Alright. So, we've identified our passions, narrowed down our blog topic and registered our domain (among other things).
Now it's time to purchase hosting and get our self-hosted WordPress blog installed.
(In case you missed it or need a refresher, check out the FAQ for an explanation about why I prefer a self-hosted WordPress(.org) blog over WordPress.com or Blogger. And if you're a bit confused about domains and hosting, you'll see it's all just like ice cream.)
How to Purchase Hosting
This is so utterly simple.
You have two options here. Pay a year at a time or pay per month. Hostgator is a good option if you'd like to pay monthly (about $7.95 per month, although they occasionally have coupon codes which are automatically applied to you account when you sign up).
I use and recommend Bluehost for hosting. (It works out to $7.95 a month if paid 1 year at a time and $6.95 per month if paid 2 years at a time.) There are 3 reasons for this:
- I've been very satisfied with their service. I appreciate a live chat or a phone call with someone in America who doesn't have scripted answers to your questions.
- They have one-click WordPress install. This is not unusual among hosts these days and essential if you want your WordPress setup to be painless. Ask any host prior to purchase to make sure they have this feature.
- Unlimited FTP built right into their cPanel. Now, I understand this might not mean a whole lot (or anything) to you at this point, but unlike #2 above, this is a feature many hosts do not provide (that I've found). It's not a huge, huge deal to be sure, but without it, you will have to have a separate FTP client as we move forward. It's just one of those extra handy things.
So, to purchase your hosting, simply go to Bluehost.com, click the "Sign Up Now" button, enter your domain under "I have a domain" and follow the prompts. Note you will have to pay for a full year (or more if you wish) of hosting at a time.
Simple.
How to Install WordPress
Now we have to install the blogging platform (again I defer to how blogging is like ice cream for an explanation): WordPress.
I made a video walking you through the steps to install WordPress on Bluehost. Here are the steps:
- Login to Bluehost
- Click "Simple Scripts" icon under "Software/Services" in your cPanel
- Click "WordPress" under "Blogs"
- Click "Install"
- Specify where you want WordPress installed. I choose bloggingwithamy.com as opposed to www.bloggingwithamy.com because I like to eliminate as many unnecessary characters from my URL as possible.
- Indicate your "Advanced Options" if you'd like
- Agree to the Terms of Service
- Click "Complete"
Don't see the video? Click here for How to Install WordPress.
How to Set Up WordPress in HostGator
Can't see the video? Click here.
Disclosure: I am compensated for purchases made via the referral links in this post.
Here at BloggingWithAmy you'll find tips, tools & tutorials about blogging and websites. In plain English. Want to 
Had a friend direct me here and I am loving this! I am wondering though, is hostgator cheeper than Bluehost and what are the comparisons? The one thing I noticed is that with hostgator you can get hosting for 3 yrs and I have heard that increases your google ranking and I wondered if that was true. Which would you recomend?
Thanks so much!
They are pretty comparable in price (with various coupons you can use from time to time). You can purchase hosting for a long period of time from either. Regarding ranking in Google, you might be talking to the age of your domain or website. The older the better, but I don't think the specific terms lengths of your hosting contract makes a difference there. Great questions!
Amy, I wanted to thank you for making then"plunge" into WordPress.org so manageable! Your break down of steps and simple concise directions really made it much easier, so while I had snafu's (of my own making) I could easily refer back to your video tutorials to get back on track.
I tagged you in a post For all the great assistance your site gave, thanks!!!
http://afamilieslove.com/?p=2226
Hi Amy,
I currently use Blogger (I know, I know…I'll be switching eventually), however I am working on an ebook and want to start off with WordPress blog for that. I am a couple months away from launching and didn't want to start paying for Bluehost right away. Is there any way to start playing with WordPress designs and learning the ropes alone before purchasing the hosting or should I just bite the bullet and do it all at once.
Thanks so much! Love your blog and have been learning so much!
Hi Amy,
I'm seriously considering signing up with Bluhost and had a great livechat session with them today, but they did say that as they only offer shared hosting I'd have to find another host should my traffic start to reach around 10000 a day….now I know that's a long long way off, but I'm aiming high and really don't want to think about having to move my WordPress site….do you have any thoughs on this or the process of moving to another host should I ever reach that level of traffic? I think Bluehost seem like a great recommendation and I've done a lot of research on them as I don't part with mony easily. I'd love to sign up with them….
I would say you're safe and will probably encounter the same issue regardless of which host you choose. Besides, when you are getting 10,000 pageviews a day, you'll easily be able to pay someone to move it for you!
Hello Amy, I went thru your earlier posts on obtaining a domain from GoDaddy, which I did. Then I went thru BlueHost and used their Weebly to create my website and published it. However, when I attempt to go to my website, it says it's parked at GoDaddy and there is nothing there. Apparently I have to unlock the website at GoDaddy (which I am not sure how to do), and 3 other steps, one of which was easy (changing the DNS to point to BlueHost). I had thought BlueHost would just pull my doman from GoDaddy over?
Caryl, typically, once the domain is registered with GoDaddy.com, I simply change the nameservers and then I'm good to go. I have never used Weebly, so I'm not sure if that makes a difference and I'm unaware of a reason why your would need to "unlock" your website at GoDaddy? I think my recommendation is to call each of them and see what steps you need to take. Sorry I'm not more helpful here.
Amy, thank you for responding. Which site did you change servers, GoDaddy or BlueHost? Maybe I have missed a step. My web name is http://www.Thrive-Food.com. I appreciate your help. This the first time I have used a blog.
You'd change the nameservers at GoDaddy.com (where your domain is registered).
Hi Amy, I have been mulling over moving to being hosted for a couple of months now…my major concern is this: When I publish a post does it publish automatically or can it take up to 24 hours? I like to be able to tweek my post if something is wrong. How is this done on Blue Host?
You can schedule a post if you'd like so it won't post until a specified time. You can also update a post at any time (even after it's published).
Thank you Amy for the easy step by step in getting my site moved to wordpress!
You're welcome, Dana!
Thanks Amy! This is exactly the guide I was looking for to help me get started. I want to setup a blog and start selling my woodworking items online. What do you think about online website builder software on http://www.easywebsitebuilders.net? Do these programs work as well as WordPress? Any feedback would be appreciated.
Hi Jason, I've never used anything other than WordPress (and Blogger back in the day) myself, so I'm afraid I can't give any specific advice. Sorry I'm not more help!
Thanks Amy for the helpful insight to this mass undertaking. Do you have a book/"how-to" guide published–this information is terrific!
I see that bluehost offers a free domain name. In that case, would I need to register a domain name with a site such as godaddy? Or can I go directly to bluehost and have it all done there?
Yes, you could register it directly with Bluehost as well!
Your next post on this series mentions you might want to have your domain separate from the host (I commented here before reading that) Is there an advantage to having it all with bluehost vs bluehost and godaddy?