With over 15 years as a professional webmaster, I‘ve helped countless beginners start their first WordPress website. Many assume WordPress is too hard, but it doesn‘t have to be.
You see, WordPress powers over 43% of all websites on the internet. Yet every day, new users complain that WordPress seems overly complex and difficult.
If you‘re struggling to get started with WordPress, don‘t worry – you‘re not alone. The good news? With the right approach, WordPress can be just as easy and beginner-friendly as website builders like Wix and Squarespace.
In this guide, I‘ll share my insider tips to help you simplify WordPress and avoid common beginner pitfalls.
Contents
- Why Does WordPress Seem So Challenging Initially?
- How to Make WordPress Easy for Beginners
- 1. Choose the Right Managed Hosting Provider
- 2. Install Essential WordPress Plugins
- 3. Select an Intuitive WordPress Theme
- 4. Use a WordPress Page Builder Plugin
- 5. Follow WordPress Security Best Practices
- 6. Leverage the Vibrant WordPress Community
- 7. Find an Experienced WordPress Tutor
- 8. Embrace Continuous Learning
- Why You Should Still Choose WordPress
- Final Thoughts
Why Does WordPress Seem So Challenging Initially?
There are some key reasons why WordPress may seem intimidating and difficult at first, especially when compared to other website platforms.
1. It‘s Open Source Software
Unlike closed, proprietary systems like Wix or Shopify, WordPress is open source software. This means the source code is openly available for anyone to view and modify.
- The upside is flexibility – you can customize WordPress to your heart‘s content.
- The downside for beginners is increased software complexity without the guardrails of closed systems.
According to BuiltWith, over 43% of the top million websites use WordPress – significantly higher than competitors. For inexperienced users, diving into the deep end of open source can seem daunting.
2. Infinite Customization Options
With WordPress, the possibilities for building a website are literally endless – and that can be overwhelming as a beginner.
You have access to thousands of themes and plugins, allowing you to customize a site in any way imaginable. There are over 55,000 plugins and 10,000 themes available, giving you unlimited options.
For developers, this infinite flexibility is heaven. But for new site owners just starting out, sifting through unlimited options can seem intimidating.
3. Technical Jargon and Lingo
From terms like MySQL, PHP, REST API, object caching, and nonces, WordPress is filled with tech jargon and lingo that leaves many beginners scratching their heads.
Unlike a simple website builder made for beginners, WordPress doesn‘t attempt to hide this technical complexity. For users without a web development background, this can seem foreign and confusing.
4. Manual Software Updates
With WordPress, the site owner is responsible for maintaining and updating the software themselves. This includes:
- WordPress core updates
- Theme updates
- Plugin updates
Neglecting to run regular updates leaves your site vulnerable to security threats and bugs. But for beginners, the manual update process seems tedious and complex compared to a restrictive SaaS model.
5. DIY Responsibilities
With great power comes great responsibility. Since WordPress gives users full control of their websites, it means you‘re responsible for technical tasks like:
- Backups
- Security monitoring
- Performance optimization
- Migration
This differs from the all-inclusive model of website builders like Wix and Squarespace that handle this automatically behind the scenes.
How to Make WordPress Easy for Beginners
Now that you know why WordPress can seem hard, let‘s look at some proven tips to simplify your experience:
1. Choose the Right Managed Hosting Provider
Your web hosting provider controls the environment that your WordPress site runs in. So it has a big impact on performance, security, and ease of use.
I recommend choosing managed WordPress hosting like Bluehost or SiteGround. These plans provide optimized WordPress hosting with useful beginner-friendly features:
- Automated WordPress installation – Get your site up and running quickly.
- Staging sites – Test changes safely before going live.
- Auto updates – Always stay up-to-date.
- Auto backups – Easy built-in data protection.
- Caching and CDN – Blazing fast performance.
- Managed security – Protects your site from threats.
- 24/7 support – Get help when you need it.
With the right managed host, you can eliminate many common WordPress headaches for new users.
2. Install Essential WordPress Plugins
One of WordPress‘ superpowers is its plugin ecosystem. Plugins allow you to add features and functionality without any coding.
There are over 55,000 free plugins available. While choice is great, it can also be paralyzing for beginners.
To get started, I recommend installing a few essential WordPress plugins:
- Yoast SEO – Makes it easy to optimize your content for search engines and improve website readability. A must-have for every site.
- UpdraftPlus – Creates automated backups of your WordPress site to keep your data safe.
- Akismet – Blocks automated spam comments on your site. It‘s free for personal use.
- WPS Hide Login – Obfuscates your WordPress login page to block brute force login attempts. Improves security.
- Smush – Compresses images automatically to speed up your WordPress site.
Starting out with a core set of purpose-driven plugins makes managing WordPress much more beginner-friendly.
3. Select an Intuitive WordPress Theme
Themes control the overall design, layout, and frontend interface of your WordPress site.
Some themes prioritize usability and simplicity, while others favor advanced functionality.
I recommend choosing a flexible theme with a user-friendly interface like:
- Astra – One of the most beginner-friendly free themes. Customizable layouts and responsive design.
- GeneratePress – A fast, lightweight theme focused on speed and usability.
