It has been my dream for quite a while to start my own website. I think part of the reason is that I have always loved writing, but found it difficult to keep up without having the right platform that seemed to work best for me. That’s why a website blog seemed like the perfect solution!
However, I will say that for the longest time I have been intimidated to get the ball rolling. There are a ton of guides on the internet breaking down what I needed to do to start, but most seemed to go over what I believe to be just the initial setup. The part that comes afterwards is what I believe to be the hardest part, one that I am still learning as I try to get this site up and running. I definitely think there is the potential to make things a lot more simple, and so this will be my attempt at documenting my own setup journey. Let’s actually start with the part that I think is universally shared by everyone, which is…
Getting a domain & host, and what it actually means
This part was actually the easiest for me to complete (and the most expensive). Who says that money doesn’t solve most problems? There were plenty of guides online that specifically covered this part. For me, I chose to use HostGator for my web hosting. I also very luckily had a unique name so it was quite easy to get the right domain. But what exactly do those two mean? Let’s break it down.
A domain is a unique address that essentially provides coordinates for visitors to find your site on the web.
Without it, nobody would know how to visit my site. A URL (uniform resource locator) and domain name are often used interchangeably, but the domain actually is just part of the total URL. Let’s break down mine.
- https:// is known as the protocol. The http stands for “hypertext transfer protocol” and is used to transfer information between your web browser and my website. The “s” in https stands for secure, and it basically adds encryption to the information transfer therefore bringing a level of security to the site.
- yushengxia.com is the domain name. It is unique to me and my site, which is why I had to buy rights to use it.
A web host is essentially a hosting service you by from a provider allowing you to store your website’s files and data on their server.
So while my domain name is the unique address providing coordinates, the web host is kind of like the driver that transports visitors to my site. It is my hosts responsibility to make sure my website contents are sent to viewers from their stored location. In my case with choosing HostGator, I am asking them to store the information for my site and to send it to you to view it in this post when you visit my domain.
How I should have gotten started with WordPress
So I visited the sites and paid for what I needed. I now have my address and I have my storage + transporter (web host). I just needed an actual website. That is where WordPress came in. They allowed me to start building my site and was labeled as a user friendly, code free platform offering easy block based page setup with room for customization.
To be frank, I actually got quite confused at this part due to the sheer amount of optionality now provided. All guides say to start with a theme, which is a general formatting layout and structure I use to build the shell for my site. There were plenty of themes online that I can choose from, but the issue with starting this way was that up until this point, I had been following step – by – step instructions for what I should be doing. And that just didn’t work when I was told to choose a theme and start building. All themes are slightly different, and the issue was that if I wanted to follow the instructions provided by the guide but didn’t choose their exact theme, I would get lost on what I needed to do to follow along their setup.
A better path forward would have been to explore the entire WordPress command center and familiarize myself with the key building blocks and terms I would be using. So, I am going to do just that and cover what I found so far to be things I should know before I start.
Key WordPress relevant terms to know
A theme is a pre-formatted set of files that provide my site a template, code files, graphics, and general style layered onto the core WordPress software.
This means that depending on which theme I select, I’ll have a great starting point for my site that I can then customize according to what I want my end product to look like. One key thing to note is that different themes have different limitations on what you can or cannot do. In addition, how I and other site visitors interact with my site are heavily influenced by what theme I choose.
WordPress does allow for more nuanced customization of installed themes through the addition or modification of CSS, which is the coding language responsible for website formatting. However, that is a skill that I currently do not hold (and possibly never will).
I think it is incredibly important before choosing a theme to know exactly what you want your site to be used for, what you want it to look like, and how you want it to interact with visitors. Only by doing that pre-work can you actually sit down and research between the available themes offered for your site which one is the best fit.
A plugin is a software add-on that enhances program capabilities.
What that means for WordPress is that plugins help me add capabilities to my site without having to code it out. I get it though, this sounds like a very broad definition that doesn’t really tell you anything. But I guess that’s the point, plugins add almost limitless capabilities to your website.
You can have a plugin that helps review and spellcheck all errors on a post you are about to publish. Or one that secretly runs A/B testing to site visitors who end up seeing slightly different pages. Or even one that appends on “Thank you for visiting!!!” after every written post. Essentially, installing a plugin is like installing someone’s add-on code that helps enhance your website in a customizable way. Or heck, you can even write your own!
Many website building guides actually provide you a list of recommended plugins to add while you are building your site. While I do like the idea of installing some popular plugins, I would highly recommend becoming really comfortable with the knowledge of what a plugin is and how they can be leveraged, as otherwise it can be confusing just due to the wide array of options and functionality available before you’ve even mastered the basics.
Now, one thing about plugins that actually make them preferable to editing the core WordPress code files is that an update to WordPress overwrites all core WordPress code files and as a result, you would have to re-edit all core files again. Whereas for a plugin, you would just need to make sure they are updated to handle site updates if they occur.
A widget is a modular element that you can use to add a specific feature to your site, oftentimes code-free
Whoa so hey, that actually sounds a LOT like a plugin. However, I tend to think about it in this following way: adding a plugin is like buying a toolbox and adding widgets is like using the tools in the toolboxes you have.
Widgets allow us to do things like add a quote in a cool quote box to our site (example below), insert a “read more” button that condenses a post preview, and much more.
“Some feel the rain, others just get wet.”
– Roger Miller, later stolen by Yusheng
The default WordPress site comes with many standard widgets, but you can easily search for plugins that add additional widget options. You can also develop your own if you’re looking for more custom functionality that doesn’t really exist.
Ending thoughts
That’s all that I have currently learned about the site, although the possibilities span a much larger range that the small amount I have covered. I will continue to expand this post as I build more on my website and add additional functionality.
As a final thought, I do think it’s incredibly important to know what you want to do with your site and make incremental efforts to move toward that goal. Imagination is unbounded and focusing primarily on what can be done as opposed to what should be done to best move forth your goals can be the key differentiator between a temporary website fling and a long term committed project.
For those interested in starting your own site, wishing you best of luck!!
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