Is WordPress Easy to Learn? A Beginner’s Guide

If you’re building a new website, you’ve likely looked at WordPress as one of your options. You may have noticed that many people favor this content management system (CMS) over other solutions. In fact, it powers over 40 percent of websites. But is WordPress easy to learn?

The truth is that WordPress may not be as straightforward as all-in-one website builders like Wix and Squarespace. You’ll need to manage different components of your website, including hosting, domain, and security. However, you’ll have full control over your content, so the learning curve is worth it. 

In this post, we’ll take a closer look at WordPress and the things involved in creating a site on this CMS. We’ll also discuss whether it’s easy to learn and master the platform, and direct you towards some great online resources to help you get started. So, let’s dive right in!

What Is WordPress?

First, it’s important to highlight the difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com, as many beginners might think they’re interchangeable. 

WordPress.org is a self-hosted software. This means you download it to your computer and look for a hosting provider to publish your website. You’ll also need to purchase a domain. With this option, you’ll be in full control of your content:

On the other hand, WordPress.com is a hosting service. Essentially, you’ll purchase a plan and have everything in one place: your site (powered by the WordPress software), domain, and web hosting. 

WordPress is a very flexible web-building software. You can use it to build any type of website, including blogs, online shops, portfolios, membership sites, and more.

With WordPress, you’ll be able to fully customize your content with themes, code, page builders, and native features like the Site Editor. And if you want to add more functionality, you’ll find a wealth of third-party tools (known as “plugins”) that you can use to complete your site.

What’s Involved in Creating a WordPress Site?

So, we’ve introduced you to the WordPress software. However, there are other components involved in creating a WordPress site.

Let’s look at the main ones. 

Your Domain Name

A domain name is your website’s address, like www.yourwebsite.com. You can purchase yours from a domain registrar or a hosting provider.

At NameHero, we have an instant domain search tool to help you find your desired name:

You can choose from a variety of domain extensions, including popular ones like .com, .org, and .net. Lesser-known extensions like .ai and .tech are also available. 

A Web Hosting Account

When you opt for self-hosted WordPress, you’ll need to purchase hosting. Without it, you won’t be able to make your site live.

There are many hosting providers that offer WordPress plans for beginners. At NameHero, we’ll automatically install WordPress for you, so you’ll have less work to do:

Some of our WordPress hosting plans also include a free domain. And, you’ll be able to create an email account with your domain, e.g., [email protected]. 

Themes

A WordPress theme consists of layouts and designs that determine the look and feel of your website. You’ll find thousands of themes available, including free and premium options:

You can choose a theme that’s designed specifically for the type of site you want to build, or your niche. For instance, there are themes for fashion stores, educational sites, law firms, creative agencies, travel blogs, and many other industries. 

Once you install and activate a theme, you’ll be able to customize it. Most themes enable you to choose your own colors and fonts and adjust the layouts of your pages.

Plugins

Plugins are add-ons that extend your website’s functionality. Like themes, they’re available in free and premium versions.

You’ll find plugins for building custom forms, creating membership areas, adding payment gateways, displaying social media feeds, and a lot more:

While these tools are optional, you’ll want to make sure that you have an SEO plugin like Yoast and a security solution like Jetpack. 

So, Is WordPress Easy to Learn?

Well, the answer largely depends on your level of technical knowledge and the type of website you need. For instance, if you’ve used website builders before and want to create a simple blog, you’ll find it easier to learn WordPress than if you were a complete newbie who wants to build a multi-vendor marketplace.

Compared to website builders like Wix or Squarespace, WordPress requires a few extra steps to set up. As we have seen, you’ll also need to purchase hosting and a domain name, besides installing the WordPress software.

When it comes to actually creating the site, every web builder can be overwhelming at first. Many solutions like Wix offer drag-and-drop builders with lots of customization options, so it will likely take some time to familiarize yourself with everything. 

WordPress works a little differently, though you’ll still have access to a visual builder. From the admin dashboard, you’ll be able to install plugins and themes, create posts and pages, manage comments, run updates, and a lot more:

When you click to create a new post or page, you’ll be taken to the Block Editor. Here, you can create your content using blocks:

You’ll find blocks for paragraphs, headings, images, buttons, and many other elements. You’ll also be able to customize each block. 

Meanwhile, the WordPress Site Editor enables you to apply site-wide changes (like fonts and colors) and edit your templates. It has a similar interface to the Block Editor, and you can use blocks to customize your header, footer, and other areas of your site:

Note that the Site Editor is only available with block themes. If you use a classic theme, you’ll get the WordPress Customizer instead:

The Customizer is simpler but you’ll have less control over the design of your pages. Having said that, you can install a WordPress page builder like Elementor to get more control over the design.

These plugins add a drag-and-drop interface to WordPress, making it much easier to design your site. They often come with pre-designed templates, so you can start with a solid layout and tweak it to fit your needs.

It may take some to fully explore the available settings and options in the WordPress dashboard. But once you master the basics, it will become a lot easier to customize your site and configure new plugins. 

How Can I Learn WordPress More Quickly?

Since WordPress is so popular, it has an enormous community of site owners, developers, and designers. You’ll find lots of forums, video tutorials, and blogs that help users learn the basics and create more advanced websites. 

But before we look at some of these resources, it’s important to note that some web hosts offer managed WordPress hosting. This means they will handle essential tasks for you, including backups and updates. 

At Namehero, all of our WordPress plans include free daily backups and auto updates. We also offer a suite of security tools to protect your site against common threats. 

With a managed hosting plan, you’ll have fewer things to worry about. You’ll be able to focus your efforts on learning WordPress and creating a truly unique site.

So, here are some online resources that will help you master WordPress more easily. 

Learn WordPress

The best place to get started is the official WordPress.org learning center. On Learn WordPress, you’ll find courses for beginner, intermediate, and advanced users:

You’ll learn how to install themes and plugins, use the Site Editor, set up your navigation menu, and a lot more. 

You can also sign up for online workshops, which are held live. 

YouTube Channels

Many popular WordPress blogs have YouTube channels where they publish video tutorials for beginners. 

For example, WPBeginner shows you how to create a WordPress website with a step-by-step video guide:

They also have tutorials for using the Block Editor, creating a navigation menu, and almost anything else you can think of. 

Online Courses

Some online learning platforms like Udemy offer complete WordPress courses for beginners:

This can be a good way to learn WordPress, as you’ll be able to ask questions to your tutor and interact with other students. Some courses give you lifetime access to material and videos, so you can always refer back to them if you need assistance. 

Conclusion

WordPress might seem a bit daunting at first, especially if you’re completely new to website building. Unlike all-in-one solutions like Wix, you’ll need to install the software, get a domain name, and purchase web hosting. Then, you’ll have to spend some time familiarizing yourself with the WordPress dashboard, plugins, themes, and other tools.

Fortunately, there’s an abundance of learning resources to help you get started. Learn WordPress offers courses for beginners, and you can also watch video tutorials by popular WordPress blogs like WPBeginner. 

At NameHero, we provide managed WordPress hosting plans to help make things easier for you. Our plans include daily backups, auto-updates, and security essentials. We’ll also install WordPress for you. Check out our plans today!