search engines rank your site? 

If you answer NO to these questions, your best bet is to work with a professional WordPress Development Company. It will ensure quality and cost-effectiveness. You will also save time on errors and have a customized website with business-specific features.

Icon TechSoft is a leading company that offers technical solutions in WordPress development. We use the latest technical innovations to develop a 100% responsive and user-friendly website that gives visitors the best experience. 

Hire us to develop a customized WordPress website for your business. Whether you are setting up an e-commerce website or a website to offer your services, we will deliver result-oriented solutions.

Conclusion

Building a business website with WordPress is simple. If you own a domain name and choose a host, you can install WordPress. Add essential themes, and plug-ins and customize your site for best results. Don’t forget to follow best practices while creating content for pages and optimizing for SEO.

Take the first step today to work toward your dreams. Start building your website and watch your business grow.

Need extra support to set up your WordPress website? Contact us at Icon TechSoft for custom WordPress development services. We offer ongoing support and maintenance to ensure your website is armed with business-specific features. Having a 10+ years of experience in our business. We know exactly what you are looking for.