- OceanWP – Beautiful free theme with a huge library of free extensions.
An intuitive theme goes a long way in making WordPress administration more accessible for entry-level users.
4. Use a WordPress Page Builder Plugin
One area that confuses WordPress newcomers is how to actually build and design pages.
Traditionally, you needed HTML and CSS skills to create custom page layouts. But page builder plugins eliminate that requirement.
I recommend using a drag and drop page builder like:
- Elementor – The most popular page builder for WordPress. Easy to use with great documentation.
- Beaver Builder – Fast page builder with a lightweight interface.
- Brizy – Next-gen page builder with a visual interface. Beginner-friendly.
Page builders allow you to design beautiful, custom page layouts without touching any code. This makes building WordPress sites much easier.
5. Follow WordPress Security Best Practices
Security is crucial for any website, but it can be intimidating for beginners. Here are a few basic practices to secure WordPress:
- Use strong, unique passwords – Makes brute force attacks harder.
- Limit login attempts – Lockout after a number of failed logins.
- Install an SSL certificate – Encrypts data transmission with HTTPS.
- Perform automatic updates -Keep plugins/themes/WordPress updated.
- Avoid copying live sites for development – Clones configuration errors.
- Review user roles and permissions – Use least privilege principle.
For even better protection, use a security plugin like Wordfence for threat detection and firewall capabilities.
Following basic security hygiene goes a long way in hardening your WordPress site.
6. Leverage the Vibrant WordPress Community
With a user base over of over 425 million sites, WordPress has a vibrant open source community. Make use of resources like:
- WordPress.org – The official community forum where you can search for help or post questions.
- Make WordPress Support Forum – Get help from the creators of WordPress.
- Stack Overflow – Q&A site where you can find WordPress answers.
- WordPress Subreddit – Discuss best practices with fellow users.
- WordPress Meetups – Find local users groups to connect with.
Don‘t struggle alone – leverage the global WordPress community to get answers and help when you need it.
7. Find an Experienced WordPress Tutor
For beginners, working one-on-one with an expert tutor can accelerate learning. They can demystify concepts and provide tailored coaching for your specific needs.
I recommend looking for a tutor with deep WordPress experience who offers an approachable teaching style. Meet them for an intro call to see if your learning styles align.
The investment of a few tutoring sessions in the beginning will save you countless hours of frustration down the road.
8. Embrace Continuous Learning
Here‘s the mindset I want you to have – look at mastering WordPress as an ongoing journey without an end.
Consume beginner-focused WordPress blogs, videos, and tutorials regularly to gradually expand your knowledge over time.
Stay up-to-date on new features, tips, and industry best practices through sites like:
- WPBeginner – WordPress tutorials and how-tos.
- ApplyFilters – Actionable WordPress podcast.
- Kinsta Blog – In-depth WordPress content.
- MasterWP – Free video courses for site owners.
Don‘t expect to learn WordPress overnight. Instead, take it step-by-step and turn learning into a habit.
Why You Should Still Choose WordPress
At this point, you may be wondering why bother with WordPress‘ learning curve?
Here are a few of the key advantages that make WordPress worth the effort:
You Own Your Platform
With WordPress, you control the platform. Your data belongs to you, not a SaaS provider. This provides more flexibility and freedom long-term.
You can self-host WordPress or choose a managed host – either way you own the site. There are no propriety lock-ins.
Lower Cost
Building on open source software like WordPress removes expensive licensing fees. WordPress is 100% free to use.
Managed hosts like SiteGround offer scaled WordPress plans starting at $3.99/month. No forced premium upgrades.
Open Ecosystem of Plugins and Themes
Tap into the powerful WordPress open source ecosystem. Choose from thousands of plugins and themes to add any functionality imaginable to your site.
A restrictive SaaS model limits you to what a single company develops. With WordPress‘ open ecosystem, you have endless options.
SEO Advantages
WordPress offers built-in SEO advantages like clean code and optimized content management. This helps improve your search engine rankings.
Plugins extend SEO capabilities further with functionality like meta tag management, XML sitemaps, and schema integration.
Scalability From Small to Enterprise
WordPress scales from small brochure sites to complex web applications. Big organizations like Microsoft, CNN, and UPS proudly use WordPress.
With the right hosting, developers, and strategy you can grow exponentially with WordPress. There‘s almost no limit.
As you can see, WordPress provides benefits beyond ease of use. Its flexibility and capabilities make learning it a smart long-term investment.
Final Thoughts
Learning WordPress does involve more effort compared to restrictive website builders designed for beginners. There‘s no way around that.
But by following the tips in this guide, you can absolutely make managing WordPress smoother and prevent beginner struggles.
The key for new users is leveraging the right combination of managed hosts, essential plugins, intuitive themes, page builders, training resources, and security protocols.
This creates an environment optimized for first-time WordPress users.
It takes some trial and error, but the payoff is gaining skills in a platform used by over 43% of all websites. With over 15 years experience in the field, I firmly believe the effort is worth it.
Now I‘d love to hear from you:
- What tips do you have for simplifying WordPress for beginners?
- Are there any areas where you still struggle with WordPress?
Let me know in the comments section below!
