Have you thought about starting your own blog?
Perhaps you’ve even wonderedย how to start a self-hosted WordPress blog.
Youโve already figured out the name you want to use, selected your brand colors, and got a logo design. Way to go!
So now what?
There are a lot of different options when it comes to which platform to use for creating a blog or website.
If youโve done any research, Iโm sure youโve realized that WordPress is the number one choice of serious bloggers (and the way to go).
But how do you start a self-hosted WordPress blog?ย Good news!
Iโm going to give you a comprehensive, step-by-step guide on how to create your own self-hosted WordPress blog.
And Iโm a very visual person, so I made sure to include a lot of helpful screenshots to guide you through the process.
Hereโs what weโll cover on how to start a WordPress blog (click on the links to jump ahead):
1. Purchasing a Domain Name with Namecheap
2. Purchasing a Hosting Plan with SiteGround
3. Pointing a Domain Name from Namecheap to SiteGround
4. Installing WordPress, a Theme, and Plugins (also, what WordPress Themes and Plugins are)
Are you ready to become a WordPress blogger? Letโs get started!
WordPress Overview
So what is WordPress exactly? WordPress is a Content Management System (CMS), which is a platform for managing content to create blogs and websites.
And WordPress is actually the most popular CMS used for any kind of site. Users range from simple blogs to full-blown large scale business websites.ย
According to WordPress.orgโs About page, โIt is also the platform of choice for over 34% of all sites across the web.โ
There are two versions of WordPress – WordPress.com and WordPress.org. This can get really confusing.ย
โSo whatโs the difference?โ you ask. If you want the full breakdown, I go into detail about the differences between the two here: WordPress.com vs WordPress.org – What’s the Difference and Which One Should You Use?
WordPress.org is generally the top choice of serious bloggers and for good reason. So for the purposes of this post, Iโm going to talk about the self-hosted WordPress.org option.
Why you should go the self-hosted WordPress.org route
By now, hopefully, you have a good idea of how WordPress.org differs from WordPress.com. But just to recap, here are a few key differences between them:
- Even though both are free to use, WordPress.com includes hosting whereas you have to pay for your own hosting to use WordPress.org.
- WordPress.com is very limited when it comes to customization and making money from your blog unless you upgrade to the paid plans.
- WordPress.org can be fully customized with countless themes, plugins, e-commerce capability, advertising, and coding (although coding knowledge isnโt necessary).
If you want to blog for fun as a hobby, WordPress.com will do the trick. Or if you just want a simple solution to get your blog or website off the ground and running ASAP, WordPress.com is fine.
But if you want more tools, flexibility, and customization options, a self-hosted WordPress.org site is the way to go.ย
And if you want to make money and treat your blog as an actual business, going the self-hosted WordPress.org route is a must!
You may also like:ย How to Convert Your WordPress.com Site to a Self-Hosted WordPress.org Site
Choosing a Hosting Provider
With WordPress.org, youโll need to pay for web hosting with your own hosting provider. This is to host your site and house all your website files.ย
Web hosting is fairly inexpensive and well worth the minimal investment to be able to use WordPress.org. You gotta spend money to make money, right?
Some of the main things you want to consider when choosing a hosting provider are:
- Documented Uptime
- Site Load Time
- Customer Service
If your site goes down, people arenโt going to bother coming back when itโs live again. Youโll lose out on traffic and sales. Youโll also lose credibility.
And if your site takes too long to load, people may not be patient enough to wait around for it. Youโll miss out on traffic and potential customers.
So as you can see, site uptime and load time are both critical. Customer service is also important. No hosting provider is going to be perfect. Youโll run into issues at some point.ย
But what it comes down to is thisโฆ Will customer service be available to help you? Will they be able to fix those issues? And, if so, how quickly will those issues be resolved?
These are just a few of the key features youโll want to consider when choosing your hosting provider.
You may also like:ย 10 Ways to Look Like a Professional Blogger (Even When Youโre Brand New)
Why I chose SiteGround for Hosting my WordPress.org Blog
After A LOT of research on different hosting providers, I ended up going with SiteGround. My decision was based on the following for SiteGround:
- Uptime
- Site Load Time
- Customer Service
- Affordability
SiteGround is also officially recommended by WordPress.org, which is kind of a big deal!
