Just as a quick note before I begin this post, these are instructions on how to install the WordPress software on your website and begin building a website using your own hosting & domain name. If you are looking for instructions on how to build a wordpress blog using wordpress.com (eg. Yoursite.wordpress.com) then please follow this link
So with that out of the way let’s get started!
The method I am going to show you is in my opinion the simplest form of starting your own WordPress site using the software found on wordpress.org, without having to go through the somewhat arduous task of installing the software manually on your server/database. By the time we are finished you should have the newest WordPress software installed on your own domain (eg. www.yourdomain.com) and have a custom theme to make your site look as professional as possible.
The steps are as follows:
1 – Get Hosting For Your New Site/Register a Domain Name
2 – Use Quick Install to Install WordPress
4 – Goto Themeforest (or other theme sites) and pick an optimal theme
Step 1 – Purchasing Hosting
A lot of people would recommend purchasing a domain name first and then finding a hosting option. The reason I recommend purchasing hosting first is mainly for the speed of getting the site up, If you already have name servers set-up with your hosting option before you buy a domain name you will be able to get your site up within minutes.
I personally recommend Host Gator for 2 big reasons:
1 – They have the BEST support around. I have called hosting support for many different providers in my career and Host Gator’s team is always the most knowledgeable and able to tackle every problem I have every come across. (They have even helped me with issues on other hosting accounts).
2 – Their Cpanel. A Cpanel (otherwise known as a control panel) is the main dashboard for everything you may need with your new hosting account including MySQL, FTP, & Email. The reason why having a CPanel is so big is because using other less equipped Control Panels leads to frustrations and complications that can become a real issue especially with poor support.
Follow This Link and Purchase an account, if you do not already have a domain name then register one with Host Gator (this will save you a lot of hassle). If you already have a domain name then you will need to go into your domain host and update the name servers to reflect your new hosting account. Once you have purchased your account from Host Gator, you should receive an email like this one:
Follow the link for your Control Panel and login with the information they provide you.
If you have your domain hosted elsewhere then navigate to the bottom left of the page and note the name servers of your new hosting account, they should look something like this:
Note those two numbers and update this information wherever your domain is hosted (like GoDaddy)
Step 2 – Install WordPress
Now that you have your new hosting account and domain set up with Host Gator log back into your Cpanel and navigate to the section that’s called Software/Services and click on Quick Install.
Once in Quick Install Navigate to CMS and click on WordPress
Once on this screen click Continue and fill out the info:
By default your main domain will be selected and then fill out the rest of the info with your pertinent info.
And then click Install Now
Note the log in link for your new blog and the username and password generated.
You have now successfully installed WordPress on your site!
Step 3 – Find a Theme and customize your Blog
Now that you have set up WordPress on your domain follow the login link you noted from Quick Install and then enter the username and password also noted from Quick Install (By default wordpress login screens are yourdomain.com/wp-admin)
Now that you are inside your new WordPress you can begin customizing it by adding pages, posts, plugins, and themes. We’re not going to get into all the fine details of how to completely customize your site but there are a plethora of resources available at WordPress.org.
One aspect of customization I will get into is the Themes section of your site. WordPress.org has a bunch of free themes for use but I recommend using Themeforest.net for premium themes as they tend to be the highest possible quality and at a price that many people can afford.
Once you found a theme that you prefer on Themeforest, purchase it and then upload the theme in the Themes section of WordPress.
Once you have installed your theme you can begin customizing it and making it your own, something that can be a lot easier if you choose the right theme, my recommendation is to go with a theme that has high reviews and is from an elite author.
Thanks for reading and if you have any questions related to Web Design or Online Marketing feel free to call us! We are the best Miami Web Design Company hands down!
