In this post I want to explain how to quickly and easily create a blog with WordPress.
I came up with the idea for this post as I was setting up a WordPress for a close friend of mine who was with me on my journey right from the beginning and decided to try out blogging on his own as he saw my income reports.
And I thought this might be a good follow up to why to start a blog and actually everything I've shared and everything I'm going to share will assume that you already did create a blog with WordPress.
Don't worry if you have no technical background or no experience with WordPress. I'll guide you step-by-step through this easy method and in the end you'll be able to create a blog with WordPress on your own within a few minutes.
WordPress is especially designed to be used by people with no technical knowledge and being the most-popular system for websites in the world, there must be a truth to that statement.
The first step to create a blog is buying the domain where the blog will be accessible.
Before you can purchase your domain, you need to decide which one to use. I recommend using your name as the domain for starting, because this allows you to build a personal brand right from the beginning.
Long term short, personal branding means that you're getting your name known in the internet so that people will start trusting you and seeing you as an expert when you grow over time.
To find out whether your preferred domain is free, you can go to Namecheap. Since domains aren't very expensive and usually cost between $4 and $15 per year, this investment shouldn't cause too much worries.
Once you found a free domain that you like, you can register it directly at Namecheap to get things going. Don't worry, the process at Namecheap is easy and you'll be guided all the way through.
The second step to create a blog with WordPress is purchasing webspace where you can install the WordPress.
Webspace sounds geeky but you can think of it as a simple file folder on a PC that will make WordPress accessible in the internet.
I promise that you won't have to do anything geeky, it's just the term that is scaring people without technical knowledge. But webspace is really nothing to be afraid off.
Two of the biggest hosts for webspace are Bluehost and Hostgator. Both are awesome, but when you chose Hostgator, you can save 25% by using my special coupon: beginner25.
I also recommend that you use Hostgator, because they provide excellent support for connecting Hostgator webspace to a domain bought with Namecheap. As the last argument for Hostgator, their live support is super helpful.
Ok, so you'll need to change the DNS settings from the webspace to the Namecheap settings. Don't worry you only have to do this one time when you create a blog. This basically tells everyone in the internet that your website is hosted at your domain and makes your site accessible.
Hostgator is providing an outstanding tutorial for this that will guide you through this process.
At this point it's time to finally create a blog with WordPress.
Assuming that you're going with Hostgator, I want to show you the official tutorial on how to create a WordPress blog at Hostgator:
I love this quick-install method, because it really allows you to create a blog with WordPress in a few minutes and without any technical knowledge!
After you've completed this point, you're basically ready to rock.
The last point and the step that will take the most time is customizing your WordPress blog.
It starts with purchasing new themes from Themeforest or you choose a theme based on the Genesis Framework.
Having a custom theme is a great way to add your personal look and feel to your WordPress blog, though it's definitely no reason to not get started!
The same is true for plugins.
I've provided you with a basic walkthrough on how to create a blog with WordPress and this walkthrough should get you started right away.
If you don't already have a WordPress blog, I want to invite you to leave my page open, head over to Namecheap and Hostgator and get started. Afterwards I'd love when you come back and share your experience in the comments, so that the other readers can see whether my methods works or not 🙂
I'm sure you'll rock it!
Jan
