How to Create a Basic WordPress Website (Beginner Blogger Guide + Kadence Theme Steps)

Update: 3/10/26

Starting a WordPress website can feel overwhelming when you're new to blogging. There are dozens of tutorials online, but many skip important steps or assume you already understand how WordPress works.

One YouTube video focuses on themes. A blog post talks about plugins. A third explains hosting—but none of them show the complete process from start to finish.

This beginner guide will walk you through how to create a basic WordPress website step-by-step using the Kadence theme and Kadence Blocks.

No Elementor. No complicated design tools.
Just a clean, beginner-friendly setup that works well for blogging.

By the end of this guide, you will have:

• A simple launch checklist so you don’t miss important steps
• A functioning WordPress site with SSL (https)
• A clean header and navigation menu
• Core pages (Home, About, Blog, Contact, Privacy Policy)
• A basic layout that looks good on mobile
• A strong foundation so you can start blogging
  

More importantly, you’ll follow a clear process for getting your website online quickly, instead of trying to piece everything together from random tutorials.

Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase. Please note that I only get affiliate links for products that I use.

Step 1: Choose a Domain Name (Your Website Address)

A domain name is what people type to find you, like yourblog.com.

Domain tips for beginner bloggers

1. Keep it short and easy to spell.
2. Avoid hyphens and numbers.
3. Pick a name you can grow with (not too narrow).
4. If possible, get a .com.
5. Check that matching social handles are available.

Once you have chosen your domain name, register it with a reputable domain registrar, and connect it with your WordPress hosting to get started on building your website. 

Step 2: Pick Hosting (So Your Site Loads Fast and Stays Online)

Hosting stores your website files and makes your site available on the internet.

What to Look for in a Good Hosting Provider

• Free SSL certificate (https)
• Easy backups
• Good support (chat support is great for beginners)
• Fast servers
• Simple WordPress install

Step 3: Install WordPress (Plus SSL)

Most hosts offer a one click WordPress install.

Your goal in this step

• You can log in to WordPress at yourdomain.com/wp-admin
• Your site loads with https:// (SSL is on)

If SSL is not on right away, check your hosting dashboard for an SSL toggle. Some hosts take a few minutes to activate it.

Step 4: Do These WordPress Settings Before You Build Pages

This part prevents headaches later.

Go to Settings in WordPress and check these items.

Set your site title and tagline

Go to Settings → General:

• Site Title: your blog name
• Tagline: optional (keep it simple)
• Timezone: set your local timezone

Set your permalinks (important)

Go to Settings → Permalinks:

• Choose Post name

This creates clean URLs like: yourdomain.com/my-first-post/

Check search engine visibility

Go to Settings → Reading:

Make sure Discourage search engines from indexing this site is unchecked

Remove the default content

In Posts and Pages, delete:

• “Hello World” post
• Sample page

This keeps your site clean.

Step 5: Install Kadence Theme (And Kadence Blocks)

Now you will set up your design tools.

Now you will set up your design tools.

Install Kadence Theme

Go to Appearance → Themes → Add New:

• Search: Kadence
• Install and activate

Install Kadence Blocks

Go to Plugins → Add New:

• Search: Kadence Blocks
• Install and activate

That is all you need to build a great looking beginner site.

Step 6: Set a Simple Site Style (So Everything Matches)

Beginners often change fonts and colors too much. Keep it simple.

Pick these basics first

• 1 main font (or use Kadence defaults)
• 2 accent colors for buttons and links
• Consistent button style

You can set many of these in Appearance → Customize (Kadence Customizer).

Tip: Simple wins. A clean site builds trust.

Step 7: Create the Core Pages (The “Basic Website” Setup)

A beginner blog website usually needs these pages:

1. Home
2. About
3. Blog
4. Contact
5. Privacy Policy

Go to Pages → Add New and create each page.

Home page (simple layout)

Your Home page should answer three questions fast:

• What is this blog about?
• Who is it for?
• What should I do next?

Easy Home page sections (in order):

1. Headline: what you help with
2. Short intro: who you are and what readers will learn
3. Start here section (link to your best beginner post)
4. Latest posts (optional)
5. Email signup or call to action (optional)

About page (what to include)

• Who you are (short)
• Who your blog helps
• What readers can expect
• A friendly photo (optional)
• Link to your Contact page

Blog page

This is where your posts will appear.

