How to Install WordPress in 1 Day
Apr 18th, 2009 | By Kevin | Category: bloggingWordPress has become one of the most popular blog publishing systems used on the Internet today. WordPress was designed and is currently maintained by the Open Source community. It is distributed under the GNU General Public license free of charge.
In this post, I will explain how to install WordPress using Fantastico, an application that will automatically install WordPress within 5 minutes. From selecting a hosting company to publishing your blog, I will attempt to cover all the details you need to know. So, let?s get started.
Find an affordable hosting company
If you are not currently using a hosting company, I suggest that you find one that has a responsive technical support team, one that offers CPanel (I will explain), and a hosting company that is affordable.
What is CPanel?
CPanel (Control Panel) is a web-based application that makes web site administration very easy. Several years ago, I remember hosting with a company that did not offer a control panel for its customers. I had to call technical support for everything including minor requests. CPanel will allow you to take care of those minor tasks and even make changes to any server settings if needed.
Find a Hosting Company
Find an affordable hosting company that offers CPanel. Here are some suggestions:
1. Hostgator
CPanel/Fantastico/As low as $6.95 per month
2. LunarPages
CPanel/Fantastico/As low as $6.95 per month
Register a Domain Name
I recommend GoDaddy.com because of their inexpensive domain registration services. You can register a domain name for $8.95.
Register Your Domain Name with Your Hosting Company
If you register with GoDaddy, they will be the registrar on record for your domain name. After signing up with a hosting company, you will need to change the registrar on record for your domain name (GoDaddy) to your new hosting company. Use the CPanel to change the registrar on record.
Sometimes a hosting company will offer free domain registration specials to new customers. Take advantage of these offers. If you choose to register your domain with your hosting company, your hosting company will be the registrar on record.
MySQL Database
MySQL is an open-source database that is included with your hosting membership. WordPress stores data in MySQL databases (Blog Entries, Comments, Archives, etc). Setup a MySQL database before installing WordPress. If you fail to do so, WordPress will prompt you to create one before proceeding with the installation.
Installing WordPress
Now the fun begins! Installing WordPress is fast and easy when using Fantastico.
Follow these steps:
1. Go to the CPanel
2. Click on ?Fantastico? (Fantastico will automatically install applications such as WordPress, Joomla, Shopping Carts, Forums, etc)
3. On the left Navigation under ?Blogs, click WordPress and follow the instructions
4. After the installation has been completed, you will see a view site link. Clicking the link will take you to the WordPress Admin Login Screen
5. Use the User Name and Password that you created during installation to login
Login
Login to WordPress using the Admin password and username you created in WordPress.
Write Your First Blog Entry
Follow these steps to publish your first blog entry:
1. From the top Nav, click on Write
2. Click Posts
3. Enter a title for your Blog
4. Type your blog entry into the ?Post? field
5. Click Save
6. Click Publish
7. Click ?View Site? to view your post
Success!
That?s it. You have successfully installed WordPress under your own domain name and published your first blog entry. Next time in the ?WordPress How-to? series, I will cover advance topics including how to install templates, how to install plugins, explain pinging, and how to optimize WordPress for search engines.
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Jay Ess is a former Microsoft employee and consultant who is very passionate about Internet technologies. You can learn more by reading his blog at http://tightbrain.com. |
Originally from Wisconsin, I moved out to Salt Lake City over ten years ago on a six month software development contract. I now have over 15 years in software development, and was introduced to internet marketing back in 2003. During the wild west days, our business focused on content sites for Adsense revenue. As it became harder and harder to keep up with the search engines, our business has evolved, and forced us to focus on building lists and creating products. We now have a list of about 5000 interested in goal setting, and a small internet marketing list of about 500.