Creating a Basic Website with WordPress

Question:

I’d like to create a basic website using wordpress. Can you walk me through the basic setup and hosting? I can download wordpress and figure that out. It’s the hosting part that’s confusing! I have no tech ability btw, but am good with things like my blog on blogger

Answer:

You don’t need to download WordPress because when you get web hosting, the WordPress software is already there.  All you need to do is install it.

For an excellent cheap web host with outstanding service and blazing fast WordPress performance, I highly recommend WebHostingHub.  I actually have an account with them and WordPress runs better over there than on any other host I’ve used over the years.  There’s no reason you shouldn’t be satisfied, but they do offer a 90-day guarantee.  Plus, they have an A+ rating at the Better Business Bureau so you KNOW they’re doing it right.  One other thing I should mention, while other hosts do offer WordPress hosting, their tech support staff may suck at supporting it. (oh, btw, the Hub has a U.S. based help desk, no overseas guys with funny accents.)  The support guys at the Hub know and understand WordPress because they have their own blogs so you’ll get your WordPress questions and/or problems solved.

Installing WordPress

1. Buy a domain name at NameCheap (NC).  Use the coupon code on that page.  OR, you can take the free domain name in step #2.
2. Buy web hosting at WebHostingHub (the Hub).  Either take the free domain name OR use the name you bought in step #1.
3. If you bought your own domain name at NC, change the DNS nameservers to point to the Hub’s servers:  ns1.webhostinghub.com and ns2.webhostinghub.com.
4. Log into your Hub web hosting cPanel control panel.
5. Scroll down to Software / Services.
6. Click on Fantastico De Luxe.
7. Find WordPress in the left-hand menu and install it.
8. If you bought your own domain name, you’ll need to wait 20 minutes to a couple of hours for the name to resolve to your new hosting account.  If you took the free domain name, there should be no wait.
9. In cPanel, go to Files: File Manager and delete the default.html file so it doesn’t interfere with your blog.
10. To administer your new WordPress blog, login to the Dashboard:  http://yourdomain.com/wp-admin/
11. Go to Appearance: Themes to change your theme to one from the WordPress depository or upload your own.