{"id":6720,"date":"2021-10-12T08:26:20","date_gmt":"2021-10-12T08:26:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elementor.com\/academy\/?p=6720"},"modified":"2023-02-21T09:41:06","modified_gmt":"2023-02-21T09:41:06","slug":"launch-your-wordpress-website","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/elementor.com\/academy\/launch-your-wordpress-website\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Launch Your First WordPress Website"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>By now, you know how to install WordPress, and customize the content within. You will likely have <a href=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/blog\/wordpress-themes\/\">a theme in mind<\/a>, and make a selection of plugins to install. At this point, you need to put the pieces together, and launch your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the next few sections, this lesson will tie together everything we\u2019ve talked about in the previous few. By the end, you\u2019ll have a live site ready to roll!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Define the Structure of Your Site<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before you get into the creative process, you need to figure out <a href=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/blog\/create-website-brief\/\">what your site will consist of<\/a>. In other words, you have to build the structure and hierarchy of your content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: inherit\">Before you get into the creative process, you need to figure out what your site will consist of.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"585\" src=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024,h=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/elementor-navigation-1024x585.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6726\" srcset=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/elementor-navigation-1024x585.png 1024w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=300\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/elementor-navigation-300x171.png 300w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=768\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/elementor-navigation-768x438.png 768w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1536\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/elementor-navigation-1536x877.png 1536w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=2048\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/elementor-navigation-2048x1169.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You can use a paper and pen for this. Start by jotting down the pages you want to have on your site. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>An <a href=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/blog\/how-to-write-about-us-page\/\">About page<\/a>, where visitors find out more about you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A <a href=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/widgets\/form-widget\/\">contact page<\/a>, to let people engage with your site.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You should want to present your products and services if you use the site for a business.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s more, you also want to figure out elements such as what the navigation will contain, and the makeup of the home page. It\u2019s a great idea to think about <a href=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/blog\/create-blog-wordpress\/\">starting a blog<\/a> regardless of whether your site is for business or not. Content marketing is a top way to find traffic, and WordPress is tailor-made for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Purchase a Domain Name and Hosting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you have a clear structure for your site, the next step is to choose and purchase your domain and hosting. We would start with hosting, and take the following steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Research your options based on your budget and user reviews. Consider whether you want long-term hosting, how large your site may get, and more.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When you have a few solutions in mind, dig into what they have to offer and add your findings to your notes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Make a final decision, but keep the renewal window as short as possible. It could be that you have different needs in a few month\u2019s time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As for your domain, you should first decide what the domain name will be, and which Top-Level Domain (TLD) will suit you. While <em>.com<\/em> is still a prime TLD, it\u2019s not the only one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"519\" src=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024,h=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/tld-list-1024x519.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6734\" srcset=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/tld-list-1024x519.png 1024w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=300\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/tld-list-300x152.png 300w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=768\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/tld-list-768x389.png 768w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1536\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/tld-list-1536x779.png 1536w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=2048\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/tld-list-2048x1038.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, you could snatch up a few different TLDs for your domain name and redirect traffic to one of them; lots of sites do this as standard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From here, there are a few other steps to take:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Choose a domain registrar, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/godaddy.com\/domains\/domain-name-search\">GoDaddy<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/wordpress-hosting\/siteground\/\">SiteGround<\/a>. Base your decision on reviews as you did for your hosting.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Add domain privacy into your package. This keeps your private information out of the public <a href=\"https:\/\/whois.domaintools.com\/\">WHOIS database<\/a>, and is recommended.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Make the purchase for your domain name.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you have both of these in place, you should link the domain and the hosting so visitors can find your site. If you choose a combined registrar and host this should be straightforward, although most hosts will walk you through the process using a third-party registrar too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Install WordPress On Your Server<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At this point, you\u2019ll need to install WordPress. The good news is that most hosts will either install it for you, or provide an \u2018auto installer\u2019. Of course, if you find that WordPress is pre-installed, this saves you some time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even so, using a dedicated installer is quick and simple. You\u2019ll need to carry out the following steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Find the relevant auto installer within your hosting control panel.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enter the basic information for your site, such as its domain name, and decide on some basic site settings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Choose login credentials for your new site.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>From here, you can click the button to install WordPress and wait for the job to complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Create the Key Pages and Elements of Your Site<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s now time to develop your site. There are a few aspects you need to consider:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The posts and pages your site will contain. For this, refer back to your list from earlier.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A dedicated home page, in order to have somewhere for your visitors to land.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your menus, and at the very least primary navigation. You also want to consider whether your header, footer, and sidebar need additional menus. In lots of cases you could create a menu for social media, or other relevant links.