WordPress, Learn to use it!

You want to learn how to use WordPressAre you just starting out and need a guide to understand how WordPress works? Well... this introductory guide is for you!

Dozens of new users every day WordPress send us questions about how does it work WordPress and get their online project off to a good start.

Today's guide is a collection of the most common questions from those who are new to WordPress to create a website or blog.

 

How to use WordPress: introduction to the CMS

WordPress is a CMS (Content Management System – content management system), which is a tool that allows you to manage website content even without specific skills, such as knowledge of programming languages.

One of WordPress's strengths is the constant release of updates: in fact, developers are always working to ensure greater security, fix bugs, improve and enrich features.

Keep your site WordPress Keeping it up to date is very important! Specifically, you will need to update WordPress itself, the theme and all installed plugins.

The frequency of updates depends on when they are released by the developers of the various themes, plugins, etc. When updates are available, you will find them in your Dashboard in Notice board> Updates.

Warning! Before making updates, always make sure you have a backup copy of your site, as updates can occasionally generate errors.

I don't see the Plugins item in the Dashboard, why?

You are most likely using the .com version of WordPress (The version that doesn't require a domain and hosting plan, but is very limited.) To use plugins, you'll need to use the .org version of the platform instead.

The differences between WordPress.com and WordPress.org are in fact the availability of features like these. Here at SOS WP we only talk about how to use WordPress in the .org version (apart from very rare cases).

To use WordPress.com, you'll need a hosting plan. We recommend SiteGround, which offers excellent service, guarantees high performance, and maximum security.

How can I see how many people visit my site?

The best tool to monitor traffic and interactions on your site is Google Analytics. It is a completely free tool that allows you to collect a lot of information on how users interact with your site.

I recommend connecting your site to Google Analytics as soon as possible, as data can only be collected once the tool is connected to the site.

How do I add images to posts?

WordPress uses a file storage (images, but also videos, audio tracks, and other file types) called the Media Library. Those who are discovering how to use WordPress immediately finds the system for inserting images through the Library very simple and convenient. In fact, if you are writing a post, go to the button Add Media which is located above the Visual Editor, which is the box where you write your content.

Here, you can choose whether to select an image that is already in your Media Library, or upload a new one from your PC.

Once you've selected the image, use the options on the right to format it (you can work on the alignment, size, etc.).

Is there a way to schedule posts in advance?

Absolutely! Running a blog is a lot of work, and if you're just learning how WordPress works You may have noticed that sometimes it can be very convenient to be able to write multiple posts at once and schedule their publication.

To schedule a post in advance, prepare your draft as usual. Then, instead of selecting on the right “Publish” > “Now”, choose a date in the future.

Once you schedule your post, it will be published on the day and time you select.

How can I make money with my site?

A lot of users are interested in knowing how WordPress works To monetize a website. There are many different ways to earn money online; one of the most important requirements is a certain amount of traffic (for this, I refer you to the question on how to use WordPress to get more traffic).

As for actual monetization strategies, the list is long and includes:

• sale of services,
• sale of products,
• promotion of other affiliate services / products,
• membership programs,
• advertising

and many others.

What if you want to create an eCommerce?

Creating an eCommerce store with WordPress and WooCommerce is much easier than you think. The store setup wizard will let you add your first product within minutes of installation. You can sell a wide range of products with WooCommerce, from physical items to digital products, and you can also set up product variants easily and intuitively.

If you want to add functionality to your online shop, you can rely on the countless WooCommerce extensions that will allow you to create an eCommerce site just the way you want it.

WooCommerce is a tool anyone can use, without any particular technical knowledge. However, it's incredibly rich in features, and it might not be easy to take advantage of them all.

Do I need to backup my site?

Absolutely! It's essential to have a backup of your site to protect yourself from the possibility of losing your content in the event of errors, hacker attacks, or other technical issues.

There are several ways to backup a site WordPress:

• manually, by downloading the files via FTP and the database from your cPanel,
• by subscribing to one of the backup services offered by hosting providers,
• using one of the backup plugins WordPress,
• using a service like ManageWP,

etc.

SiteGround, for example, allows you to perform automatic daily backups. This service is included with every hosting plan and keeps your data safe and secure in case of emergency.

These are all valid options, the important thing is that the method you decide to use allows you to recover your site in the event that files and/or the database are lost or corrupted.

How do I change and/or customize the look of my site?

One of the main topics of our blog is about how to use WordPress To create original, professional, and customized websites. Themes are used to create the graphic design of the sites. There are thousands of themes available, with a wide variety of looks.

My advice is to choose a theme that is as close as possible to the look you want to achieve, so as to keep additional customizations to a minimum.

Furthermore, the latest generation themes have many options for customizing colors, fonts, etc. (When you are about to choose a theme, I always recommend trying the demo so you can see the template "in action" and test its various features).

Another way to further customize your site's look is through CSS. This requires some coding, but don't be intimidated; CSS is fairly simple to learn and apply.

How can I send the newsletter?

The newsletter is one of the most powerful tools to keep in touch with your users!

But how to use WordPress to manage your newsletters? Here are the two main methods:

• You can rely on one of the many external newsletter services, such as MailChimp and GetResponse.
• Alternatively, you can use a plugin WordPress which sends the newsletter through your server space (but for most users, it's more efficient to use one of the external services mentioned above). Among the best is undoubtedly MailPoet.

If I have a blog, how much and when should I write?

Great question! The answer: it depends. That is, it depends on your goals and why you have a blog.

A blog can, in fact, have different purposes: it can be used to keep in touch with your readers, to improve your site's SEO, or both.

Frequency is important in both cases. You want users to have new content to read often, and search engines to have new content to add to their indexes!

Quantity, however, is more important from an SEO perspective. Google and other search engines prefer long, in-depth content. If you're concerned about SEO (which I recommend paying close attention to), it's ideal to publish content longer than a thousand words. Industry experts recommend 1,600 words as the ideal length!

How can I get more traffic to my website?

First, remember to be patient. On the web, "quality" traffic—that of loyal users who follow you over time—grows gradually.

Here it is how to use WordPress To increase traffic to your website. First, you'll need to combine various communication channels: first, I recommend regularly publishing content and sharing it on social media (very important!) and through your newsletter.

My second tip is to pay attention to the topics you cover and how you structure your editorial calendar. You want to offer a good mix of topics so that users always find something interesting.

Another very effective way to increase traffic to your site is through guest blogging, which allows you to make yourself known to users of other sites.

Finally, make sure you learn how WordPress works in relation to SEO, to be able to position your site high on search engines.

Can I create a multilingual site?

Of course! The most popular and complete plugin for creating multilingual websites is WPMLThanks to it, you can choose which languages to work with and add others at any time. With a simple button, you can create a copy of an article in the language of your choice; all you need to do is insert the translated content.

You can easily translate all the elements of your site, including menus, sidebars, footers, etc., and even the elements important for SEO (title, meta description, and so on) are easily handled by the plugin.

With the new version of WPML you can also use a very convenient automatic translator that will speed up your work.