Are you aware that you can convert your WordPress website into a social network? Such social network sites on WordPress lets users connect with one another, sign up, and post messages. Indeed WordPress has made the creation of any type of website so instant, including a social network in much less time as it takes to prepare an instant coffee!

Let’s delve into the ways at which we can adapt the WordPress platform to create, operate, and manage a social network that appears one of a kind and you will stand proud.

First things first. Here we go. What you need has been explained in a stepwise process in this quick guide.

#1. Buy Domain For Your Social Network

Every site requires a domain name that is its own, and social networks are also no exception. You have to search a registrar or hosting service which you find trustworthy and identify the domain you prefer. After you detect the perfect domain, you have to register it by completing a few forms and making an advance yearly payment.

#2. Buy WordPress Hosting

Apart from a domain, you also require a place to host your social network. You should try for a host that offers you plenty of options. This helps to scale up your plan according to your surfing needs. The procedure of signing up for a plan of hosting is easy. You can choose your preferred plan, complete some forms, and make an advance payment for one month ahead similar to the way it is done with domains. These hosting plans are speed optimized so as to keep your social network in safe hands.

WordPress is a very simple platform for creating your own social network by using the plugin BuddyPress for free as it integrates seamlessly with any WordPress site. You require a self-hosted WordPress org website for making use of BuddyPress.

WordPress integrates with social networks and you can expand it further through plugins and extensions. It lets users comment on your blog by making use of their Facebook account, integrate custom social media feeds inside your blog, and links your blog to the WordPress.com content stream through the Jetpack plugin.Add a forum to your blog to create a community.

Generally WordPress is available in three forms:

Fully hosted using WordPress.com
WordPress.com having an upgraded plan with plenty of self-hosted features like custom themes and plugins
The self-hosted variant, with its software provided for free at WordPress.org. This needs buying hosting with different providers like Bluehost, or GoDaddy and installing WordPress applications on it.

The free version offers you everything. If you are prepared to move into the sphere of advanced customization using your individual domain name and different option, in that case, you can switch to the premium version or do your hosting plan elsewhere.

#3. Install And Set Up WordPress

If you retain a managed WordPress host, you can do it by completing a simple form. Based on the type of your account, you can add any number of WordPress installations to your account. If you want to take the manual route, you are required to download WordPress, upload your every file to the folder of your domain, make a database, indicate your browser to the domain and observe the instructions appearing on-screen.

The WordPress Codex contains an extensive installation guide. If you are facing any problem or require help in making a database, view it and you will sail through within no time.

Here’s a step-wise process to install WordPress:

Step 1. Download the current WordPress version from wordpress.org
Step 2. Upload the WordPress Files to your Server
Step 3. Create a MySQL Database to be used by WordPress
Step 4. Run the installation process

#4. Install And Set Up WordPress Social Network Plugin

There are several social media plugins for WordPress that are made to integrate social media features into your website. An effective social media integration dwells upon aspects like placing of the social sharing buttons, the plugin quality and assuring whether it is not influencing the loading speed of your site. WordPress is the most convenient platform to create your social network using the free plugin BuddyPress which is versatile and integrates seamlessly with any type of WordPress site.

You require a self-hosted WordPress.org site to begin the use of BuddyPress. It is present as a free WordPress plugin that can be installed on your site. It converts your WordPress site into a social channel letting you create your individual online community. `A social network plugin like BuddyPress lets users add one another as friends and exchange private messages.

To set up your WordPress Social network using BuddyPress plugin you require to install and activate the BuddyPress plugin.

Install the BuddyPress Plugin

Access the Admin Panel of WordPress, manoeuvre to Plugins → Add New → look for BuddyPress inside the search box at the extreme right. After you have located the plugin, tap the Install Now button.

Configure the BuddyPress Plugin

Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins → BuddyPress → Settings

You can view one credits tab and three tabs for options from which you can configure WordPress BuddyPress as per your requirements.

Upon activation you have to access Settings >> BuddyPress page for configuration of plugin settings. The settings page is separated into various segments and the components page that you will view first will exhibit presently active BuddyPress components on your website.

You can activate or deactivate any component just by checking and unchecking the box corresponding to it. Always click on the save settings button to preserve your changes.

The Pages tab of BuddyPress within the setting area lets you configure the pages used for showing the member details plus their streams of activity. It also lets you set up the activation and registration pages.

Another WordPress social plugin PeepSo offers you features like user profiles that can be customized and contain cover images, widgets, and configuration. This social network plugin lets you add a social network or an online community just like Facebook into your WordPress website.

#5 Get Social Network WordPress Theme

Selecting a theme is quite a tough task. Plugins are comparatively more specific as you install it to carry out a single task. With regard to themes they just add the front page visuals, and testing them can be intricate. A theme has the capacity to alter the design of your website and add customization functions. However, some of the basics of a good theme includes WordPress compatibility and its support of popular social network plugins, a speedy code, great design and simple navigation.

If you are using BuddyPress which is an amazing tool for adding social networking to your WordPress site then you are required to use a BuddyPress theme. On the other hand, to create a stunning community site using PeepSo, you require to use a PeepSo compatible theme like Reign PeepSo WordPress Theme that lets you build a social network site containing all the features of the PeepSo plugin. You obtain features like a clean layout of the user profile and activity page, countless color options and multiple header layouts besides others.

Wrapping Up

WordPress is an intuitive platform that limits your need for resources and can be used for your social networking site or any site for that matter. With tons of plugins and themes available you can add social features to your website and also redesign your site, create profiles, participate in social groups and exchange messages with one another.

About the Guest Author:

Elisa Wilson is a passionate blogger at wbcomdesigns.com She is a marketing specialist and loves to write on topics related to online marketing, WordPress, web design, web development