If you want your homepage to show a custom Home page (not blog posts), you will set that in the next step.

Contact page

Keep it simple:

• A short sentence inviting messages
• A contact form
• Your email (optional)
• Social links (optional)

Privacy Policy page

Many tools (analytics, email forms, ads) require this.

You can use a template from your SEO plugin or a trusted privacy policy generator. Then customize it to match what you use.

Step 8: Set Your Homepage (Home Page vs Blog Posts)

Go to Settings → Reading.

Most beginner bloggers should set:

• Your homepage displays: A static page
• Homepage: Home
• Posts page: Leave it as “select”

Now your menu can link to Home and Blog separately.

Step 9: Build a Header Menu (Kadence Theme)

A good beginner menu is short.

Go to Appearance → Menus (or use the Customizer menu area).

Simple menu for a new blog

• Home
• Blog
• About
• Contact

That’s enough.

Step 10: Create Clean Layouts with Kadence Blocks (No Page Builder)

You can build everything with the WordPress block editor plus Kadence Blocks.

A beginner layout recipe that works

Use these blocks often:

• Kadence Row Layout (for sections)
• Columns (for two column layouts)
• Heading (H2 and H3)
• Paragraph
• Buttons
• Image

Spacing tips (so your site looks polished)

• Keep paragraphs short (1 to 3 sentences).
• Use section spacing between blocks.
• Do not mix too many font sizes.
• Use one button style.

If you want, add a small screenshot section here showing:

• A Row Layout with 2 columns
• A button section
• A “Start Here” section

Original screenshots help readers and help your content feel unique.

Step 11: Install Only the Plugins You Need

New bloggers often install too many plugins. That can slow your site and create problems.

A simple plugin starter set

Pick one plugin for each job:

1) SEO: Rank Math

• Helps with titles, meta descriptions, and sitemaps

2) Forms

• Start with Kadence forms block

3) Security: WordFence

• Basic protection, login limits, and monitoring

4) Backups: Updraft Plus

• Automatic backups to a safe location

5) Performance (optional): FastPixel

• Only if your host does not handle caching well

Tip: If your host includes strong backups and caching, you may not need extra plugins for those.

Step 12: Do Basic SEO Setup (So Google Can Find You)

This is the minimum SEO setup I recommend for beginners.

Connect Google Search Console

• Use Google Site Kit Plugin
• Submit your sitemap (your SEO plugin will provide it)

Create a simple site structure

• Use categories that make sense (not too many)
• Link between related posts
• Add a “Start Here” page when you have 5 to 10 posts

Write your first 3 blog posts (simple approach)

Start with posts that help beginners:

• A quick win tutorial
• A checklist post
• A beginner mistakes post

Keep each post focused on one topic.

Step 13: Launch Checklist (Do Not Skip This)

Before you share your site, check these items:

Quick launch checks

• Your site loads on mobile (menu works, text readable)
• Your contact form sends emails to you
• Your homepage and blog page are set correctly
• Your menu links work
• You have a Privacy Policy page
• Backups are turned on
• You are not blocking search engines (Settings → Reading)

Optional but helpful

• Add a favicon (site icon)
• Add an About photo
• Add a simple logo (text logo is fine)

Common Beginner Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

Installing too many plugins

Start small. Add tools only when you need them.

Spending weeks on design

A simple site that is live beats a perfect site that is hidden.

Skipping basics like permalinks and SSL

Those settings are easy now and harder later.

Not creating core pages

A blog still needs Home, About, and Contact. It builds trust.

Final Thoughts

You do not need a complicated setup to start a blog.

Start with the basics:

• WordPress + hosting
• Kadence Theme + Kadence Blocks
• Core pages
• A simple menu
• A few plugins
• Basic SEO setup

Then publish your first posts and improve as you go.

Want Help Setting Up Your WordPress Blog?

If you want step-by-step help building your blog, I teach the full setup process inside my membership.

Inside WP Content and Conversions Club, you will learn how to:

• Set up your WordPress website correctly
• Use Kadence theme and Kadence blocks efficiently
• Build blog layouts faster using custom Kadence patterns
• Learn beginner SEO strategies
• Create lead magnets and grow your email list
  

The goal is to help beginners go from:

“I want to start a blog” → “I have a functioning website and can start publishing content.”

You can learn more and join here: https://wpbasicsguide.com/join