Getting a domain name and web hosting is the first step in our “WordPress for Dummies” course.
A domain name is a URL that visitors type in to go to your website (for example, techloaded247.com), and web hosting is just a way to “rent” space on the internet to house all of the photos, text, videos, and code on your website.
More information on What is a Domain Name and How Do Domains Work? and What is Web Hosting and How Does it Work? can be found in the pages linked in this phrase (oh, how convenient!).
Now, we’ll utilize HostGator.com to get both a domain name and hosting for this lesson.
When you use this link, you’ll be able to enjoy a special discount on both your domain name and hosting that we’ve negotiated with them.
Some of the benefits of using Hostgator are as follows:
- Unlimited Disk Space
- Unlimited Bandwidth
- Host Unlimited Domains (except Hatchling Plan)
- Unlimited MySQL Databases
- cPanel Interface
- 99.9% Uptime Guarantee
- 45 Day Money Back Guarantee
During the remainder of this section and step 2, we’ll go over how to get a domain name, get hosting, and install WordPress on HostGator.
If you opt to get your hosting/domain name from somewhere else, the process will be same.
But, whether you work with our colleagues at the big HG or not, the process will be the same, starting with step 3. (how to login to WordPress).
So, with HostGator, we recommend the Hatchling plan because it’s the cheapest and plenty for your first site.
You’ll get a single website/domain name, one-click WordPress installation, unlimited bandwidth, and a free SSL certificate with this package.
So click the buy now button and you’ll be sent to a website where you can choose your domain name.
If you already have a domain name, simply click the “I already own this domain” button and type it in; you’ll be able to connect your site to it later.
If you’re still using a pre-domain name, those days are coming to an end because you may now purchase one.
Simply type it into the search bar; in this case, we’ll use “beginnerwptutorials.com.”
Once you’ve pressed enter, you’ll see…..
We’re going to buy this one because it’s available!
If your first option for a domain name is already taken (which happens a lot), you’ll receive a red warning and will have to try again.
You’ll probably see some different versions of your domain name, such as “[yourdomain].club” or “[yourdomain].site,” but we strongly advise sticking with a “.com” or “.co” — they’re the most professional for most sites (though there are a few exceptions).
Now that you’ve selected an available domain name, scroll down to see some other suggested options, which we can ignore for the time being (you only need one domain name for a website, and we recommend you don’t start your website creation journey by purchasing domain names that seem cool
“Enable domain name privacy” should be checked by default; make sure it stays that way.
The reason for this is that it prevents your contact information from being made public, which is required to register your domain (which is the default; weird, yes, but people thought that was the right way to do it when the internet was being built).
This will result in a barrage of phone calls from persons who will scrape the public listings and call you eight times a day offering to create your website.
Scrolling down some more, you’ll see some plan options:
Hatchling plan yes, 36-month billing cycle probably not.
If you buy your domain name and hosting for three years, you’ll receive the best deal, but that’s a long time, especially if you’re just starting out.
We suggest going with a 12-month billing cycle because you’ll need a domain name for at least a year, so you might as well save some money on your hosting (you can purchase hosting on a monthly cycle, but it’s the most expensive option – even with our discount).
Next up, enter a username and security pin:
Then enter in your billing info just like you do for every other thing you buy online:
You’ll get a free SSL certificate if you go down to the additional services section, which is wonderful because it helps keep your site secure for visitors and is now required if you want to rank in Google through SEO.
So go ahead and tick that box, but uncheck everything else – a lot of the services they offer, such as site backup and security, can be done for free in other ways (which we’ll discuss below!).
Then simply select the box to agree to the terms of service before clicking the checkout now button:
After that, you’ll be directed to a thank you/”setting up your account” page (which will take just a couple of minutes to do).
And now we’re ready for…
Table of Contents
- The first step is to obtain a domain name and web hosting.
- Step 2: Installing WordPress
- Step 3: Using WordPress to Login
- Step 4: How to Use the WordPress Admin Panel
- Step 5: Putting WordPress Themes Into Place
- Step 6: How to Install WordPress Plugins
- Step 7: How to Change the Look and Feel of Your WordPress Theme
- Step 8: Adding Pages to WordPress
- Step 9: How to make a WordPress blog post
- Step 10: Creating WordPress Menus
- Step 11: Putting Your WordPress Site Online
- Step 12: How to speed up WordPress
- Step 13: Enable gzip compression for WordPress
- Step 14: How to Make Your WordPress Site More Secure
- Step 15: How to update your WordPress site
- Step 16: How do you backup your WordPress site
- Website tips and tricks for WordPress
- Now that you can build your own personal website
