WordPress for Beginners 2021
A Visual Step-by-Step Guide to Mastering WordPress
Updated 21st December 2020
What people are saying about previous versions of this book:
"I work in the education department at one of the top academic institutions in the U.S., and if I could hire Dr. Williams to write all of my online training, I wouldn't hesitate" Laurie
This book is absolutely brilliant, and thanks to the author, I am about to go live with my new website. I had a great (in my opinion) idea for a website, I bought the domain for a WP hosted site but could not get my head around how to set it all up. The dummies book for this (they are usually very good) made me feel like a..well, a dummy, to be honest, and assumed some prior knowledge. This didnt and took me step-by-step through everything. I worked my way diligently through it, chapter by chapter, as I put my site together. Its clearly set out, using a good size font (never underestimate the pleasure of a large font for a technical book!), the images were clear, and it was very easy to follow. He uses straightforward language, so its like having a friend (the one whos patient and doesnt grit their teeth when you ask them to explain something for the third time) talk you through it. If you know absolutely nothing about WordPress but want to create a website, this is the book for you and the only one you will need. Carole
If you take your time and read this book and act on all or even most of Andys suggestions, you will not only have a much better understanding of WordPress you will also have a much-improved site. Thomas
I can't praise this book enough, firstly because it shows everything on screen so clearly. I can have it open on my Kindle beside me and actually follow everything in WordPress on the computer. Also, It doesn't assume knowledge, and even I can follow the text. It takes a lot of talent as a technical writer to be able to put yourself in the shoes of someone who needs everything explaining. I am so glad I found this book. My blog will be up and running very soon. Kindle Customer
Definitely the go-to guide! Since WordPress is a pretty easy format to get started on, I was able to make some progress. Then I found WordPress for Beginners, and WOW - my progress took off. Having a visual guide with extensive photos really helps those of us who are visual learners. But the best thing to me is that Williams not only describes what to do and how to do it, he explains why you should do it. I'm not a professional tech person, and this book is exactly what I needed. I suspect I will continue to refer to it in the future. Highly recommended. Amazon Customer
Nailed It. I have been trying to install a working blog from time to time for the last four years, and of course, have read various books on the subject. It always got more complicated, with dashboards, PHP, SQL, SEO, or a shared WordPress site. This is the one book that does it flawlessly, and the installation actually works just as shown. The screenshots are accurate and most helpful as you step through each learning segment. Having written several technical how-to manuals myself, I recognize a remarkably well structured and logical sequence of easy to learn, bite-sized topics. Terry OHara
If you want to have a website but don't know-how, this book by Dr. Andy Williams will take you by the hand and walk you through the process of setting up your own blog correctly. He tells you not only exactly how to do it but also explains why you are taking the steps he walks you through. The instructions and visuals are clear and easy for anyone to follow. J. Tanner
I Would Give This Book a 5 Plus. I literally started at page one and built my website from scratch without any prior experience because of this book. It was very easy to read and was laid out in a very logical, step by step order. I would recommend it without hesitation. I was so impressed with this book that I went and ordered several other of the author's books relating to developing an online presence. GP
Clear, practical, and very helpful, WordPress for Beginners takes the reader step by step through the essentials of organizing your online world. Dr. Williams is a great writer and an excellent teacher. Highly recommended! Dr. James A. Holmund
Great lessons from a great teacher. Andy Williams really has a knack for organizing information in a clear, concise, and to-the-point manner. It is only a matter of following his excellent advice, and you will have a functioning WordPress site up and running in no time. Prufrock
Why can't all guides be like this? B J Burton
Exemplary teaching. This book is a model of good teaching. Clear, uncluttered, direct. It takes you through the process with admirable clarity. I bought a printed guide to Word Press for twice the price, which left me utterly confused - this book should be used as an example of how to teach. Very highly recommended. Amazon Customer
An excellent book. I logged into my account and just followed the book page by page, and in no time at all, I had a Website mapped out and running. The book is easy to follow, and you very quickly learn how WordPress works and how it can be used for writing Blogs, conventional Websites, and even combined ones if you are so inclined. This really is an excellent book to have in your programming library and is of great value in helping to steer through the morass of misinformation about WordPress on the web. I have just ordered the paperback version to have by my side, which I anticipate will become well-worn into the future. Dr. A F Gerrard
Quite simply the best advice I've found............ Having spent a number of months getting disheartened and frustrated, I bought this book as a last-ditch attempt to get my website going before having to pay someone to do it for me. Setting up a website is not something I'd ever done before, so I had no technical knowledge at all. Quite simply, this book is superb. It was just like having the web developer sitting next to me at my desk, talking me through every little detail. He 'told me' what to ignore (explaining why as he did so), explained what we were doing and why at every step, and the pictures aligned to what was on my screen as I went along. Two days later, I had a website, and now I am actually changing the theme and altering things with confidence. I simply cannot rate this book highly enough. Thank you, Andy! Louise Burridge
Brilliant - all you need to know to get up and running. S. J. Oswald
I had to design a website urgently and one I could manage myself. Id read that to do this, I needed a web design programme that offered CMS, Content Control Management, and that WordPress was the best programme for the job. I was a complete beginner with no knowledge at all about website design. Before I came across Dr. Andy Williams's book, Id bought two others and became overwhelmed by the complexity and the jargon.
If you want to design your own website, you dont need any other book than this. If you work through it carefully and methodically, youll quickly learn all the technicalities involved and have the vocabulary to create a website that is visually arresting. The content, of course, is up to you.
Dr. Williams is a natural-born teacher with that special genius of being able to make a complex process easy and interesting to follow. The large-format book is a pleasure to use. It begins with the assumption that the reader knows nothing about WordPress, website hosting, registering, and costs. The easy to follow steps takes you through this process to the point where once your website is up and running, the reader can download WordPress, then get to work! Dr. Williams takes you through every aspect of the WordPress dashboard (the programmes control panel), a place it is important to know well, and where the web designer will spend a lot of time. Once the reader is familiar with this, the design process starts, and Dr. Williams again leads the reader step by step through the website building process.
