15 WordPress Questions Beginners Ask the Most (And How to Solve Them)
Are you new to WordPress? As the world‘s most popular content management system powering over 40% of the web, WordPress offers incredible flexibility and ease-of-use for building websites. But when you‘re just getting started, you‘re bound to have lots of questions!
Don‘t worry, every WordPress beginner has been in your shoes. As one of the most trusted WordPress resource sites, we‘ve helped thousands of beginners just like you since 2009. We‘ve collected the 15 most common WordPress questions we get asked and provided detailed answers and solutions for each one below.
Consider this your ultimate WordPress FAQ for beginners! We‘ll help you go from WordPress newbie to pro in no time.
How do I choose the right WordPress plan for me?
One of the first decisions you‘ll make is choosing between WordPress.com vs WordPress.org. Here‘s the main difference:
•WordPress.com is a hosted version of WordPress where your site is hosted on WordPress.com‘s servers. It‘s simple to set up but has limited flexibility.
•WordPress.org, often called "self-hosted WordPress," allows you to download the WordPress software and host it yourself. This gives you full control and customization abilities.
If you want a simple personal blog or website, WordPress.com may be enough. But if you need advanced functionality, the ability to put ads on your site, or want full control, go with WordPress.org. For step-by-step help, see our guide on how to make a website.What do I need to start a WordPress site?
To create a self-hosted WordPress website, you‘ll need:A domain name (your site‘s web address, like wpbeginner.com)
A web hosting account (where your site‘s files are stored)
A WordPress theme (to control your site‘s design)
WordPress plugins (to add functionality to your site)
We recommend Bluehost for affordable WordPress hosting, as they are an official WordPress recommended host. See our guide on how to start a WordPress blog for a step-by-step walkthrough.How do I install a WordPress theme?
Your WordPress theme controls the visual design and layout of your website. There are thousands of free and paid WordPress themes available.
To install a free theme from the WordPress.org directory:Log in to your WordPress admin area.
Go to Appearance > Themes.
Click the Add New button.
Search for the theme you want to use or filter by layout, features, and more.
Click Install on the theme you want, then click Activate.
For premium themes, you‘ll need to upload the theme files yourself:Download the theme‘s zip file from the provider.
In WordPress, go to Appearance > Themes.
Click Add New, then Upload Theme.
Choose the theme zip file and click Install Now, then Activate.
For more help, see our guide on how to install a WordPress theme.What are WordPress plugins and how do I use them?
WordPress plugins are like apps for your WordPress site that add extra features and functionality. There are over 50,000 free plugins available, plus premium options.
To install a free plugin:Go to Plugins > Add New in WordPress.
Search for the plugin you need or browse featured and popular plugins.
Click Install Now, then Activate.
For premium plugins, you‘ll need to upload the files manually, similar to premium themes:Download the plugin zip file.
Go to Plugins > Add New.
Click Upload Plugin and choose the zip file.
Click Install Now, then Activate Plugin.
Check out our pick of the must have WordPress plugins for suggestions!How do I create a contact form in WordPress?
Adding a contact form to your WordPress site makes it easy for visitors to get in touch with you. The easiest way is by using a contact form plugin.
We recommend WPForms, the most beginner-friendly contact form plugin. It lets you build your forms with a drag-and-drop builder and easily embed them anywhere on your site.
To create a contact form with WPForms:Install and activate the plugin.
Go to WPForms > Add New.
Choose a template or add fields to build your form.
Click Embed on any page/post and choose your form to add it to your site.
WPForms also integrates with popular email marketing services so you can grow your email list through your contact forms. See our list of the best contact form plugins for more options.How can I get more traffic to my WordPress site?
Getting more traffic is a top priority for most website owners. Here are some of the best ways to boost your WordPress traffic:
• Optimize for SEO with the All in One SEO plugin and our WordPress SEO guide
• Start an email list and send newsletters sharing your best content
• Promote your content on social media and encourage sharing
• Write guest posts for other sites in your niche to tap into their audience
• Run a giveaway to attract new visitors
• Use paid advertising on Google, Facebook, Instagram, etc. to reach new people
Check out our guide with 30 ways to increase your website traffic for more tips.What are categories and tags in WordPress?
Categories and tags help you organize your WordPress blog posts to make them easier for visitors to navigate.
Categories are meant for broad grouping of your posts. For example, if you run a food blog, high-level categories might be Appetizers, Main Dishes, Desserts, etc. You can also create sub-categories within those.
Tags are more specific and describe the details of your post, like ingredients in a recipe. So if you had a post in your Desserts category for a chocolate cake recipe, your tags might be chocolate, cake, birthday, etc.
