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How to Create Your Self Hosted WordPress Site From Scratch

· Part 1 of a 5 Part Blogging Series ·

02/20/2018 0 Comments

So you want to start a blog, or maybe you’ve been dying to start one but just can’t seem to pull the trigger. Diving head first into an unknown platform can be scary but oh, so rewarding. There are a number of different factors that go into creating a blog. If you’re like me and know nothing about coding, website building, SEO, or how much money a blog can run you, keep reading. Here is my condensed list of steps you will need to complete in order to get your very own blog up and running.  

Blogging for First Timers

Before we dive into the nitty gritty, there are a few important questions that you will need to answer before starting your blog.

  1. How serious are you about blogging? Is this going to be a part time hobby or a part time job?
  2. How much money are you willing to spend on getting your blog up and running? Do you have the funds to create a blog right now?

These two answers will dictate the type of blog you will be creating. There are plenty of blogging platforms that allow you to blog for free, but they are often limited in features and optimization. If you want to create a blog that could potentially earn you money, then you will need to put some money into it.

Creating a Blog for Free

To start a free blog, you will first need to choose your blogging platform. Great options include WordPress.com, Blogger, Tumblr (one of my personal favorites), or Wix. From there you can follow the website’s instructions and create your own blog with their prefixed themes. They are also all backed up by the web provider, so any issues with the website will be handled for you.

While this option is great for the casual blogger, these free platforms do have drawbacks. I would not recommend a free blog unless you are not serious about blogging or planning to be in the future. Migrating your information from a free platform to self hosted website can be a difficult process, so you’ll save yourself time and money by choosing a self hosted blog upfront. Free blogs have three major cons:

  1. Very Limited Customization- Free platforms do not offer the customization or Plugins you’ll want to incorporate into your blog.
  2. No Control- You will likely be stuck with an assigned web address (like my Tumblr account, www.hi-im-kelly.tumblr.com) and required to abide by the website Terms of Service. If you break any guidelines the company has the power to shut down your blog. You will also be unable to monetize or make money off of a free blog.
  3. Limited Storage- Free platforms typically only offer around 3GB of storage, which may not be enough for all of your photos, text posts, and videos.

Creating a Self Hosted Blog

If you want to own, build, and monetize your own website, then you’ll have to create a self hosted blog. Choosing to go this route from the get to will save you time and a lot of headaches down the road. You will need to purchase a domain name, a web hosting platform, and choose a theme for your blog (they do offer free ones). I use WordPress.org and self hosted Bluehost platform for my blog and love it. This post is specific to WordPress.org, but you can also build a website using Squarespace, Wix, or Blogger. Do your research and find the best fit for you and your blogging needs.

1. Choose Your Hosting Platform

You will need web hosting to store all of your images and content and make it accessible to the public.  This is one of the most important steps in making your own blog, so you will want to do some research and find the best web host for you.

I highly recommend using the Bluehost hosting platform and installing WordPress. WordPress has been my go-to blog platform since I first started blogging in 2015. It is also the most popular blogging platform on the market right now, and with good reason! Bluehost is one of the few hosting platforms that WordPress recommends, and is definitely the biggest bang for your buck. Pros include:

  • Free WordPress download
  • Access to the WordPress audience (one of the largest in the world of blogging)
  • Thousands of themes and plugins to customize your website
  • Great blog support/plenty of tutorials to get you started
  • Low pricing. Bluehost packages start at around $3.49 per month (but you will be paying the fee upfront).

There are multiple hosting packages that you can sign up for, but I always recommend starting with the lowest. It will take time to build up your following and you likely will not be using many of the perks some of the more expensive packages offer right away. You can always add those later.

There is a 30 day money back guarantee, but you are expected to pay this fee upfront. It is more cost effective to purchase a 36 month plan, but there are options to pre-pay 12 months at a time. There are auto-renewal settings as well, so you don’t have to worry about missing a payment deadline.

2. Choose Your Domain/Blog Name

You will want to create your blog and brand name before you put your new website together. Choosing a blog name can be difficult but is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle. You will want to find something memorable and that will grow with you. If you know you want to create a food blog, then choose a name that fits your niche. If you plan on covering a variety of topics maybe choose a broader title. 

Some tips for choosing a domain name:

  • Use the standard “.com” address.
  • Keep the title short, under 10 letters if possible.
  • Avoid periods, hyphens, or numbers.
  • Make sure the name is available on social media platforms (keep things consistent)
    • *Make it easier for viewers to find you on social media by using the same name across platforms. I highly recommend checking on this before committing to a name.

3. Creating Your Blog

Now that you’ve got everything figured out and you’re ready to create your blog, you will need to follow these simple steps.

  1. Sign up for Bluehost.comCreate your free domain name, or map an existing one.
    • Enter your account information and complete the contact form.
    • Select your hosting package.
    • Enter Billing information and complete the transaction. Do not worry about any of the displayed add-ons, you can always add those later.
  2. Download WordPress. Bluehost makes this easy with their simple one click download. Select “Show More Options” and enter your website and user name information. Be sure to use a strong password and write it down somewhere safe.
  3. Once WordPress is downloaded, you will be taken to your new blog with their stock layout. This is when you can choose your website template and style, as well as pick your domain name! Readers respond best to simple layouts with no more than 3 colors and font styles. WordPress offers many free themes and a selection of themes available for purchase. Spend some time browsing your options and find the one that feels the most like you and your brand.
  4. Create your pages, menus, and categories. These are what will comprise your drop down menu and direct your readers to specific areas of your blog. I highly suggest installing an “About Me” page and a pull down menu to categorize your posts. On my blog I have Food, Travel, and Lifestyle categories that are comprised of smaller subcategories. This makes it easy for anyone to navigate my site.
  5. Write your first post! I wrote a few posts before I launched my site officially. This way new readers had more than one post to read and explore when they visited my page.

I will be doing a whole series of blogging tips, tutorials and suggestions, so be sure to keep an eye out on this space for those. The next post in this series will cover the WordPress interface and how to navigate the dashboard.

If you ever have any questions about blogging, leave me a comment or send me an email through my contact page.

xx Kelly

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