11 of The Best Susan Velez Blog Posts to Teach You How to Start WordPress

Last updated on August 1st, 2018 at 06:21 pm

If you are wanting to learn how to start WordPress, you’re in the right place. WordPress can be challenging for so many people, especially if you have never used it before.

When I first started using the WordPress software back in the day, I had no clue what I was doing. If I remember correctly, it took me well over 8 hours to set up my first site. This wasn’t even including the theme or the plugins.

Now that I’ve been working with WordPress for over 8 years, the basics are a lot easier to me. However, I know that a lot of people who want to learn how to start a blog are scared of the techie side of blogging.

You can read my Kindle eBook WordPress Complete Beginners Guide: A Reference Guide to Help You Set Up Your First WordPress Blog right now.

If you spend time in Facebook groups, you will see a lot of people asking how to start a blog for free or how can I get started with WordPress without dealing with the techie aspects.

Most people have no clue if they are using the right software version. This post is for people who are using the WordPress software on a self-hosted blog.

Heck, I’ve even had people reach out to me via Facebook and ask me if I could set up their blog for them. So I thought that I would roundup 11 of my best posts that will teach you how to start WordPress and lay the foundations for your blog.

These posts are not in any specific order. However, if you take the time to follow them, you will lay the proper foundation for your blog.

Then all you will have to do is worry about writing amazing content and promoting it to your targetted readers.

Plus you won’t have to worry about going back and doing something later. The best part is that I’ve put together several step-by-step tutorials to help you accomplish all the tasks.

Let’s get you started.

11 of The Best Susan Velez Blog Posts to Teach You How to Start WordPress

These not listed in any particular order. I’ve just gathered my best beginner posts to help you learn how to start WordPress.

My goal is to make it easier for you to learn your way around WordPress. Because I know how challenging it can be for a new blogger.

How to Get Your Blog Started On SiteGround

First and foremost, if you don’t have your blog set up then now is the time to get one set up. I’ve put together a step-by-step tutorial to help you get your blog up and running on SiteGround.

I use and recommend SiteGround for hosting a brand new blog. I am currently on the GrowBig plan and once my blog hits 25,000 pageviews, I will probably end up moving to another hosting account.

However, as a new blogger, there’s no reason to overpay for your hosting. So sign up here for your SiteGround hosting and get your blog set up.

Once you are done setting up your WordPress blog on SiteGround, be sure to come back to this page and so you can continue learning how to start WordPress and get familiar with the basics.

Understanding The WordPress Dashboard

If you used the one-click installation on SiteGround, then you’ll automatically be taken to the WordPress dashboard once you’re doing setting up WordPress.

If you’ve never been inside of a WordPress blog before, you’re going to be confused. Chances are you’re going to start thinking, what do I do.

Will I be able to figure all this out without tearing out my hair? Well, don’t worry.

The dashboard may look confusing at first, but once you start logging into your WordPress blog on a daily basis, you’ll get the hang of it. Plus I’ve written a step-by-step tutorial to help you understand the WordPress dashboard.

So take the time to read it, because you’re going to be seeing the dashboard every time you log into WordPress. Oh and here’s how you log into your WordPress blog just in case you are not sure how to do that.

How to Choose A WordPress Theme

One of the biggest mistakes that new bloggers make is taking forever to choose a WordPress theme. I know that you want your blog to look amazing before your launch.

But the truth is that no one is going to see your blog when it is brand new. Yes, your friends and family will see it if you share the link with them.

But no one else is going to know that your blog exists until you get out there and start promoting it. Plus it takes a while for a blog to start gaining traction and gaining loyal followers.

The last thing you want to do is prolong launching your blog because you can’t find the right theme or your logo doesn’t look perfect.

You can always tweak your design as you continue to blog. The most important thing to do is to choose something that you’re happy with and looks good on mobile. Then launch that blog and start working your butt off to get it in front of your targetted audience.

I’ve put together some great tips that will teach you how to choose a WordPress theme, plus I’ve rounded up some of my favorites.

How to Setup A WordPress Gravatar – Why You Need One

One of the most basic tasks for a blogger is setting up a WordPress Gravatar. It still surprises me how many bloggers do not take the time to set up their WordPress Gravatar.

If you are trying to build a profitable business and want to eventually earn money with your blog. You definitely need to take the time to set up a WordPress Gravatar. It will help people see the face behind your blog and build trust with you.

It’s hard to build trust with a blogger who is still using the “Mystery Man” or hides behind their blog. Plus it’s free and the best part is that once you complete the task, you don’t have to worry about doing it again.

Here’s my step-by-step tutorial to help you set up your WordPress Gravatar.

What Is A WordPress Plugin

So many new bloggers struggle with understanding what a plugin is. It can be challenging to grasp what plugins are and how to use them. That’s why I’ve written The Complete Beginners Guide to WordPress Plugins.

Once you read it, you’ll have a better understanding of what they are and how to use them. I know what you’re thinking, which plugins should I use for my blog.

I wish there was a one size fits all answer for this question. The truth is that every blog is different and what works for some people may not work for others. It really all just depends on what you want to do with your blog.

When it comes to which plugins you should start using for your blog, it all just boils down to start with the basic plugins. Once your blog starts growing and you want to add another specific functionality to your blog, you can add more.

I’ve put together a list of 7 of the free plugins that you should look at. You can also find 7 of my favorite plugins here.

