Question:

I wanted to make a blog since it’s a bit easier to run than a website. I don’t want a free blog, but rather host it myself. Does this mean i download software for maintaining and designing the blog? But will i be able to register a domain name that doesn’t include the hosts name?

Answer:

Get your own web hosting – First, get a web hosting account. For WordPress hosting, I highly recommend WebHostingHub. WordPress just straight up runs better on their servers. They’ll also give you a free domain name. Or, if you’d rather use your own registrar, you can do that, too. Then just point the nameservers to the Hub servers and create an addon domain in cPanel.

Cheap domain names – If you’ll be purchasing your own domain, use this NameCheap coupon code. You can get a .com name and free privacy protection for under $10. The same thing at enom costs $47.95!!

Nothing to download - The cPanel control panel gives you everything you need to run your account, including a WordPress installer. Just look for Fantastico De Luxe in the Scripting / Addons section. You won’t be downloading any software. The software’s already there. Just tell it which domain to install it on.

No “WordPress” in the name –  Because you’ll have your own domain name and you’ll be installing WordPress onto that domain, that domain name will be your name. They only time “wordpress.com” appears in your name is when you have a free blog at WordPress.com. Your blog will be self-hosted on your own domain, not theirs, so it’s impossible for “wordpress.com” to be in your name.

No designing – WordPress is a blogging/CMS platform and there is no designing. If you want to make it “look different”, you install different themes. You can do that from within the WordPress dashboard.