First WordPress site - Mini Project: Build & Apply

First WordPress site

📖 Scenario: You want to create your very first WordPress website to share your hobbies and ideas with friends and family.This project guides you step-by-step to set up a simple WordPress site with a homepage, a blog post, and a contact page.

🎯 Goal: Build a basic WordPress site with a homepage, a blog post, and a contact page using the WordPress dashboard and editor.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create a homepage with a welcoming title and paragraph

Add a blog post with a title and content

Create a contact page with a contact form shortcode

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Creating a personal or small business website to share information and connect with visitors.

💼 Career

Basic WordPress skills are essential for roles in web content management, digital marketing, and website maintenance.

1

Create the Homepage

In the WordPress dashboard, go to Pages > Add New. Create a page titled Home. Add a heading with the text Welcome to My First WordPress Site and a paragraph with the text This is my homepage where I share my hobbies and ideas.. Publish the page.

Wordpress

Hint

Use the WordPress editor to add a heading block and a paragraph block with the exact texts.

2

Create a Blog Post

In the WordPress dashboard, go to Posts > Add New. Create a post titled My First Blog Post. Add a paragraph with the text This is my first blog post on my new WordPress site!. Publish the post.

Wordpress

Hint

Use the WordPress editor to add a new post with the exact title and paragraph text.

3

Create a Contact Page

In the WordPress dashboard, go to Pages > Add New. Create a page titled Contact. Add the shortcode [contact-form-7 id="123" title="Contact form 1"] to embed a contact form. Publish the page.

Wordpress

Hint

Use the WordPress editor to add a new page and paste the shortcode exactly as shown.

4

Set Homepage and Check Navigation

In the WordPress dashboard, go to Settings > Reading. Set Home as the static front page. Then, go to Appearance > Menus and add Home, My First Blog Post, and Contact pages to the main menu. Save the menu.

Wordpress

Hint

Use the WordPress settings and menu editor to set the homepage and add pages to the menu.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of WordPress when creating a website?

easy

A. To create databases manually

B. To write complex programs for web servers

C. To build websites easily without needing to write code

D. To design mobile apps only

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand WordPress's role

   WordPress is a tool designed to help users create websites without coding.

2. Step 2: Compare options

   Options A, B, and C describe tasks unrelated to WordPress's main purpose.

3. Final Answer:

   To build websites easily without needing to write code -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   WordPress = Easy website building [OK]

Hint: WordPress is for websites, not coding apps [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking WordPress is for app development
• Confusing WordPress with programming languages
• Assuming WordPress manages databases manually

2. Which of the following is the correct way to add a new page in WordPress?

easy

A. Go to Dashboard > Pages > Add New

B. Go to Dashboard > Plugins > Add New

C. Go to Dashboard > Appearance > Themes

D. Go to Dashboard > Settings > General

Solution

1. Step 1: Locate where pages are managed

   Pages are added via the Pages menu in the WordPress Dashboard.

2. Step 2: Identify the correct menu path

   Go to Dashboard > Pages > Add New correctly shows Dashboard > Pages > Add New, which is how to add a page.

3. Final Answer:

   Go to Dashboard > Pages > Add New -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Pages added under Pages menu [OK]

Hint: Pages are under 'Pages' menu, not Plugins or Settings [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Trying to add pages under Plugins
• Confusing Themes with Pages
• Looking in Settings for page creation

3. If you activate a new theme in WordPress, what will happen to your website's appearance?

medium

A. The website's URL will change

B. The website content will be deleted

C. The website will stop working until you add new content

D. The website's look and style will change according to the new theme

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand what a theme controls

   A WordPress theme controls the design and layout of the website.

2. Step 2: Effects of activating a new theme

   Activating a new theme changes the website's appearance but does not delete content or change URL.

3. Final Answer:

   The website's look and style will change according to the new theme -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Theme changes appearance only [OK]

Hint: Themes change look, not content or URL [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking content is deleted when changing themes
• Believing website stops working after theme change
• Assuming URL changes with theme activation

4. You tried to add a new post but the 'Add New' button is missing under Posts. What is the likely cause?

medium

A. You need to install a plugin to add posts

B. You are not logged in or lack permission to add posts

C. Your website theme does not support posts

D. Your WordPress installation is corrupted

Solution

1. Step 1: Check user permissions

   Only logged-in users with proper roles can add posts; missing button often means no permission.

2. Step 2: Rule out other causes

   Themes do not remove post functionality; plugins are not required to add posts; corruption is less common.

3. Final Answer:

   You are not logged in or lack permission to add posts -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Missing button = permission issue [OK]

Hint: Check login and user role first if buttons missing [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Blaming theme for missing post button
• Assuming plugin needed to add posts
• Jumping to corruption without checking permissions

5. You want to create a homepage that shows your latest blog posts and also a separate About page. Which steps should you follow in WordPress?

hard

A. Set homepage to display latest posts in Settings > Reading, then create a new About page under Pages

B. Create a new post called About and set it as homepage

C. Install a plugin to create pages and posts

D. Change the theme to one that only shows posts on homepage

Solution

1. Step 1: Configure homepage to show latest posts

   In Settings > Reading, set 'Your homepage displays' to 'Your latest posts' to show blog posts on homepage.

2. Step 2: Create About page separately

   Create a new page named About under Pages to have a separate About page.

3. Final Answer:

   Set homepage to display latest posts in Settings > Reading, then create a new About page under Pages -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Homepage posts + About page = Set homepage to display latest posts in Settings > Reading, then create a new About page under Pages [OK]

Hint: Use Settings > Reading for homepage, Pages for About [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using a post as About page
• Thinking plugins are needed for basic pages
• Changing theme unnecessarily