Create A Favicon For Your Blog

Another simple task that will help improve your blog. Plus as you start to use rich pins on Pinterest, you want to make sure that your favicon is showing and people can start recognizing your blog.

This is another one of those tasks that you only have to do once and then you never have to worry about it. The best part is that there are several Favicon Generators that will help you accomplish this task.

Let’s get your favicon created today.

How to Change Your WordPress Time Zone In 3 Simple Steps

As a blogger, one of the things that you’re going to be doing a lot of is writing content. Once you start getting into the groove of your daily blogging tasks, chances are you’re going to want to start using the Pomodoro Technique.

Chances are you’ll start writing your content ahead of time and working on your editorial calendar. A lot of successful bloggers write their content in advance so they don’t have to worry about writing a blog post the day they need fresh content for their blog.

If you’re scheduling your content in advance, you want to make sure that your WordPress time zone is set up properly. Otherwise, your blog posts will not post at the correct time you want them to post.

So before you start writing your first blog post, let’s go to your blog settings and configure your WordPress time zone to match yours.

Write Your First Blog Post – Text Editor Explained

Writing a blog post in WordPress can be a little confusing, especially if you have never worked in the WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) text editor.

But if you’ve written a document in Microsoft Word then it won’t take long to write your first blog post. There are a lot of features that you can use while writing your blog post in WordPress.

Sometimes it can be a little confusing to someone who’s never worked with it. That’s why I break it down and show you exactly how to use the WordPress text editor.

Yup another step-by-step tutorial that will help you learn everything that will help you learn how to write your first blog post using the WordPress text editor.

How to Schedule Blog Posts Pin WordPress

One of the features that I absolutely love in WordPress is the scheduling feature. This makes it so easy to write content in advance and schedule it to go live when you choose to.

Now I know what you’re thinking. Why would I want to schedule my blog posts and not just publish whenever I want?

One of the things that you want to do as a blogger is to develop a consistent routine. This means that you’re going to decide whether you want to publish one post per week or you can publish 3 posts per week like I do.

Either way, you need to find what works for you.

Once you decide how many times you’ll be publishing content, you can then sit down and write your content in advance. Instead of sitting down to write your new blog posts the day before they are due to be published.

You can write your content in advance and use the scheduling feature in WordPress to publish them when you want. The best part is that you won’t have to worry about not having new blog posts published on your blog just because you’re away from your computer.

Here’s the step-by-step tutorial on how to schedule posts in WordPress.

How to Set Up Google Analytics

One of the most important things you will want to do is set up Google Analytics from day one. As a blogger, you’re going to realize that growing your blog is one of the most challenging things you will do.

This means that you’re going to be trying to grow your blog using Pinterest or other social media platforms. Google Analytics will help you track your visitors so you will know which promotion techniques are working for you.

Otherwise, you’ll be flying blind and won’t know which promotion techniques are actually worth your time and effort. So do yourself a favor and let’s get Google Analytics installed on your blog right now.

Verify Your Blog In Pinterest

If you haven’t heard how amazing Pinterest can be for bloggers, you will. Once you’re ready to start promoting your blog, it won’t take long to hear other bloggers say that you should be using Pinterest to help you grow your blog.

Now before you can start using Pinterest for your blog, you need to make sure that your blog is Pinterest ready. I’ve written a step-by-step tutorial to help you verify your blog on Pinterest.

You will want to make sure that you sign up for a business account on Pinterest, here’s a great article that will show you how to do that.

It takes time to learn how to use Pinterest as a marketing tool for your blog. That’s why I’ve rounded up some of my best Pinterest articles to help you.

Pinterest articles to help you grow your traffic:

• 5 Unknown Pinterest Tips to Grow Your Blog
• 2 Pinterest Scheduling Tools You Need to Take A Look At
• 3 Clever Ways to Make Money From Pinterest With Your Blog

Final Take Away

Blogging on WordPress is a lot more than just writing content for your new blog. You’re going to have to start wearing several hats. You become the content creator, marketer, tech person, and networker.

This can be challenging, especially, if you’ve never run a blog before. It’s a lot harder than most people tell you it is. But the great thing is that the reward you get from blogging is amazing.

Now it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a while to actually grow your blog. So don’t be fooled into thinking that if you start your blog today, it will be earning you thousands in a few months.

Unfortunately, blogging is a long-term strategy. But if you stick with it and continue learning and growing, I have no doubt that you will learn how to start WordPress and create a profitable blog along the way.

You can’t know everything from the get-go. Heck, I’ve been working with WordPress for over 8 years and I still don’t know everything there is to know. Not to mention, I still learn new things about blogging.

So be willing to invest in your blog and your blogging education to grow.

Keep Learning

I’d love to tell you that once you set up your blog and start blogging, everything will come naturally to you. But the truth is that you’re going to have to keep learning WordPress and working on your blogging education.

Don’t worry, there are tons of other bloggers who share valuable free information that will help you become a successful blogger. You can also browse YouTube channels to help you learn more about Pinterest, here’s mine.

Hand Picked Articles for You

• 5 Things to Do After Installing A Self-Hosted Blog
• What Are Permalinks and How to Use Them
• 11 Ways to Improve Your Blog Right Now

When you started with WordPress, did you struggle with any of these basic tasks? Let me know, I’d love to hear your first WordPress experience.