There are many different hosting providers out there. And if you research any of them, youโll most likely read conflicting reviews of each.
I was originally leaning towards another popular hosting provider that other bloggers kept recommending. But when I dug down and really looked into them, there were a lot of complaints from their actual users.
I looked at review sites to see feedback from a bunch of their users all in one place. This helped give me an overall picture of peoples’ actual experiences, and it wasn’t great.
But when I researched SiteGround, the users seemed to be really happy with the service. They sang praises for SiteGround, especially the customer service. That was a good sign.
I also like reading comparison articles to stack different providers up against each other. SiteGround beat out other providers in most, if not all, of the comparisons I read. That was the icing on the cake.
SiteGround was the best choice for me. Full disclosure: Iโm an affiliate for SiteGround, but thatโs because I did extensive research on them before using their hosting for this site.
Donโt just take my word that SiteGround is the best hosting provider option though. Do your own research, and choose the best hosting provider for you.
To help you out, here are a few blog posts by other bloggers who switched their web hosting to SiteGround:ย
โข Why I chose Siteground Web Hosting the second time around
โข BLUEHOST VS SITEGROUND: WHY I SWITCHED HOSTING COMPANIES
And if you end up not being happy with the hosting provider you go with, most offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. So thereโs that.
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Steps for How to Start a Self-Hosted WordPress.org Blog
If you already have a WordPress.com blog that you now want to convert to WordPress.org, read this post instead: How to Convert Your WordPress.com Site to a Self-Hosted WordPress.org Site.
But if youโre starting from scratch and want to get your own self-hosted WordPress.org blog set up, keep reading! Here are the steps to set up a self-hosted WordPress.org blog with SiteGround.
1. Purchase a Domain Name
Some hosting providers will include domain names with their hosting plans. Or they may sell domain names as an add-on to their web hosting. ย
I originally had my blog with WordPress.com and also purchased my domain name with WordPress.com out of convenience.
But when I converted my blog from WordPress.com to WordPress.org with my own hosting, I had to also transfer my domain name. This was a bit of a pain.
Thatโs why I recommend keeping your domain name separate from your hosting (whether thatโs with WordPress.com or a different hosting provider).
It may seem easier to keep your domain name and hosting together. But keeping them separate will make things easier down the road.
It will be easier if you ever want to change hosting providers or convert your WordPress.com site to a self-hosted WordPress.org site. That way you wonโt have to go through the hassle of moving your domain name too.
Find a domain starting at $0.88
powered by Namecheap
Why I chose to use Namecheap for my Domain Name
I decided to transfer my domain name from WordPress.com to Namecheapย based on their affordability and the fact that they include domain privacy protection for FREE!ย
Other domain registrars charge extra for that service. So I love that Namecheapย includes domain privacy protection at no extra charge!
2.ย Purchase a Hosting Plan with SiteGround
SiteGround offers a few different shared web hosting plan options starting at just $6.99/month for the initial term. Personally, I chose the GrowBig plan ($9.99/month) for the following features:
- Unlimited websites
- More storage space
- SuperCacher for accelerated site speed
- Advanced on-demand back-up
- And last but not least, free site transfer since I had to move my existing WordPress.com blog over to WordPress.org.
Once you choose the hosting plan you want by clicking “Get Plan,” youโll need to enter your domain name. Choose the option for โI already have a Domainโ and enter your domain name. Then click โProceed.”
Youโll now be taken to the final step where youโll โReview & Completeโ your order. You’ll need to choose the period of time for your hosting plan.
You’ll have the option of a 12-month, 24-month, or 36-month term. Thereโs also a 1-month option, but it has an additional set-up fee, whereas the other terms donโt have a set-up fee.
Be aware that the discounted promo price is only applicable for the first invoice. Once your initial term is over, the regular renewal prices will apply. So the longer term you purchase upfront, the more money youโll end up saving.
