Looking for a way to share the latest industry updates in your niche? Perhaps you’re hoping to provide insightful local news articles on all current events. Or maybe you’re a blogger looking for your next project.
If any of the above apply, building a news website could be your next endeavor.
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Sure, You could set up a social media page, but that won’t inspire the same trust from your readers as a website does. To become a go-to source for reliable news, you need a professional-looking, high-performing website.
Knowing how to create an online news portal may not be a skill you already have in your arsenal. However, getting started is quick, easy and doesn’t have to break the bank. So we’ll show you how to create a news website in just eight easy steps!
But first, here are five things to think about before you get started:
1 . Have a plan
The type of news you focus on will determine your content creation plan. You need to know exactly what niche/location your website will focus on. In addition, you also need to get acquainted with your target audience. Think about the different media platforms they already get their messages from and how your content could fit with them. As a new website owner, you probably won’t be competing directly with The New York Times, but that doesn’t mean your content doesn’t deserve a spot in your readers’ news feeds. Small news blogging sites can unearth stories that larger, more established sites may miss.
With these considerations in mind, you’ll be better able to create a news content plan that resonates with your readers.
2. Choose Your Platform
If you’ve never delved into website building before, the sheer number of options can be a daunting prospect to work your way through. However, with over 40% of self-hosted websites using WordPress, you’re in good company if you choose WordPress as your website’s content management system.
WordPress supports many types of websites. Not only is it incredibly affordable, but it’s also user-friendly, meaning anyone can get started with just a few simple steps.
First you need to consider what kind of features you want your website to have. Embedded video, treadmill, RSS feeds in the sidebar – WordPress gives you complete freedom to make your breaking news site as complex or as simple as you like.
Don’t worry if you don’t have any programming skills. Most successful online news outlets start with a simple WordPress template. You can then modify this however you like using WordPress.com’s built-in drag-and-drop website editor.
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As one of the most customizable and flexible website builders out there, here are just a few more reasons why WordPress is worth considering for your news website:
- It is easy to add media and text content to your web pages.
- By default, WordPress automatically displays your latest posts at the top of your homepage, which is ideal for news sites.
- If you have a WordPress.com subdomain, it’s free to get started.
- WordPress is incredibly customizable.
Whether you’re using a free WordPress.com subdomain or if you Buying your own custom domain name is how readers will identify your site. So you should come up with something memorable and relevant. You could even use the .news TLD!
3. Choose the core functionalities of your website
By “functionalities” we essentially refer to what your website can do and how it works. This includes everything from your chosen theme to the plugins you use. All of these factors have a massive impact on how your website looks and how visitors interact with it. Essentially, the functionality of your website determines the quality of your user experience.
“Website functionality” is something of an umbrella term, so let’s break it down a bit:
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The theme of your website plays a big part in shaping the aesthetics of your website. Luckily (if you’re on a budget) there are plenty of free news themes, all of which are customizable. From tinkering with the color scheme to mixing up the page layout, there are many elements you can change to make your website reflect your brand’s visual identity.
With literally thousands of themes to choose from, both free and available at When buying, it’s all too easy to pick the flashiest option. Make sure you choose a theme that best suits your needs. In short, don’t value style over substance.
When choosing a WordPress theme, make sure that it offers a high level of customization. This gives you the freedom to create a news website that really stands out from the crowd and inspires your readers’ trust.
The best part is that WordPress has done the most when it comes to this The hard work for you is finding the perfect WordPress theme.They come with a collection of templates specifically tailored to the needs of news websites. So if you’re not sure where to start, this is undoubtedly an excellent place to start.
Plugins
With a WordPress.com plugin-enabled plan, plugins are easy to install and use. This is the easiest and fastest way to add extra functionality to your website. There are thousands out there, but not all are essential.
Pro Tip: Don’t install too many plugins on your news site. Otherwise, you risk sacrificing performance and load time, both of which are vital for SEO and delivering a top-notch user experience.
The WordPress.com free plan includes a rich feature set that meets the needs of most basic websites. However, you may need certain third-party plugins like WooCommerce if you want to monetize your news site (more on that below). WooCommerce allows you to quickly and easily start your own online store.
It’s worth noting at this point that in order to use this type of plugins, you must opt for WordPress.com’s plugin-enabled to plan. This pack lets you install an unlimited number of plugins, which, as we’ve already hinted at, is key to expanding the functionality of your news website.
4. Content
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If you’re keeping up with the latest digital marketing and business blogs, you’ve no doubt come across the phrase “content is king.”
This advice To be more precise – and when it comes to creating a trendy newspaper website, creating valuable, well-written content with the latest news is essential.
Producing timely, quality content should be the core of your news website. There’s no point in creating a website that just sings and dances only to fill it with sub-par content. This is a surefire way to increase your bounce rate.
By taking the time to create new content, you will attract more visitors and regular visits, building a loyal readership.
Here are some ways to do that:
- Write well-researched articles
- Take and use relevant photos
- High-quality videos produce content
- Publishing engaging and informative infographics
5. Sources of Income
Monetizing your news website is an easy way to generate income or even cover the costs of running the website itself. Whether you hire freelancers for content creation and photography, or buy web domains, plugins, and premium themes, you’re probably going to spend a lot of money running your news website. That’s why it’s important to explore the different ways to monetize your website.
For example:
- You could place premium content behind a paywall that only paying subscribers can access
- You could run a small online store as part of your news website and sell e-commerce products – maybe you could have goods made?
- Affiliate Marketing
- Google AdSense
Over time, there’s no reason why your news website can’t become a profitable small business can.
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How to Build a News Website: A Quick Tutorial
Once you’ve looked at the themes, plugins, and content for your news website, you’ve got the bulk of the small work done. Now all you have to do is create the website itself, which you can do from start to finish by following these eight basic steps.
- Go to WordPress.com and click on “Start Website”. “. ‘
- Sign up for a WordPress.com account using your preferred email address and create a password.
- Choose a name for your news site.
- Adding your first webpage using the WordPress.com block editor. To do this, click My Sites, followed by Site, Pages, and then select Add New Page. This will launch the block editor. You have the option to choose a template or start from scratch – the choice is yours. Now look at the right side of the editor. You should see the document settings. Here you can:
- View the status of the website
- Add categories and tags to posts.
- Set a featured image
- Now you can add any content to the website, from simple paragraph blocks to image galleries, videos, polls and more.
- Open the WordPress.com customizer and modify your site to your liking. You can change fonts, colors, menu layouts and much more.
- Set a homepage and posts page. To set a homepage, select the “Homepage Settings” and decide Whether your home page lists your most recent posts or if you prefer a “static page.” If you choose the latter, you can choose an alternative web page to list your published posts.
- Add a menu by selecting ‘Menus’ then ‘Primary’ then ‘Add Items’ This should bring up a list of the pages you just created, now select the web pages that in your navigation menu. To rearrange your menus, you can click and drag the pages.
Finally, don’t forget to click “Publish” to publish your work save done!
Once you’ve followed the steps above, you can go back and save nd customize anything you want. You can add any plugins you want, for example, and really make it your own with the five dots We talked about earlier, but I can get you launching your WordPress website really is as easy as the eight steps outlined above .
Get your own news website up and running today
If you’re being inundated with newsworthy content and ideas, what are you waiting for? Armed with our tips and our simple 8-step guide, there’s nothing stopping you from creating your dream news website today.
Signing up for your own WordPress.com account only takes a few minutes. If you’re still undecided whether WordPress.com is the right website builder for your news site, why not take the free plan for a spin? It’s a risk-free way to test the waters, so you’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain by jumping right in today without spending a dime.
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