Navigating the world of website creation can be daunting, especially for beginners. With countless options, technical jargon, and way too many tools, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. 

But fear not; you’re not alone on this journey. The good news is that many fantastic books are available to guide you through the WordPress maze and empower you to build a stunning online presence.

In this blog, we’ll delve into the 7 best books on WordPress for beginners to read in 2023. Whether you’re a small business owner, a freelancer, or someone simply curious about creating a website, these books are tailored to help you start strong. 

We’ll cover books with a range of essential topics, from the basics of WordPress installation to mastering the art of effective web design. Let’s embark on this WordPress adventure together!

Also Read: Best Books on Blogging | Best Books on Affiliate Marketing

1. WordPress To Go

“WordPress To Go” by the one and only Sarah McHarry is the ultimate guide to creating your very own WordPress masterpiece. 

The book takes you step-by-step through the process of building your WordPress website. You’ll learn how to register your domain, pick the right hosting, and set up WordPress like a breeze. The book covers everything from creating a professional website— like formatting content, and using graphics and images, to exploring themes, plugins, widgets, and other nifty tools. 

The book is designed for absolute beginners with no prior experience, and it will also give you insights into getting your website and content into search engines. 

Here’s what you’ll find in the book:

How to create a professional-looking site
How to register a domain and choose a hosting provider
How to add and format content for engagement
An understanding of themes, plugins, widgets etc. 
Step by step walk through all WP modules and menus

“WordPress To Go” is currently available for free on Kindle, while the paperback version is priced at $9.99.

2. 1-Hour WordPress 2023

“1-Hour WordPress 2023” is all about teaching you how to create a fully functional WordPress website in under an hour. Yep, you heard that right – just an hour!

By adopting a strictly need-to-know approach, the book ensures you won’t be overwhelmed by technical jargon, and with over 300 helpful screenshots, it’s like having a personal guide right beside you. Simply follow along and witness the step-by-step creation of your very own website.

The book covers all essential basics, from setting up a domain and hosting, to navigating the WordPress dashboard with ease. You’ll gain insight into using both the old WYSIWYG editor and the Gutenberg editor, along with mastering the art of categorizing and grouping content through tags and categories, making your site more user-friendly for visitors and search engines alike. 

Additionally, it shares how you can customize website appearance with themes, integrate plugins for added functionality, and leverage the new Full Site Editing feature.

Here’s what’s covered in the book:

How to build a fully functional WordPress website in an hour 
How to utilize the latest WordPress features, including Full Site Editing
How to set up domains, hosts, and WordPress installations
How to master essential settings and navigation
How to customize website appearance with themes and plugins
How to explore monetization options through affiliate programs and Google Adsense

“1-Hour WordPress 2023” is available for free on Kindle and priced at $12.99 for the paperback version.

3. WordPress All-in-One for Dummies

Like every other “for Dummies” book, WordPress All-in-One for Dummies is a goldmine of knowledge. This guide has 8 whole books inside, covering topics from WordPress basics to running multiple sites with WordPress.

This comprehensive collection of self-contained mini books will empower you to build a strong foundation for your site. Whether you’re starting from scratch by setting up your account, choosing the perfect host and theme, or ensuring your website’s security, these 8 expert-curated books are your guide to making a powerful impact in the WordPress community.

If you’re ready to make your mark in the digital world, this book is a great purchase to consider. 

This is what the book will teach you:

Understand the fundamental concepts of WordPress
Gain insights into choosing the right hosting
Master the WordPress dashboard and its features
Discover essential Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies
Install and configure plugins for various purposes
Gain the skills to manage multiple websites using WordPress

The book is available in Kindle format for $27.00 and in paperback ranging from $10.81 to $24.99.

4. WordPress: The Missing Manual

WordPress: The Missing Manual is written by Matthew MacDonald, a science and technology author with over a dozen books on programming, website building and more.

Using this book, you’ll learn how to create your own WordPress site. From setting up WordPress on your chosen web host, you’ll gain hands-on instructions for building diverse websites, ranging from dynamic blogs to comprehensive business sites with e-commerce features that can drive sales. To make your site truly captivating, you’ll learn to add engaging elements such as picture galleries, slideshows, video clips, music players, and podcasts.

As you seek to reach a wider audience, you’ll gain valuable insights into the significance of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), refining your strategy with site statistics, and tapping into the power of social sharing. 

Don’t forget the essential aspect of security – you’ll also discover the use of backup and staging tools to protect your valuable content and shield your website from potential disasters.

