You’d be surprised how easy it is to start a WordPress blog. There are several ways to accomplish this. One would be to set up an account on WordPress.com and use their paid hosting service. The option we’ll discuss today is to instead host your WordPress website with a cheap web hosting company that gives you more flexibility as your needs change. The steps include:
- Register a domain name
- Sign up for a web hosting account
- Point the domain name to your web hosting server
- Install and configure WordPress
- Create content and drive traffic
Register a domain name
First, pick out a domain name. You can use the search tools on GoDaddy or another registrar’s website. This should cost you about $10-12 per year. You could also choose another registrar like BulkRegister. Some registrars, like Network Solutions charge a lot more than that. They might have a deal for about $5 for the first year, but then it’ll go up to $30 or more per year thereafter, so be careful. There really is no reason to pay so much for a domain name.
Sign up for a web hosting account
There are many options for web hosting. You really don’t need an expensive hosting account if you’re just starting out. InterServer has very good web hosting accounts starting at about $5 per month. If you prefer, you can instead try using a web hosting calculator to figure out how much you want to spend per month on hosting, and compare reviews.
Point the domain name to your web hosting server
Once you’ve got a domain name registered, and a hosting account, you can point your domain name to your website hosting account. Usually the hosting company will give you DNS entries to upload to your domain registrar. If you prefer, you can use a free DNS service like Cloudflare.
Install and configure WordPress
Hosting companies like InterServer will often have one-click installations of WordPress. You just log into the control panel, press a button, and you’re all set. If you end up using a hosting company that doesn’t offer easy installations, then you’ll need to download the latest version of WordPress and install the files, and the database yourself. Next, install plugins to customize your WordPress website. Many of them are available for free!
Create content and drive traffic
That’s it! After you’ve got your website uploaded, you can begin creating content on your new WordPress website. Start promoting it, drive traffic, and grow your company!
