WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS) in the world. It’s not only highly versatile, but also extremely easy to use. Whether it’s your own blog or a website for a company or organization, with WordPress you can get your web presence up and running without needing to know how to code.
In this article, we present the most important elements that your new website should include, from the ideal WordPress hosting infrastructure to the right theme and useful extensions.
If you want to start by acquainting yourself with five reasons why WordPress is the most-used CMS in the world, we recommend our introductory article “What is WordPress?”.
Hosting & domain: the basis of your WordPress website
Before you can get started with WordPress, you need two fundamental building blocks: a web hosting package and a domain name. The hosting package ensures that your website can be accessed on the internet. Factors like fast load times, high availability and security are especially important here. If these factors apply to your website, Google rewards those optimizations with higher rankings in search results.
And your domain name? This works like an address for your website that enables you to be found. Choose a short, memorable name that’s a good fit with what you offer. Avoid special characters and diacritics as well as names that could pose a trademark risk. A well chosen top-level domain, such as .ch or .swiss to highlight your Swissness, or .blog to make your personal blog instantly recognizable as such, can also be helpful
As the biggest web hosting provider in Switzerland, Hosting offers everything from a single source: web hosting with the advantages of being based in Switzerland, a huge selection of domains and first-class support that assists you with any questions you might have about getting set up, in your language, free of charge, by phone or e-mail, seven days a week.
Tip:
At Hostpoint, you manage your e-mail addresses, web hosting and domains in one place using our very own, easy-to-use Hostpoint Control Panel.
How to install WordPress with a single click
Once you have ordered and set up your Wordpress web hosting and domain, you’re ready to install WordPress on your server. The good news: this process executes automatically after a single click via the Hostpoint Control Panel. It takes just a few minutes and requires no prior technical knowledge.
Create your own WordPress website in just three steps:
- Log into the Hostpoint Control Panel using your Hostpoint ID.
- Go to “Websites”, then “One-click apps” and “Available applications”, and click “Install” next to WordPress.
- Choose the desired domain (internet address) then click “Install”.
You will see the login details for your first login once after installation. Ideally, save the details in the password manager of your choice.
If you already operate a WordPress website with a different web hosting provider, our free migration service will help you make the move. Whether it’s your website, domain or e-mail: we’ll help you switch to Hostpoint and ensure a smooth transition.
Themes: what’s the best WordPress theme for me?
Once the installation of WordPress is complete, it’s time to decide on the appearance of your website. There are thousands of available design templates – called themes – that you can adapt as desired.
To get started, it’s a good idea to start with a beginner-friendly theme. It shouldn’t be too elaborate, should load quickly and should have a responsive design so that it looks good on smartphones. Take some time and try out the countless different themes – there are so many to choose from!
Many themes are free, while premium themes often offer more functions and dedicated support. So an investment can make sense depending on the project.
Plugins: More functions for your website
WordPress is not just a highly flexible CMS with extraordinary design freedom in itself. Plugins also enable you to expand these benefits significantly further. Whether it’s contact forms, SEO or security functions, there’s a plugin for almost anything you might want.
For starters, we recommend the following:
- All-In-One WP Security for greater security
- W3 Total Cache for faster load times
- UpdraftPlus or BackWPup for backups
- Yoast SEO or Rank Math for search engine optimization
- WPForms or Contact Form 7 for contact forms
Important: Only install plugins that you really need. Having too many plugins can slow your website down. Also make sure that you keep all of your plugins up-to-date and delete unused ones to avoid security risks. Further recommendations and more detailed information about plugins can be found in our article on the subject.
Security & maintenance: protect your website long-term
To ensure that your website not only looks good but also runs stably and is as well protected as possible against threats, regular maintenance and installation of updates are absolutely essential. WordPress offers the option of having updates automatically installed. Use this option to ensure that you’re always up-to-date with regard to your CMS.
Updates are just as important for plugins and themes as they are for your CMS. Old plugins or ones that are no longer supported by developers can pose a security risk for your website. So be sure to check and delete plugins that you no longer need and replace any that are no longer supported.
For the worst-case scenario (such as loss of the website), you should absolutely create a backup. This process can also be done automatically on a regular basis and ensures access to a working version. Depending on the hosting package, Hostpoint also backs up your data for up to 180 days.
Tip:
Create your backups based on the proven 3-2-1 rule. Keep three copies of your data, saved on two different media (e.g. hard drive and cloud) and keep one copy in an external location. That way, you’re safe even if you have a hardware defect, malware or unintended data loss.
Last but not least, activate two-factor authentification for the login to your WordPress account. This makes it harder for attackers to gain control of your website.
Conclusion
Whether it’s for your own blog, an organization or a company: It’s never been easier to set up your own website. With the WordPress solution from Hostpoint, you have the tool you need to set up your website in just a few steps. And if you want to move an existing website to Hostpoint, our free migration service is there to assist you.
