Learn why WordPress is the world's favorite platform for websites. I also explain the platform and tour the dashboard.
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WordPress is an amazing platform for your brand’s website. It has the best structure to help you get found on Google and other search engines. It is also the industry standard on websites; more than 5-% of the Internet is built using WordPress software. This percentage is growing every year.
WordPress has the easiest SEO integrations of any of the popular platforms on the market. This is how you get you in front of customers, which is your goal!
Also, it’s easy to use and customize. Users can edit the site’s look and function with endless options. With over 50,000 plugins (and growing), you can make the site do just about anything you want.
The code for the platform itself is open-sourced, so there are developers all around the world who are constantly creating new options and ensuring the security of your site.
There are a few different parts to a WordPress site. The easiest way to get to know them is a dashboard tour. Before building or updating your website, you will need to learn what each part is designed to do. Then you will be able to effectively build and maintain your company’s website. Let’s take a look:
1. WordPress Installation | WordPress Core
This is a file that is loaded into your website host. It’s information that an internet browser looks for when pulling up a website. It tells the viewers device how to show the information. In order to utilize WordPress as your platform, you need to have this file installed. The process to install WordPress is complicated, but some hosting services will offer easy installation, as it is the world’s most popular platform. Our choice for hosting is Bluehost. Their installation for WordPress is super easy! Literally, it’s a one-click installation.
If you’re not using Bluehost, WordPress.org is where you can download the WordPress Platform file. Although, many web hosts now offer streamlined installations of favorite platforms.
From time to time, there are updates to this file or the “WordPress Core.” It’s important to keep up with the latest version of this software. If your WordPress version is not up-to-date, you’re vulnerable to hackers or other cyber attacks. Logging in to your WordPress Dashboard should allow you to update the version, and should even alert you if an update is available.
2. WordPress Themes Dashboard
This is a file that is installed to tell the website how to look or how to function. There are thousands of different themes, some paid, some free. If you’re installing your own theme, you will want to be sure you get one that is fully-responsive. This means that it will automatically be the right size for the screen that accesses it. Whether it’s viewed on a cell phone, tablet, desktop or huge monitor, your website will look beautiful as long as your website is responsive.
As a reminder, Google’s new algorithm is “Mobile-First,” so if your website content is different on mobile and desktop, or the mobile appearance is hard to view, you won’t be found as easily in searches.
*Google’s Official Webmaster Blog can explain this better.
Your theme will also update from time to time, so you will need to be sure that the theme version is compatible with the WordPress version. On some occasions, updating your theme can “break” your website. Before you update your theme, visit the company’s website to make sure it’s 100% compatible with your WordPress version.
3. WordPress Pages Dashboard
A page is something you can create in the WordPress dashboard. Your website might have pages like “Home,” “About,” “Team,” “Contact,” “Pricing” and more. On a page, you can have text, images, videos, links and more. You can also have slideshows or other dynamic pieces.
These pieces of content on your page are typically static. You won’t regularly update these pages; only if you gain new team members, add updated photos or update your prices or service offerings. When first starting to build, you will visit this part of the dashboard a lot.
4. Posts (Also Called Articles, Blog Posts or Blog)
A post is similar to a newspaper article. Like a newspaper article, it is a timely piece of information or an update. This part of the dashboard is where you create blog posts. Blog posts can have text, images, videos, links and more. Many blog posts have text and images. A blog is a great place to explain what you do, how you do it and why you’re the best. Any company that uses the WordPress Platform is already primed to have a helpful blog for their clients!
It is very important to use plugins (as I explain below) to help search engines find your website. The setting you adjust to help search engines find you are in a post’s dashboard.
A blog is the number one avenue through which new customers will get introduced to your website. When a blog successfully uses key, industry terms in its articles, it is rated higher by Google and other search engines.
*This article can explain how blogging increases your page rank.
5. WordPress Plugins
A plugin is a piece of software that adds more functions to your website. There are many different types of plugins available: e-commerce, SEO, image sliders, video embeds and more.
In addition to the WordPress Platform, many plugins can be found on WordPress.org. There are many free plugins that can accomplish just about anything. Also, there are “free-mium” plugins. If you need something very specific, you can usually try it before you buy it. Then, you just pay a little bit to get exactly what you need.
Most software-based website hosts do not facilitate automatic plugin updates, though the the WordPress dashboard alerts you when there are updates and makes it easy to do the updates.
Like your theme, an incompatible plugin can break your website. Before you update the plugins, visit the company’s website to make sure it’s 100% compatible with your WordPress version.
6. Media Library Dashboard
This is where you can upload your images and files to your website. You upload photos for pages and posts, videos, PDF documents and more once and can be used across the various parts of your site. Each file uploaded will have a name and a URL. The Media Library dashboard is accessible through many parts of your WordPress site, which allows you to drop images into your pages and posts with ease.
Conclusion:
As far as creating your website, the majority of components you will need to use are here. There are other components you can add to the WordPress Core to increase functionality. Hopefully, this quick tour will get you on your way to creating with WordPress–Go check it out!
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