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Both the screens to create new posts and pages will be within the left-hand sidebar:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024,h=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/posts-pages-1024x600.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6731\" srcset=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/posts-pages-1024x600.png 1024w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=300\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/posts-pages-300x176.png 300w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=768\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/posts-pages-768x450.png 768w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1164\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/posts-pages.png 1164w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Most of your site\u2019s structural content from earlier will be pages. Content marketing will often consist of posts. Your home page will be a page too, although you\u2019ll need to set this within the <em>Settings &gt; Reading<\/em> screen to see it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"586\" src=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024,h=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/reading-screen-1024x586.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6732\" srcset=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/reading-screen-1024x586.png 1024w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=300\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/reading-screen-300x172.png 300w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=768\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/reading-screen-768x439.png 768w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1536\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/reading-screen-1536x879.png 1536w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=2048\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/reading-screen-2048x1172.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll create menus within the <em>Appearance &gt; Menus<\/em> screen. We recommend at least four menus: Primary navigation, a footer menu, a sidebar menu, and a social links menu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"585\" src=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024,h=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/menus-screen-1024x585.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6729\" srcset=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/menus-screen-1024x585.png 1024w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=300\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/menus-screen-300x171.png 300w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=768\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/menus-screen-768x439.png 768w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1536\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/menus-screen-1536x878.png 1536w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=2048\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/menus-screen-2048x1170.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, if your site doesn\u2019t have a sidebar, you can skip that specific menu. You won\u2019t know this for sure until you choose your theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Find the Perfect Theme<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Once your site has the right foundations, you need to make sure it\u2019s decorated. For this, you turn to your theme. You can think of this as a \u2018skin\u2019 for your site that deals primarily with its visuals. Though, it\u2019s not restricted to the look of your site: lots of themes can also offer functionality too, if it\u2019s inherent to what the theme offers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: inherit\">You can think of themes as a \u2018skin\u2019 for your site, lots of themes also offer added functionality.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The first place to look is the <a href=\"http:\/\/wordpress.org\/themes\">WordPress Theme Directory<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"439\" src=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024,h=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/theme-directory-1-1024x439.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6733\" srcset=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/theme-directory-1-1024x439.png 1024w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=300\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/theme-directory-1-300x129.png 300w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=768\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/theme-directory-1-768x330.png 768w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1536\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/theme-directory-1-1536x659.png 1536w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=2048\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/theme-directory-1-2048x879.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a collection of thousands of free themes, all vetted by WordPress\u2019 dedicated community team. For example, you can find the Elementor Hello Theme here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"647\" src=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024,h=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/CleanShot-2021-10-19-at-18.12.28@2x-1024x647.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6797\" srcset=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/CleanShot-2021-10-19-at-18.12.28@2x-1024x647.png 1024w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=300\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/CleanShot-2021-10-19-at-18.12.28@2x-300x190.png 300w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=768\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/CleanShot-2021-10-19-at-18.12.28@2x-768x486.png 768w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1536\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/CleanShot-2021-10-19-at-18.12.28@2x-1536x971.png 1536w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=2048\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/CleanShot-2021-10-19-at-18.12.28@2x-2048x1295.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You can browse the entire collection, preview themes, and install your choice direct from the <em>Appearance &gt; Themes<\/em> screen \u2013 once you click the <em>Add New<\/em> button, you\u2019ll come to the Theme Directory:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"585\" src=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024,h=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/dashboard-themes-1024x585.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6724\" srcset=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/dashboard-themes-1024x585.png 1024w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=300\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/dashboard-themes-300x171.png 300w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=768\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/dashboard-themes-768x439.png 768w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1536\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/dashboard-themes-1536x878.png 1536w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=2048\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/dashboard-themes-2048x1170.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re looking for more features and functionality, greater support, and much more, a premium theme is a good idea. You can expect to spend around $50\u2013100 on a theme, and a professional site will benefit from the quality of a dedicated solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Installing a premium theme is as simple as a free solution. You will still head to the <em>Appearance &gt; Themes<\/em> screen and click the <em>Add New<\/em> button, though this time you\u2019ll click <em>Upload Theme<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"518\" src=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024,h=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/upload-theme-1024x518.