If everything looks good, click โPay Nowโ and then enter your payment info. Youโve now officially purchased a hosting plan with SiteGround and are almost ready to set up your site with WordPress.
NOTE: This screenshot shows old pricing. The GrowBig plan currently starts at $9.99/month.
3. Point your Domain Name to SiteGround
Before your WordPress site will work, youโll need to point your domain name from Namecheap to SiteGround. Donโt worry though, itโs easier than you think.
10 Steps for How To Point Your Domain Name from Namecheap to SiteGround:
1. Login to your SiteGround account.
2. You’ll need to find your nameservers. There are a few different ways you can find them, but this is the easiest: Go to Website, click on theย 3 dotsย to the right of your domain name, then click on “Server Details.”
A pop-up window will appear with two nameservers that should look something like this:
ns1.********.siteground.us
ns2.********.siteground.us
3. Youโll need to copy those two nameservers as youโll have to enter them in Namecheap in the next steps.
4. Login to your Namecheap account.
5. From the Dashboard, you should see your domain name with a โManageโ button to the right. But if for some reason thatโs not the case, click on โDomain Listโ on the left-hand side.ย
6. Click on the โManageโ button to the right of your domain name.
7. On the next page for Domains โ Details, find the โNameservers.โ
8. From the dropdown menu to the right, select the โCustom DNSโ option.
9. Paste the nameserver values you copied from SiteGround.ย
10. Then click on the green checkmark to save the changes.
You have now finished setting up your domain name to point to your SiteGround website. Woo hoo!ย Be aware though that the update may take up to 48 hours to go into effect.
4. Install WordPress, a Theme, and Plugins
WORDPRESS
With WordPress.org, you have to install the WordPress application. But luckily, SiteGround makes it easy with automated WordPress installation (yay!).
How to Install WordPress with SiteGround:
1. When you log into your Accountโs dashboard for the first time, youโll see a “Set Up Site” button. Go ahead and click on it. SiteGroundโs Website Setup Wizard will help you set up your site.ย For your first site, SiteGroundโs system will automatically suggest the domain name you provided when you ordered your hosting plan and will skip the domain selection step.
2. A new section will appear where youโll select “Start a New Website.” Thenย youโll chooseย WordPressย for the application which will automatically be installed on your new website through the Setup Wizard.
3. Next, enter the login credentials you want to use for WordPress (this is a different login than your SiteGround account). Youโll use these login details to access the back-end of WordPress (your WordPress Admin area) where you can manage and add content to your site. When youโre done entering your login details, click “Continue.”
WordPress has now been installed. Way to go! Now you’ll need to login to your WordPress Adminย with the credentials you just created to start setting up and customizing your WordPress blog.
How to login to your WordPress Admin:
There are a few different ways you can access your WordPress Admin area (the back-end of your site):
1. Directly with WordPress (the easier option and my preference)
Go directly to the default login for WordPress at http://yourdomain.com/wp-admin (replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain name).
2. Through SiteGround
To log in to your WordPress site through your SiteGround account, go to Websites > WordPress Kit.
A window will pop-up. Click on “Go” for WordPress Admin. You will then be redirected to your WordPress Admin login area atย http://yourdomain.com/wp-admin (yourdomain.com will be replaced with your actual domain name).
THEME
What are WordPress Themes?
WordPress uses โThemes,โ which are basically templates for the layout and design of websites powered by WordPress. Themes are the starting point for building and customizing your site.
Choosing a Theme
When it comes to choosing a Theme, there are practically endless options. So how do you choose the best Theme for your needs? Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Simplicity – You donโt want something thatโs too complex for you or your website visitors to navigate.
- Mobile-Responsive – You want a theme that will look good on desktop devices as well as phones and tablets.
- Supported Plugins – Make sure the Theme supports all popular Plugins.
- Customer Support – If you need help, will you be able to get it? How available is customer support to help you?
- Ratings & Reviews – What are other users saying? You want something that other people recommend.
There are free Themes as well as paid Themes. Iโm a very frugal person, but I do recommend investing in a high-quality Theme that offers the features and customization options youโll want for your site.