Here’s what you’ll learn from the book:

The fundamentals of WordPress functionality
Set up WordPress on a web host
Incorporate engaging multimedia elements into your site
Utilize thousands of plugins to expand site capabilities
Master the art of customizing WordPress themes
Leverage site statistics for strategic refinement
Use of backup and staging tools

The Kindle version of WordPress: The Missing Manual costs $26.12, while the paperback edition costs $27.49.

5. Understanding WordPress 6.X for Beginners

“Understanding WordPress 6.x for Beginners” is a comprehensive and user-friendly guide that empowers newcomers to harness the power of WordPress 6.x. Authored by Tim Trott, an experienced professional with three decades of expertise in web hosting and design, the book breaks down the complexities of WordPress into easy-to-follow steps.

From the initial stages of setting up your website to mastering search optimization, the book covers a wide range of essential topics. Trott’s approach is marked by clear, concise language and step-by-step descriptions, making it accessible to anyone, regardless of their technical background. 

Whether you’re a small business owner, a blogger, or someone looking to create a personal website, this guide ensures that you’ll be able to confidently navigate the WordPress world.

The book covers a range of topics, including:

Explore the latest updates and features in WordPress 6.x
Learn how to make the most of plugins, themes, and settings
Create your first posts and pages on WordPress
Explore strategies for optimizing for SEO
Discover best practices for organizing and presenting content
Understand the importance of responsive design

Understanding WordPress 6.x for Beginners is available on Kindle for $4.95 and in Paperback for $9.95. 

6. WordPress 5 Complete

Discover the ultimate resource for WordPress beginners in “WordPress 5 Complete: Build beautiful and feature-rich websites from scratch.” This comprehensive guide covers every facet of WordPress, from mastering posts and pages to unleashing the full potential of themes and plugins.

The journey starts with a step-by-step introduction to setting up WordPress, followed by creating engaging blog sites, crafting compelling content, and harnessing the power of plugins and themes to personalize your site’s design. For those eager to delve deeper, the book even teaches you to develop your own themes and plugins, empowering you to design unique and customized web experiences that stand out.

Unlike the others on this list, this book is geared towards PHP developers aiming to customize web design, enhance security, or create unique web experiences.

The book covers a range of topics including:

Learn how to set up and configure WordPress effectively
Craft engaging and well-structured content optimized for web publication 
Personalize website designs by leveraging themes and plugins 
Explore advanced customization techniques, including creating your own themes and plugins 
Gain practical skills for securing WordPress websites 
Learn to structure web pages in an accessible and clear manner 
Seamlessly integrate multimedia content, such as images, audio, and video 

The book “WordPress 5 Complete” is available for $17.84 on Kindle and $34.99 in paperback.

7. Design Your Own Website with WordPress

“Design Your Website With WordPress 2023” is a comprehensive guide tailored for beginners looking to create a modern, feature-rich website. This book will introduce you to WordPress, but you’ll also discover the power of Elementor, a fantastic web design tool.

The book breaks down the web-building process into manageable steps, leveraging WordPress’s user-friendly nature, and Elementor’s drag-and-drop capabilities. You will learn how to secure a domain name and hosting for your business, install WordPress on your host, and harness the design capabilities of the free version of Elementor.

The book walks you through creating an About page using text and images, finding royalty-free images, and mastering text alignment, font selection, and color choices. You’ll be empowered to create a visually stunning website with numerous helpful screenshots, and you’ll get practical advice on designing headers, footers, buttons, and more.

 From setting up contact forms to optimizing images for the web, this book covers it all, ensuring your website is not only functional but also speedy and secure.

The book covers a range of topics including:

Introduction to the free version of the Elementor plugin.
Text alignment, font selection, and color choices
Designing site-wide headers and footers
Creating and stylizing buttons for effective user interaction
Techniques for optimizing images for web use
Developing a rich home page with various sections that link to inside pages

Get ‘Design Your Website With WordPress 2023’ on Kindle for just $3.99 or in Hardcover for $21.99.

The world of WordPress is rich with possibilities, and by investing time in learning from the best, you’re investing in your website’s success. Remember, there’s no need to feel overwhelmed when you have the guidance of experts and the support of valuable resources.

As you dive into these books, you’ll uncover the secrets of WordPress installation, themes, plugins, content creation, and effective design. You’ll gain insights that empower you to make the most of this powerful platform, whether you’re a complete beginner or someone looking to refine their skills.

Your journey doesn’t end here; it’s just the beginning of a creative and rewarding adventure in the WordPress universe. Happy reading and best of luck in your website endeavors!

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