In today’s article, you will learn how to use wordpresscom to create a free website instantly.
I will go straight to the point.
There are two ways you can create a website; one is free and the other requires money.
When you spend money, you are buying a domain name and hosting.
But when you build a website for free, you get all those without a cost.
Now, since you came here looking for a way to spend zero money on a website, that is what you going to get.
What is wordpress.com?
WordPress is an open-source content management system (CMS).
This is a tool you install on your domain to help manage your content.
Now, there are two types of wordpress;
- WordPress.com – free website builder. With it, you can create and host a website for free.
- WordPress.org – it is software you download into your hosting account, aka the real wordpress. Supports extensive customization using plugins and themes.
Let’s explore how you can use wordpresscom now.
How to create a website for free using wordpress.com
1). To get started, head over to https://wordpress.com/
Click Start your website to get started.
2). Create an account
The first step is creating a wordpress.com account.
You have three options;
- Use email and provide a password
- Create account using Google account
- Use Apple account
For this tutorial, we will be using a Google account.
Whichever option you go with, you may be required to verify your email address.
So make sure you are using a valid email address.
3). Pick a website name
Enter your site’s name or some keywords that describe it to get started.
WordPresscom will give you suggestions based on whats available and also premium domains (that cost money).
For example;
Freetutorials.video is a paid website name going for $18 per year.
I’d recommend you go with the free domain name.
And if you find it long or unattractive, use other keywords in the search box.
4). Choose a plan
WordPress.com will try to upsell you a paid hosting plan.
Since we are here to create a website for free, click on Start with a free site.
WordPresscom dashboard
This is how your dashboard will look like.
On your left, these are the options you will use to control your free wordpresscom website.
To get started with the setup, use the right sidebar to follow the recommended actions.
For example;
Changing your website name.
That should lead you here;
5). Changing theme
A theme will determine how your free website will look and feel.
To change it, go to Appearance>>themes.
Sort through the available options.
When you find the one you like, click on it and tab on Activate this design.
If you don’t like the look of the homepage, go ahead and do some editing.
- To add new pages, click on Pages>>add new
6). Publishing your first post
Go to Posts>>Add new to create a new post on WordPress.com
Give it a title and body.
And then use the (+) button to add new elements to your article.
To add an image, click on the plus sign and search for ‘image’, then click on the image icon and it will be added to your blog post.
7). Installing Plugins on wordpress.com
Plugins add new functionality and integrations to your site.
For example;
Yoast SEO helps prepare your website to rank on search engines, while MonsterInsights allows you to understand how users are interacting with your website.
It does so by pulling analytics directly from Google Analytics (you need to connect your free website with Google Analytics for this to work)
Unfortunately, you need a premium wordpresscom account to install plugins.
8). Launch
Once you are satisfied with the work of your hands, let the world admire it.
Click on visit site from your dashboard.
And then click on Launch site.
Why should you use wordpress.com to build a website?
- It is free forever
- You do not have to worry about backups and updates because wordpresscom takes care of it.
Best wordpress.com alternative
We mentioned that WordPress.com allows you to create a website for free.
You also get a free domain which is a domain extension anyway.
And to connect a custom domain, you must upgrade to any of their paid plans.
That sucks!
OLITT allows you to create a website for free and connect custom domain for free.