Using theย Divi Theme
Iโve used drag-and-drop website builders before and like being able to customize and design my website myself. Butโฆ Iโm not a web developer, and my coding skills are very basic.
Luckily, I came across theย Divi Theme byย Elegant Themes which includes a Page Builder as well as a super handy Theme Builder! I love how I can customize my site with little to no coding needed.
Itโs exactly what I was looking for! Plus, their customer service has been incredibly helpful. I highly recommend theย Divi Theme if you want an awesome theme you can easily customize.
To use the Divi Theme, youโll first need to purchase an Elegant Themes membership. Their membership includes access to the Divi Theme as well as the Bloom and Monarch Plugins.ย
The annual membership plan is $89/year, but they also offer a lifetime membership for a one-time payment of $249.
>>> Get 10% OFF the Divi Theme here! <<<
Purchasing a membership is risk-free because they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.ย So you donโt have to worry about wasting money if you end up not liking it.
Go ahead and give theย Divi Themeย a try!ย To purchase the Divi Theme, visit the Elegant Themes website and click on โPricingโ in the top right corner.
Choose the option you want (yearly access for $89/year or lifetime access for $249 one-time), and click “Sign Up Today!” to complete your membership registration.
How to Install the Divi Theme with WordPress:
The Divi Theme is not available in the Theme library of WordPress. You have to download the Divi Theme from your Elegant Themes account and then upload the Themeโs file to WordPress.
Trust me, it sounds more complicated than it is. I was intimidated at first myself but was pleasantly surprised when I did it. Itโs actually a very easy process.
Plus, if you need any help, the customer service at Elegant Themes is awesome! Theyโre available 24/7 via chat and are super helpful.ย
Give it a go on your own though following the steps below, and I think youโll see just how easy it is:
1. Login to your Elegant Themes account.
2. Go to the Downloads area, and click on โDownload the Divi Themeโ (thereโs also a Plugin version if youโd rather use the Divi Builder with another Theme).ย
3. The Theme should automatically be downloaded as a .zip file to your computer (do NOT unzip the .zip file as you will upload the .zip file as is to WordPress).
4. Login to your WordPress Admin
5. Go to Appearance > Themes, and click onย “Add New.”
6. Click on โUpload Theme.”
7. In the next window, click on โChoose Fileโ and select the Divi.zip file, then click on โInstall Now.”
8. Once the Theme has been uploaded to your WordPress Themes, be sure to Activate the Theme by clicking on the โActivateโ button for it.ย You can now Customize the Theme.
9. The Theme Customizer is where you can start setting up some basic details and defaults for your site such as:
โข To add a Site Title, Tagline, and Icon, go to General Settings > Site Identity.
โข You can choose to display your Blog Posts on your Home Page or have a static Home Page that doesn’t change (my recommendation). To do this, go to Homepage Settings, and under “Your Homepage Displays” choose “A static page.”
โข You can also customize your Menus here, but I’m going to show you how to do that along with another way down below in the Menu section.
If you want to use a theme other than Divi, go to Appearance > Themes > Add New. This is where you can search for and see available Themes. Once you find the one you want to use, click on โInstallโ and then โActivate.โ
PLUGINS
What are WordPress Plugins?
Plugins are tools you can add-on to expand the functionality and customization of your WordPress site. One of the main advantages of having a self-hosted WordPress.org site is being able to use Plugins. Theyโll take your site to the next level!ย
There are both free and paid Plugin options. Keep in mind though that not all Plugins work with all Themes, nor do all Plugins work with all other Plugins. Make sense?
If youโre having issues with your site, one of your Plugins may not be playing nice with the other Plugins or Theme. Start by deactivating the most recently installed Plugin to see if that solves the problem.
You may also like:ย 10 Free Essential Plugins to Use for Your WordPress Blog
How to install Plugins with WordPress:
Plugins are super easy to install. Hereโs how to install them:
1. Login to your WordPress Admin
2. Go to Plugins > Add New
3. This is where you can search for available Plugins and install them. When you find a Plugin you want to use, click โInstall.”
