So you want to start a blog, huh? Great! WordPress is generally a great choice because of the benefits that it offers through self-hosting. Some people think that it is a complicated process and that it takes a lot of time but that could not be farther from the truth. With these few steps, you should be able to have your blog up and running in less than 20 minutes.
Here Goes…
1. Get ready
You need to get everything you will need for the blog together. Ensure that you already have a domain name ready and that it is not already in use. You can get one that is free or register the one you already have. Either way, make sure to secure the name.
2. The hosting account
You need to find a home for your blog, which is what is referred to as a host. A host is simply a server in the cloud that will rent you space install the necessary software and manage your blog. Look for a hosting service that will make managing your blog easy enough for you and will be affordable as well.
3. Installing WordPress
You will need to install the software in order to run your blog. It used to be very complicated but certain applications have made it easier to download the software. All you have to do is to use these applications and follow the instructions.
At the end of the download, you will see a screen with your blog and login URLs, as well as your username and password. Make sure to keep this information stored safely.
4. Load the new blog and log in
All you need to do is click on your blog URL and your blog should load to a new tab on your browser. It is very simple, especially with WordPress. You can then log into WordPress by entering your username and password. What you will see is the back-end of the blog site from which you control what the viewers will see on the front-end.
You can then choose a theme for your blog. You can download thousands of free themes through WordPress. Alternatively, you could get a unique theme created for you…at a fee of course. You will also need to pick the appropriate plugins for your blog at this point.
5. Putting up the post
At this point, we assume that you have already written one or more blog posts and that they are ready for publishing. You can load your posts on the Add New Post options, click on publish when you are done and you will have your first blog post up. There is an option to preview the post before putting it up so you can make sure it is what you want.
Now you can bookmark your blog – particularly the front-end page and the back-end page so that you can come back to your blog regularly. Make sure to keep updating your WordPress blog because there are always new apps and plugins coming up.