Thinking of starting a news website? Even if you’re not planning on being the next New York Times, there’s plenty of room to create your own news site on your favorite topic, local area, or whatever.
It’s also easier than ever to create your own. news website powered by free software called WordPress, which makes starting a news website affordable no matter your budget or level of technical knowledge.
Why you should use WordPress for your news website news
WordPress is free software that helps you create any type of website. It’s actually the most popular way to build a website out there, working on almost a third of all websites on the internet.
Here are a few reasons why WordPress is a great choice for start a news website…
- It offers a robust editor that is also easy to use.
- It is optimized for text content, but you can also add images and other media easily.
- The platform automatically displays your most recent posts at the top, which is ideal for a news site or aggregator.
- You can use themes and plugins to easily customize your news website.
How to Start a WordPress News Website (in 4 Steps)
In the next four steps, we will cover the concepts basics to start a news website. When we’re done, your only task is to get to work on your first articles. Let’s start with the basics.
Step #1: Choose a Domain, Select a Web Host, and Install WordPress
The first step in starting a website of any kind is always the first step. same. You will need a domain name and a web server to power your site. Here’s what to consider when choosing them:
- Domain name. Your choice of a domain name should be easy to remember, as it will represent your news site from now on. Choosing a domain is very personal, so take your time and weigh several options. If you’re stuck, a domain name generator can help you brainstorm ideas.
- Web hosting. Not all web hosts are created equal. You should choose an option that offers great performance and features to make your life easier, like automatic backups, top-notch security, and more. In any case, shared hosting or a basic Virtual Private Server (VPS) should be more than enough to get you started. Here are some of the best WordPress hosts.
We recommend Bluehost as an easy-to-start web hosting solution. When you’re ready to sign up for hosting, be sure to use one of the Bluehost links on this page. Going through them will result in two things: (1) they are affiliate links, which means we get a small commission if you buy through them, (2) they will unlock a discounted price of $2.75 vs. $3.95 for you. You won’t get this discount if you visit the Bluehost site any other way.
Once you have both, you’ll need to install the WordPress software so you can power your news sites. Many hosts can automatically install WordPress for you. Or, you can always do it manually. Our post on how to install WordPress covers your options.
Step #2: Find a suitable WordPress news theme
Once you install WordPress, you can use a “theme” to control how your news website will look like.
To change your WordPress theme, you will first need to choose a new theme to use. The official WordPress.org theme directory is a great first stop to find some free options.
Go to the directory, click the Feature Filter button at the top, then check the News option under the Subject section and run a search. This way, you’ll only see themes designed for news websites:
Choosing a WordPress theme is difficult as we all have unique tastes and needs. However, there are a couple things you should always keep in mind:
- Opt for themes with at least 1000 installs and an average review score of four stars or more.
- Check to see if the topic you’re looking at has received any updates in the last six months.
If you’re having trouble finding a topic you like, check out our list of the Best News Topics WordPress.
Step #3: Configure Plugins to Add More Functionality
WordPress already includes many features you need to run an out-of-the-box news website. However, by using various “plugins”, you can easily add any functionality you feel is missing.
For example, you can benefit from using the WP News and Scrolling Widgets plugin. This tool adds a special section on your site for news articles and allows you to display your articles in interesting ways:
You can also set up a plugin to add social sharing icons to your news articles.This will allow visitors to share posts with their friends, which has an impact on traffic numbers and the chance of a viral post. Orbit Fox’s free plugin makes it really easy:
Finally, if you want to automatically select news content from multiple sources, an RSS import plugin makes it easy to automatically display the latest headlines or use feeds. RSS in other ways. For example, you can use a plugin called Feedzy RSS Feeds to import elements from RSS feeds to your news site:
With over 50,000 free plugins, plus thousands of premium options, you also have the option of add lots of other features!
Step #4: Get up to speed with creating posts and pages in WordPress
So far, we’ve laid the foundation for your WordPress website. news, visually speaking. However, now is the time to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty by publishing your first news article.
To do this, you’ll need to use the new WordPress block editor (aka Gutenberg). This editor features a modern and uncluttered interface that is perfect for writing news articles. More importantly, formatting your text and adding media via the editor is easy:
Using the editor is pretty intuitive, but we recommend checking out our Gutenberg for Newbies article if you want to get the most out of it. We also have a more detailed guide to the block editor.
Once you feel comfortable using the editor, start working on your first piece and hit the Publish button when you’re ready.
Or, if you don’t like the new block editor, you can also disable the block editor and keep using the old WordPress classic editor.
Now is the time to start a news website! !
With WordPress, you’ll be able to write, format, and edit top-notch news articles and display them in style.
Starting a news website with WordPress is pretty simple, and you can do it in four steps:
Do you have any questions about starting a news website with WordPress? Let’s talk about them in the comments section below!
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