Learning the basics of WordPress

From logging in, to plugins, themes and security.

Your website has been launched and they tell you it’s a WordPress. Great! What’s a WordPress though? In this post we will cover the basics of how to learn WordPress which is a content management system. Fancy words for software that helps centralize all your website stuff so you can move around images, update text and keeps your website looking good.

Step 1. Learn WordPress, Logging In

To log into a website we need a username and a password. An email address also works too. Not to different from what you have seen on Facebook, Instagram, Google and even Walmart.com you need to a way to enter the account. An administrator account in WordPress will give you access to the part of the website only the tech people see. Not a general website user. They will always see the front of the website, or front-end. Now back to getting into the WordPress dashboard.

The default login URL provided by the WordPress platform is yourwebsitenamehere.com/wp-admin

The added ‘/wp-admin’ gives you access to the login screen for WordPress. Here is where you enter your username or email and password. If you are successful, than you automatically redirected to the WordPress Dashboard where you can begin editing, updating and learning more about your website.

Step 2. Learn WordPress Plugins

WordPress plugins are forever growing and changing. These amazing little bits of webcode we call plugins allow the community of WordPress users to have access to some great features without having to write a ton of code. These plugins can change a blank simple WordPress install to a mega-website that can accept contact form submissions, create amazing sliders and grahics, share your traffic data for analytics and the list is essential endless.

As the WordPress community grows we encourage new developers to create amazing plugins to fill the very few gaps in the WordPress plugin ecosystem. Need a stellar contact form? There is a plugin for that. Need an events manager, there is a plugin for that. Crazy awesome home sliders? Totally a plugin for that.

Where do you find these plugins? My first guess would be the Left Main WordPress Menu item labeled ‘Plugins’ crazy enough. Exactly what I love about WordPress is that everyone can use it. Direct and simple. Now that you found the plugins menu item, you have found the home of all the plugins. Yay! Activate, deactivate, update, delete, the options are all yours. Even handy little descriptions give you better insight into the features that power your WordPress installation.

Step 3. Learn WordPress Themes

WordPress themes vary greatly. Some are free and bare bones. Some are premium with action packed goodies to play with. All are not made the same. But the theme’s job is to power the aesthetics of the website. So the general look of the website, where you logo sits, the footer, the colors and your main navigation.

Trying to learn more about your current theme? Hover over the main WordPress leftbar menu item, Appearance and you will a Themes sub-menu. Click and go. The themes screen will load showing all the available themes saved with your instance of WordPress like the version number and all the good juicy tech details.

Step 4. Learn WordPress Security

If you think hackers will give up, you are only kidding yourself. Attacks across the globe on large to small websites happen all the time. Why? Financial gain is the usual culprit. Hack your website and hold it for ransom.

I can hear the scoffs in the back, well my website is niche or is so small no one cares. You are right, no one cares enough to hold it ransom yet. Until then they will use your server resources to spam the internet and further hack other accounts. What can you do? Protect your website.

Many plugins are available to help keep your website safe. Our website builds always include a minimum level of security with WordPress as well as on the hosting server through a secure socket layer, otherwise known as an SSL.

Why Learn WordPress?

The easiest answer to why learn WordPress? Your company website is your digital storefront. If someone comes knocking do you want them to become frustrated and move onto another company or would like to make sure you take care of all customers in person or online?

If you can use a smartphone to download apps and play games, WordPress wont be difficult at all. We live in a tech age, this tech stuff is everywhere and no one expects you to be a developer but understanding the technology that powers your business is never a bad idea.