4. Once the Plugin is installed, click โActivateโ to be able to use the Plugin. You also have the option to Upload Plugins similar to how you uploaded the Divi Theme.
5 Essential WordPress Plugins to Install:
Here are some basic Plugins you should consider installing for your site:
- SG Optimizer for caching with SiteGround
- Yoast for SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
- WordFence for security
- Monster Insights for Google Analytics
- Broken Link Checkerย to check for broken links and missing images
You can see even more Plugins I use and recommend here: 10 Free Essential Plugins to Use for Your WordPress Blog.
Whenever youโre installing Plugins, make sure they are compatible with your version of WordPress. You may also want to see when they were last updated. If itโs been a year, that could be a red flag.
5. Create Pages, a Site Menu, and Blog Posts
Now that you have a Theme and some essential Plugins installed, youโre ready to start adding content to your WordPress blog! Letโs start with some Pages you should create, and then add a site Menu:
PAGES
Here are some basic Pages you should start with:
- Home – This is the first page people see when they visit your site.
- About – Be sure to include a page to introduce yourself – who you are, your background, your mission, what you offer and what you can do to help your audience.
- Blog – Make a page to feature your blog posts.
- Contact – Give people a way to get in touch with you.
As a blogger, youโll also need to add these additional Pages to be transparent with your audience and protect yourself legally:
If you have an email list, track your analytics, or use cookies to collect information, you are legally required by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to have a Privacy Policy.
The purpose of the Privacy Policy is to disclose to your audience what information you collect, how that information will be used, and how you will protect that information.
Youโve poured sweat, blood, and tears into your blog. You want to make sure your original content is protected. This is where a Terms & Conditions Page comes into play.
It informs your site visitors that all of the content on your website belongs to you. It also tells them what they can and cannot do with your original site content.
If you belong to any affiliate programs and receive compensation from your affiliate links, you need to disclose that to your readers.
Youโll also want your Affiliate Disclaimer to remove any of your potential liability that would be associated with your readers purchasing the affiliate products or services youโre recommending.
You may be thinking, โIโm not a lawyer, so where do I get the wording for those Pages?โ You can take a look at what other bloggers are using for theirs. This can give you an idea of what to include when you create your own.ย
Or you can go the easier route by starting with attorney-approved templates and tweaking them as needed to work for your blog.
And if you have any site visitors from the European Union, youโll also need to be GDPR-compliant. Check out this article about it: What You Need to Know About the GDPR.
How to Create Pages in WordPress:
Pages are simple to start. Hereโs how to create them:
1. Go to Pages > Add New.
2. Add a Title for your Page and click โSave Draft.โ
3. Start creating! You can either use the Divi Builder or WordPressโs Default Editor to create your Page. I recommend using the Divi Builder though for a visual page creation experience.ย
4. Be sure to keep clicking on โSave Draftโ throughout the Page creation process so you donโt lose any changes.
5. You can add a Featured Image, Excerpt, and more details for your Page in the right-hand column.
6. You can choose toย Publishย your Page immediately or schedule it to Publish at a later date/time. When you’re done, hit “Publish” to make the Page live.
Keep in mind that you can always add or delete Pages and/or edit your Pages later. So donโt get too hung up on making them perfect right now. You just need to have Pages in place to start creating your site Menu.
MENU
Now that you have some basic Pages created, youโll want to set up your site’s Primary Menu so people can access them. Think of a Menu as a Table of Contents for your blog.ย
The Menu consists of links that redirect your site visitors to other places (pages, blog posts, etc.) when theyโre clicked on. There are a few different ways you can set up your site Menus in WordPress:
Set Up Menu with “Appearance”:
1. Go to Appearance > Menus.
2. From the โSelect a menu to editโ dropdown, choose Menu (Primary Menu)ย and click “Select.”
3. To add the Pages you created to the Menu, click on the Pages dropdown under โAdd menu items.โ Find and select the Pages you want to add (you can select multiple Pages at the same time), and click โAdd to Menu.โ
4. The Pages will then show up in the โMenu Structureโ column to the right.ย
5. You can drag and drop the pages to rearrange the order they show.ย
6. You can even change the label for each Menu item if you want it to say something other than the Page title.
7. And you can also add other items to your Menu, such as Blog Posts, Custom Links, etc. Do this by clicking on the corresponding dropdown option under โAdd menu items.โ
8. Be sure to click on โSave Menu.โ
Set Up Menu with “Theme Customizer”:
1. Go to Appearance >ย Customizeย OR go toย Divi > Theme Customizer from the WordPress menu on the left side of your WordPress Admin.