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6735\" srcset=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/upload-theme-1024x518.png 1024w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=300\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/upload-theme-300x152.png 300w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=768\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/upload-theme-768x388.png 768w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1198\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/upload-theme.png 1198w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>A premium theme often comes as ZIP file, and you\u2019ll upload and activate it here. Once you\u2019ve done so, you can use it just like any other theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Install the Plugins You\u2019ll Need to Enhance Your Site<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Just like your theme, you\u2019ll also need plugins. Lots of these are essential, as they cover functionality such as security, contact forms, and much more. Unlike themes, the <a href=\"http:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\">Plugin Directory<\/a> is the best place to go for a suitable plugin:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"489\" src=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024,h=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/plugin-directory-1024x489.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6730\" srcset=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/plugin-directory-1024x489.png 1024w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=300\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/plugin-directory-300x143.png 300w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=768\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/plugin-directory-768x366.png 768w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1536\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/plugin-directory-1536x733.png 1536w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=2048\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/plugin-directory-2048x977.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: inherit\">Free plugins with good ratings will often fulfill your needs, and also have good support from developers.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Free plugins with good ratings and reviews will often be suitable for your needs, and will also have good support from developers. What\u2019s more, there\u2019s often an upgrade path to premium solutions if you need the extra features. For example, Elementor has a <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/elementor\/\">free version of the page builder<\/a> within the Plugin Directory:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024,h=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/elementor-plugin-1024x563.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6727\" srcset=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/elementor-plugin-1024x563.png 1024w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=300\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/elementor-plugin-300x165.png 300w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=768\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/elementor-plugin-768x422.png 768w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1536\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/elementor-plugin-1536x845.png 1536w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=2048\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/elementor-plugin-2048x1126.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>There is also a <a href=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/pricing\/\">premium upgrade available<\/a> that offers more templates, features, functionality, and support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can install plugins in a similar way to themes \u2013 this time through the <em>Plugins &gt; Add New<\/em> screen:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"586\" src=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024,h=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/add-plugins-screen-1024x586.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6723\" srcset=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/add-plugins-screen-1024x586.png 1024w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=300\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/add-plugins-screen-300x172.png 300w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=768\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/add-plugins-screen-768x439.png 768w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1536\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/add-plugins-screen-1536x879.png 1536w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=2048\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/add-plugins-screen-2048x1172.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you\u2019ve installed and activated the plugins you need, you can see a list of them within the <em>Plugins &gt; Installed Plugins<\/em> screen:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024,h=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/installed-plugins-1024x563.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6728\" srcset=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/installed-plugins-1024x563.png 1024w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=300\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/installed-plugins-300x165.png 300w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=768\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/installed-plugins-768x422.png 768w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1536\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/installed-plugins-1536x845.png 1536w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=2048\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/installed-plugins-2048x1126.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>At this point, you\u2019re almost done. Your final step is to work to make your site the best it can be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Carry Out the Final Customizations to Your Site<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When you\u2019re at a point where you want to launch your site, it\u2019s a good idea to carry out some final checks. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Do you have all of the plugins you need on your site, in order to cover the functionality you need?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does every page on your site have a purpose, and match your brand?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check that the WordPress <em>Settings<\/em> are to your liking. Some of the most prominent settings are on the <em>Reading<\/em>, <em>Discussion<\/em>, and <em>Permalink<\/em> screens. We\u2019ll talk more about these in detail in a later course.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Can you send and receive emails from your dedicated domain address?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do all of your forms work as intended?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does your navigation and menus contain every item the visitor needs to get around your site?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you\u2019ve answered these questions, you can officially launch your site. Owing to the fact that it\u2019s on a live server, the public can find it, which means your site is online! As such, you won\u2019t need to carry out any further steps to get to this point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead, you\u2019ll want to promote your site across social media, and <a href=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/blog\/monetize-wordpress\/\">eventually monetize it<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">In Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Congratulations! You now have your very own WordPress website, live and ready for visitors. Though, this isn\u2019t the end of your journey. There\u2019s almost no practical limit to what you can achieve with WordPress and your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We hope you\u2019ll join us in the next course to continue developing both your site and your WordPress skills!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By now, you know how to install WordPress, and customize the content within. You will likely have a theme in mind, and make a selection of plugins to install. At this point, you need to put the pieces together, and launch your site. Over the next few sections, this lesson will tie together everything we\u2019ve [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":6900,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6720","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-setting-up"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Launch Your First WordPress Website - Academy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Over the next few sections, this lesson will tie together everything we\u2019ve talked about in the previous few. 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