When I first decided to become a digital marketer, I knew I needed a personal brand—and that meant having my own website. But I had zero experience with web development. That’s when I discovered WordPress. In this blog, I’ll share my journey of creating my first WordPress site from scratch, the tools I used, and the lessons I learned as a beginner.
Why I Chose WordPress
As a beginner, I wanted a platform that was:
- Easy to use
- Highly customizable
- SEO-friendly
- Widely used in the marketing industry
After some research, WordPress (especially the self-hosted version, WordPress.org) checked all the boxes. Plus, many digital marketers use WordPress for their portfolio sites—so I decided to dive in.
Getting a Domain and Hosting
I purchased my domain name (sandeepkharal.com.np) and web hosting from ehosting. It only took a few minutes, and most hosting services offer one-click WordPress installation, which made the process super simple.
Installing a Theme
Choosing the right theme was one of the most exciting parts. I explored both free and premium themes. Since I wanted a clean and professional look for my digital marketing portfolio, I chose a minimalist theme with:
- A portfolio section
- Blog functionality
- Responsive design for mobile
Some good beginner themes I found were:
- Astra
- Neve
- OceanWP
I went with Astra because it was easy to customize and well-optimized for speed.
Customizing My Site
This is where my creativity came in. I used the WordPress Customizer and a page builder plugin (Elementor) to design:
- A homepage introducing who I am
- A blog section to share digital marketing tips
- A contact form
I also added plugins for:
- Security (Wordfence)
- Contact forms (WPForms)
- Speed optimization (LiteSpeed Cache)
💡 What I Learned
Start simple: Don’t overthink your first site. Clean > complicated.
Be consistent with branding: Use the same fonts, colors, and tone.
Keep learning: WordPress has endless possibilities—try one new feature at a time.
SEO matters: Optimize your titles, descriptions, and images.
🚀 What’s Next?
Now that my site is live, I’m updating it regularly, writing blog posts, and adding new portfolio projects. It’s not perfect, but it’s a reflection of my journey—and that’s what matters most.