2. From the โTheme Customizerโ screen, choose Menus.
3. Select the “Menu” option or “Create New Menu” if needed.
4. Make sure the “Primary Menu” option is selected under Menu Locations.
5. To add the Pages you created to the Menu, click on “Add Items,” thenย find and select the Pages you want to add under the Pages dropdown in the column on the right.
6. The Pages you selected will then show up under the Menu column to the left.ย
7. You can drag and drop the pages to rearrange the order they show up in.ย
8. You can even change the label for each Menu item if you want it to say something other than the Page title.
9. And you can also add other items to your Menu, such as Blog Posts, Custom Links, etc. Do this by clicking on the corresponding dropdown option in the right column.
10. Be sure to click on โPublishโ to save your Menu and make it live.
BLOG POSTS
Youโre ready to start writing blog posts! Yippee! Blog posts are basically articles that you write. This is what blogging is all about and what people will visit your site for.ย
Most bloggers recommend having at least 5 blog posts published before you launch/start promoting your blog with 5-10 more blog post drafts ready to publish. I agree with this tip.
There are several reasons why you want to have a handful of blog posts already done before you start driving traffic to your blog.
First, it helps give you some credibility so your blog doesn’t look like it’s brand new. Also, you’ll be able to direct your site visitors to other related blog posts to increase views and reduce your site’s bounce rate.
All good things, so start writing! Creating Blog Posts are similar to creating Pages.
How to Create Blog Posts in WordPress:
1. Go to Posts > Add New
2. Add a Title for your Blog Post and click โSave Draft.โ
3. Start writing! You can either use the Divi Builder or WordPressโs Default Editor to write your Blog Post.ย I usually start with the Default Editor and then switch to the Divi Builder to see if there’s anything I need to tweak with the layout.
4. Be sure to keep clicking on โSave Draftโ throughout the writing process so you donโt lose any changes.
5. You can add Categories, Tags, a Featured Image, and more for your Blog Post in the right-hand column.
6.ย You can choose toย Publishย your Blog Post immediately or schedule it to Publish at a later date/time. When you’re done, hit “Publish” to make the Blog Post live.
That’s it! Your self-hosted WordPress blog is ready to go!
If youโve stuck with me to the end and set up your own self-hosted WordPress blog, BRAVO! It seems daunting, but the key to success is to START!ย
So youโre already on your way to being a successful blogger. How exciting is that?!
By now, you should have a general idea of how to use WordPress for your site. Thereโs a lot to it and a bit of a learning curve. But youโll figure it out as you go along.
And you can always change things or hit the โUndoโ button. So donโt be afraid to explore the features and add content to your site.
Are you a perfectionist like me? My perfectionism can often get in the way of me actually finishing things or even starting things for that matter.
But when I was researching blogging as a business, one particular saying kept coming up and it really resonated with meโฆย Done is better than perfect. I hope that’s a good motivation for you like it was for me!
Write that down. And keep it where you can see it to remind yourself not to get in the way of yourself. Happy blogging!
Thinking about starting your own WordPress Blog or struggling with getting your WordPress Blog setup? Join my Free 7-Day Blog Launch Email Course!
This is a great breakdown for anyone that is interested in starting their own blog but don’t know where to start. I wish I had come across something like this when I first got started – I felt so lost in the beginning! It took a lot of trial and error to figure it all out!
Thanks, Britt! I was right there with you when I first started out and had to try to piece everything together myself. I wrote this post in hopes of helping other beginner bloggers have an easier time with the technical aspect of starting their own blog.