You can add categories and tags when creating or editing a post. For more help, see our guide on using categories and tags.How do I create a navigation menu?
Your navigation menu guides visitors to the most important parts of your site. To create a menu:Go to Appearance > Menus.
Enter a name for your menu and click Create Menu.
Select the pages, posts, categories, etc. you want to add to the menu on the left.
Click Add to Menu for each one.
Drag and drop the menu items to reorder them as needed.
Choose the display location, such as Primary Menu.
Click Save Menu.
For more detailed steps, see our beginner‘s guide on creating a WordPress navigation menu.Where can I find images to use on my site?
Using compelling visuals is a great way to make your content more engaging and shareable. But you can‘t just use any image you find on Google. Most online images are copyrighted and using them without permission is illegal.
Fortunately, there are many websites offering free public domain and Creative Commons Zero (CC0) licensed images you can freely use on your site, including:
• Unsplash
• Pixabay
• Pexels
• Burst by Shopify
See our list of 21 free public domain image sources for more options. Always double check the license and attribution requirements before using an image.How do I create an eCommerce store with WordPress?
WordPress is a popular choice for eCommerce sites, powering over 40% of online stores. The most popular way to add eCommerce functionality is with the WooCommerce plugin.
WooCommerce adds all the features you need to create an online store, including:
• Customizable product pages
• Shopping cart and checkout
• Inventory management
• Payment processing (supports PayPal, Stripe, and many other gateways)
• Shipping options
• Tax calculations
• Order tracking and management
To get started, install the free WooCommerce plugin, then follow the Setup Wizard to configure your store‘s pages, payment methods, and other settings.
For step-by-step instructions, see our guide on how to start an online store.How can I make my WordPress site load faster?
Page speed is an important factor for user experience, SEO, and conversions. Slow loading times can frustrate visitors and hurt your search engine rankings.
Some best practices to speed up your WordPress site:
• Use a lightweight WordPress theme
• Optimize your images before uploading
• Avoid uploading videos directly to WordPress
• Use a caching plugin like WP Rocket
• Minify your site‘s code and use Gzip compression
• Use a content delivery network (CDN)
• Choose a reputable web host with fast servers
For more tips, check out our ultimate guide to boosting WordPress speed and performance.How do I secure my WordPress site from hackers?
As the most widely used CMS, WordPress sites can be vulnerable to attacks from hackers if not properly secured. But by putting the right security measures in place, you can harden your site‘s security and prevent most threats.
Some of the most important WordPress security best practices:
• Keep WordPress core, plugins, and themes updated to patch vulnerabilities
• Use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication
• Install a WordPress security plugin like Sucuri or Wordfence
• Limit login attempts to protect from brute force attacks
• Enable SSL/HTTPS encryption (most WordPress hosting providers offer free SSL certificates)
• Regularly backup your WordPress site
See our guide to WordPress security for beginners to fully protect your site.How can I create a custom WordPress theme?
If you can‘t find a pre-made WordPress theme you like, you can create your own custom theme without writing code using a visual page builder plugin like SeedProd or Divi.
These drag-and-drop WordPress page builders make it easy to create completely custom page layouts and designs for your entire site. You can start from scratch or customize pre-made templates.
If you have web development experience, you can also create your own WordPress theme from scratch. WordPress.org provides detailed instructions and requirements in the Theme Handbook.
For most beginners, we recommend using a page builder plugin so you can easily make a pixel-perfect site without hiring a developer.How do I create an email newsletter?
Building an email list is one of the best ways to connect with your audience, drive traffic back to your site, and generate revenue. To start an email newsletter, you‘ll need:An email marketing service (we recommend Constant Contact or ConvertKit)
High-quality email content (aim for 90% educational, 10% promotional)
A way to get email signups, like optin forms or a signup landing page
Check out our ultimate guide to email marketing for beginners to learn how to rapidly grow your email list and send newsletters your subscribers will love.How can I make money from my WordPress site?
There are many ways to monetize your WordPress site depending on your niche, audience, and traffic levels. Some of the most popular include:
• Advertising with Google AdSense
• Affiliate marketing (earning a commission promoting others‘ products/services)
• Selling your own physical or digital products
• Offering a membership site or premium content
• Selling sponsored content or ads directly to brands
The key is finding what monetization methods align best with your audience and won‘t annoy visitors with too many ads or spammy content.
See our article on how to make a website and earn money for more ideas. With WordPress, you have no shortage of options to generate revenue from your site!
We hope this in-depth guide answered the most burning questions you have as a WordPress beginner. For more step-by-step WordPress tutorials, see our complete WordPress for Beginners training or subscribe to our YouTube channel.
With a little practice and the right guidance, you‘ll become a WordPress whiz in no time. You‘ve got this!
