Help! Newbie totally confused!

Hello,

Apologies in advance for my lack of knowledge however I’d be really grateful if someone could offer some tips/advice?

I am totally new to WordPress but am looking to start up a community website aimed at local mums in my area. I would aim to have a magazine feel with discussion forums, buy and sell, as well as a ‘what’s on’ guide coupled with topical news. I aim to eventually sell advertising and will therefore need a significant amount of traffic to develop this. I have a background in advertising and education and am a mum of 4 young children so have lots of skills and knowledge to share but am overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information out there with regards to WordPress. It has taken me an age to select a domain name and understand the basics of hosting and the difference between.com and.org, the choices for everything are overwhelming! (I’m not even sure what version I’m using)

My main objective is choosing the optimal theme that is easy to use, responsive and will address the objectives of the website. A lot of recommendations online seem to be confusing and possibly paid for?

Could Anyone help in pointing me in the right direction?