First, choose which host best suits your needs.

Liquid Web

starting at $19/month

Liquid Web is a hosting company completely devoted to web and cloud professionals.  Their focus translates to well developed products, services and support.  They specialize in mission-critical sites, stores and applications, meaning you know they got you and your website’s back!  They have 250+ experienced administrators, engineers, and technicians that are dedicated to empower you to achieve your goals – so you can focus on the work you love.  That explains why their mission statement is all about Powering Your Business Potential™.

WP Engine

starting at $35/month

WP Engine is the leading WordPress digital experience platform. WP Engine equips you with a suite of solutions.  You can build and deploy a range of online experiences from campaign sites to content hubs to E-commerce extensions. It’s a great catalyst for creating and delivering breakthrough digital experiences on WordPress that drive your business forward faster.  It has features like auto migration, one click staging, automated updates, 24/7 support and so many more! Let WP Engine help you with all your needs to have an amazing online experience. WP Engine also just acquired StudioPress. Join the affiliate program and earn by referring WP Engine platform and StudioPress theme customers with one program.

Then, pick a catchy name that easily tells the world who you are and what you do.  If you don’t have a domain in mind yet, no worries! Hosting companies will provide you a staging name until you’re ready.

GoDaddy

starting at $0.99/year

GoDaddy powers the world’s largest cloud platform dedicated to small, independent ventures. GoDaddy is the place people come to name their idea, build a professional website, attract customers and manage their work. They will help you get online in under an hour.  You don’t have to know how to code or design to build an amazing website. They also offer 24/7 support for any questions that you have.

Awesome! Now, it’s time to install a page builder.  The #1 reason why people get frustrated with WordPress, is it can be difficult.  The bigger your site gets, the trickier it can become.  Thats why we only recommend Elementor!

Elementor

starting at $49/year

When it comes to page builders, in our eyes, there’s only one.  Elementor is by far the best and most intuitive page builder on the market.  We have personally tried so many page builders and nothing has been as easy to use and understand as Elementor.  Whether you are building from scratch or rebuilding an existing site, you will save SO much time and effort if you build it with Elementor.

OK, here’s where things can get a little tricky.  If you plan on using Elementor, be sure to install an Elementor friendly theme.  Not all of them will work seamlessly.  If you don’t want to use Elementor, be sure to choose from one of the theme developers below.

StudioPress

starting at $89

StudioPress combines expert knowledge in Search Engine Optimization, design performance, security, support and WordPress.  StudioPress will help you build reliable, beautiful WordPress sites. Since 2010, StudioPress has offered world-class themes that excel in both design and infrastructure. StudioPress was also just acquired by WP Engine, our favorite host! 🙂 Also be sure to check out their affiliate program and earn by referring the WP Engine platform and StudioPress theme customers within the same affiliate account.  Makes things pretty easy 😉

Themeisle

starting at $89

The numbers speak for themselves. Their themes have been a mainstay among the most popular themes on WordPress.org, and it’s been like that for awhile. Many of those themes have been recommended by some of the biggest websites in the field. They offer great support to make sure you are happy with the service you are receiving, no matter what. Themeisle can also help you install any of their themes in under 5 minutes. On top of that, after your initial purchase they deliver timely updates to keep everything compatible with the new versions of WordPress. Join the affiliate program and earn 55% commissions on all sales generated through your affiliate links.

Theme Fusion

starting at $60

Theme fusion, specifically their theme Avada, has been the #1 selling theme for more than 5 years. It is the most trusted and complete WordPress theme on the market! Powerful options and tools, unlimited designs, responsive framework and amazing support are a few of the reasons we love using Avada.

GeneratePress

starting at $49.95

GeneratePress is a free WordPress theme that focuses on speed and usability. In addition to the free theme, they provide a premium plugin that extends the theme, adding more options to help build your websites. GeneratePress is the perfect lightweight theme for your next project.

Oh, here’s a fun part 😀 It’s time to customize your site to exactly what you want by using different plugins! Regardless of your website’s niche, we highly recommend you use all of the following:

Weglot

starting at $10/month

Weglot API integrates into your website within minutes through a plugin or a script. Weglot automatically detects and translates your text content. Weglot provides a reliable and easy way of managing translations. They also offer a simple setup with light code and fast performance. Join Weglot’s affiliate program and start earning 20% commission on every sale you generate. They will also keep paying you 20% for every renewal.

BlogVault

starting at $7.40/month

BlogVault offers a 100% website recovery rate, with over 1 million successful website restorations in the shortest time. BlogVault also deploys a staging site in one click for free. Never break your site again with BlogVault’s staging that works on any host. You can also manage multiple websites from a single dashboard. Become a BlogVault affiliate and earn 20% recurring commissions on every paid account you refer.

Honestly, if it made sense, we’d put this as step #1 because it’s that important.  If you’re not planning on putting  any effort into the SEO of your website, you might as well give up now.  You can have the greatest content in the world, but if you skip key steps than you’ll be lost in the chaos of the world wide web.  Ya, don’t forget that you’re competing against da whole wooorld!

SEOPress

starting at FREE!

Alright, here’s the thing, there are A LOT of SEO services out there and we have to say that SEOPress is definitely our favorite.  We have tested more services than you can think of and SEOPress was able to take the complicated task of making your website stand out in search engines, easy.  We highly recommend you use their services, especially because you can start using it for free.  That being said, we can’t emphasize enough on how beneficial it will be for you to use their Pro services! It’s only $39 a year! Ya, that’s it.

Sweet! Now it’s time for the not-so-fun-but-SUPER-important part! Security is something that most overlook and end up regretting it later.  This world is getting crazier and smarter.  Be sure to protect all your hard work and secure your information.

MalCare

starting at $8.25/month

There are SO many different security systems out there, but trust us when we say that MalCare is by far the best!  It has the simplest WordPress security plugin, with setup and ready in 60 seconds. MalCare scans the website on its own servers and hence, there is no load on your server resources. Your website will always run at peak speeds and you will not lose any visitors. You can also fix a hacked website instantly in about 60 seconds. Become a MalCare affiliate and earn 20%recurring commissions on every paid account you refer.

Finally, make sure you get great support for your project! We highly encourage you to learn all you can about how your site is built and how WordPress works.  However, sometimes you’ll need some assistance from a support ninja.  That’s where these guys come in 😀

Codeable

starting at $70/hour

Codeable is the only WordPress exclusive freelancer platform that connects thousands of customers with the top WordPress freelance developers to work on projects of any size. Codeable has pre-vetted developers, fast and a risk-free hiring process, 24/7 client service, and a quality guarantee.  Just hire them, you know you want to 😉

WP Buffs

starting at $20/month

Ah, good ol’ WP Buffs.  They can handle unlimited edits, performance enhancements, daily health maintenance and regular security troubleshooting so you don’t have to. Join WP Buffs’s affiliate program and start earning money. Do you have an audience of small business owners, agencies or freelancers using WordPress? Then get paid to send them over to WP Buffs!