When starting out in Web Design, navigating your way around WordPress can seem like a bit of a minefield at first. Here we outline step by step instructions to create and personalise your website using WordPress and templates.

There are two ways to install a WordPress template into your website depending on whether you are using a:

Free Template from the WordPress library (with or without additional premium features)

Or

A premium / paid Template you have already downloaded onto your desktop

Installing a Free Template

• Open up your website, by typing in web address followed by “/wp-admin”
• Log in to your WordPress account
• From your Dashboard, go to “Appearance” and “Themes.” More often than not, a default theme will already be installed (Twenty Twenty)
• Click “Add New” to access the library of free templates (note this also includes free templates but with premium / paid features)
• Search for an choose your template. If you have an idea of what you are after, you can use the “Filter” option to narrow your search
• “Install” and “Activate”

Installing a Premium / Paid Template

• Open up your website, by typing in web address followed by “/wp-admin”
• Log in to your WordPress account
• From your Dashboard, go to “Appearance” and “Themes.” More often than not, a default theme will already be installed (Twenty Twenty)
• Click “Add New” then “Upload Theme”
• From your desktop, choose the Zip file of the template will have previously downloaded (e.g. from Studio Press)
• Click “Open”
• Click “Activate”

Troubleshooting

You have followed all the above steps but your site doesn’t look like the demo version of the template you selected?

• Ensure you read the step by step documentation from your chosen template’s developer which provides a walkthrough on how your site will look the same as the demo
• Reach out for support from your template developer, particularly if you have purchased a premium template. They should be there to offer you the support you require.
• Look at templates that have starter packs or demo content that you can install including Plug-Ins which will reflect the same look of the demo content

How to Install a WordPress Plug-In

WordPress Plugins are used to add new features to your WordPress website (for example, functionality is not available via WordPress by default.)

There are a couple of different ways you can do this:

• Using the “search” facility:
• From your WordPress dashboard, go to “Plugsin” and “Add New”
• Click “Search” to find your desired plugin
• Click “Install Now” then “Activate”
• This is now enabled on your site
• Upload your plugin from your desktop:
• From your WordPress dashboard, go to “Plugins” and “Add New”
• Click “Upload plugin”
• Choose the relevant zip file from your desktop
• Click “Install Now” then “Activate”
• WP Forms has been added to your menu

Once installed, how do you access your plugins?

• From your WordPress dashboard, go to “Plugins” and “Settings”

Or

• On your dashboard side menu, the relevant plugin you installed will be displayed

Every plugin will have different features and works in different ways depending on what it’s designed to do.

How to Install an Image to a WordPress Website

• From your WordPress dashboard, go the side menu
• Select “Media”
• Click “Add New” and “Select Files”
• Find the images you want to upload from your desktop then “Open”
• (Free to use stock images can be downloaded to your desktop prior to this step via www.unsplash.com)
• They will then load onto your WordPress dashboard
• To add your image/s to a post, find the appropriate post on the side menu of your WordPress dashboard, and click “Edit”
• Click “Add Media” then select the image
• “Insert in Post” This will add the image in the main body of the post.
• You can also add main featured images by selecting the “Set Featured Image” at the bottom of the right-hand side menu.
• Select which featured image you want to use from your previously uploaded images
• Click “Set Featured Image”
• Click “Update” on the top of the right-hand side menu to see all changes take effect

How to add users to your WordPress website

You may want to add other users onto your site as contributors or admins, for example if you are too busy to maintain the website yourself or need someone to moderate it etc.

• From your WordPress dashboard, “Users” and “Add New”
• Give them a username, enter their email address, first name, last name, the website, and create a password (or allow WordPress to auto generate)
• Select the “Send User Notification” tick box so they receive an email that they have been added
• Select their role, either: Subscriber, Contributor, Author, Editor or Administrator
• Click “Add new User”
• They should then show under your “Users” section