5 Easy Steps on How to Create a Blog on WordPress
You’ve decided it is time to get serious with your blog. That means you want a platform that allows you complete control over the look and features of your blog. That means you want to build a blog that is powered by WordPress. WordPressis the most widely used blogging platform in the world. It has a long history of success. It is trusted by bloggers big and small worldwide.
OK! Great! Now what?
It’s time for you to figure out how to create a blog on WordPress. That means you need to know the basics. You need to know how and where to register a domain name. You’re going to need to buy hosting. You have to install WordPress itself once you have a host. You need to incorporate a quality theme. And you need to know what plug-ins to install to make the most of your shiny new WordPress blog.
That sounds like a lot. But, don’t sweat it. We’re here to help with five handy tips about how to create a blog on WordPress for yourself. It sounds daunting, but setting up your own WP blog isn’t rocket surgery. With a bit of advance planning, you can install WordPress painlessly on your own.
This video shows you how to create your blog in less than 6 minutes:
1. Secure a domain name
It’s important that you find a domain name that can last many years as your brand. The domain name is the “yourblogname.com” address that people use to locate your blog. There are many registrars that offer domain name registration service. But, GoDaddy offers the most discounts and is already the world’s largest registrar. With the right coupon codes, it’s easy to register your domain at GoDaddy for less than $10.
2. Get web hosting for your blog
All those bits and bytes that pop out your blog’s content have to go somewhere. Once you get into running a bigger blog on the WordPress platform, it becomes necessary to invest in some web hosting. WordPress hosting requires a host that supports the PHP scripting language and the MySQL database system. The blog will need a web server that runs Apache. For some more advanced features, file access that allows you to modify htaccess is needed. This also tends to make it easier when you need to upload photos and videos. Don’t let all those details overwhelm you. Just be aware of them.
Don’t be too fearful at the sound of all that computer geek babble. There is help available. Lots of hosting companies offer solutions specific to WordPress installations, so don’t worry. For the simplest setup and cheapest pricing for what you need, we recommend going with HostGator. HostGator offers a WordPress installation method we will discuss in the next section. HostGator offers the least difficult method for installing WordPress. You will also find a lot of quality customer support folks who can guide you through the process of how to create a blog on WordPress.
You can get a “baby account” for 1 cent at Hostgator using the code “1cent” which you will be able to enter when you select your hosting package
3. Installing WordPress on your hosting
Remember all that scary stuff we were talking about with the PHP scripting and the MySQL database and the Apache web server? Now let’s talk about how to make all of that not scary. We told you to go with HostGator for a reason. So, listen up.
When you log into cPanel, the system HostGator provides you to manage your web hosting, there will be an icon labeled “Fantastico”. Yeah, it sounds like they’re promising a lot. And in fact, Fantastico is going to deliver a lot for you in a couple minutes. When you click on the Fantastico icon, a list will appear that includes “WordPress”. Clicking that link will start your WordPress installation.
You will be guided through a few options. It will ask you to name your blog and provide a user name and password to use as credentials when you login to your blog’s admin page in the future. You will also need to supply an email address where notifications will be sent when people post comments to your blog. Once you’ve plugged all that information into the screen, the rest of the install will handle itself. You just click “Finish Installation”.
Guess what? You now have a working WordPress blog! We told you we’d show you how to create a blog on WordPress. You will be asked to login to the admin panel. This helps to confirm your credentials from the install are correct.
In the WordPress admin panel, you can kick the tires a bit. Go ahead and delete the placeholder post WordPress includes after installation. Then you can replace that with a message to the world letting everyone know your blog is now live.
OK, stop high-fiving yourself. It’s time to customize your big, bad, flashy new blog.
4. Install a premium theme for your blog
Themes are templates that determine how your blog looks and functions. There are a slew of different themes available on the web. And you can further customize them to your needs at any later point.
One problem with so many themes for WordPress is that there are a lot of junk themes out there. Worse, many of them offer no technical support when they don’t work. That’s why we strongly encourage you to invest some money in acquiring a premium theme for your WordPress blog. Premium themes come with customer support that will guide you through any installation problems you may encounter.
Premium themes also come configured with many nifty features. Some themes are designed specifically for hosting blogs for different types of media. So, if you’re a photographer, you can find a premium theme that works great for posting your work. If you’re a news hound, there are premium themes available that will make your blog look like a pro news website. Video makers can find premium themes aimed toward their interests. Installing a theme that meets your needs is a key element of how to create a blog on WordPress.
A lot of newer WordPress premium themes also come with what is called “responsive design”. With mobile phones and tablets becoming more common each year, it is getting harder to format your blog for every device you visitors may use. Responsive design means the theme is built to display properly on a wide variety of screen, both big and small. You don’t want to lose mobile phone users because they can’t see your blog. A premium theme that incorporates responsive design is a must-have solution to make sure that doesn’t happen.
5. Installing WordPress plug-ins
A plug-in is a small program that adds new functions to your blog. Let’s say a new social networking site comes along. You love the new site. But, you want to incorporate your blog posts into your posts on the social networking site. You will be able to find a WordPress plug-in that allows you to do just that every time you put up a new article.
You will also want plug-ins that improve your search engine optimization (SEO). When thinking about how to create a blog on WordPress, it’s important to take SEO into mind. SEO is about making sure your blog is well-designed to be found by search engines like Google. Good plug-ins will help you rank better in Google when people are searching for your blog topics.
You can also find plug-ins that handle a variety of additional functions. If you want to add a photo gallery to a post, you can find a variety of plug-ins such as Lightbox that will do that for you. Want to integrate your Tweets from Twitter? There are many plug-ins to do that. Want to let your visitors post comments using their Facebook accounts? You bet there’s a plug-in for that. Want something that provides a sidebar so your users can find the top ten most-viewed posts from the last week? WordPress plug-ins cover that, too.
And if you have a clever function that somehow isn’t already out there as a plug-in, you can hire a developer to build the plug-in for you. One of the great virtues of WordPress is that it allows you to modify everything. No line of WordPress code is considered sacred.
Conclusion
As you contemplate how to create a blog on WordPress, keep in mind there are a few fundamental things you need. You need a domain name. You need web hosting. You need a quality premium theme and few plug-ins to make it all work.
These are our recommendations. Get your domain name registered through GoDaddy. Buy a web hosting package from HostGator. Use the wonderful Fantastico system in HostGator’s cPanel to install the WordPress blog as painlessly as possible. Invest in a high quality premium WordPress theme to ensure you have a good-looking website that serves your blog’s purpose perfectly. Install plug-ins that will enhance your blog’s functionality and visibility to search engines.
WordPress is a great blogging platform. You are going to love the freedom you have to customize your blog as you see fit. Your visitors will appreciate the features that your blog now offers. It’s so simple to maintain a WordPress blog that you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it.
Installing WordPress is easy when you go about it the right way. It just requires a bit of planning. Don’t stumble into a WordPress project. Think ahead. Get the domain. Go with the right host. Buy the right premium WordPress theme. Everything will then fall seamlessly into place.
If you need a tutorial for how to create a blog on wordpress, clic here and enriches your knowledge.
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