So, you’ve heard the hype on starting your own WordPress blog.
Or, maybe you’ve decided that this is the year you’re FINALLY going to get your online business setup.
Maybe, like me, you just can’t handle juggling the commute, a job you hate and being soo exhausted all of time.
You just know there has to be a better freaking way.
I remember searching online for hours after my 1 year old would be asleep, trying to figure out how I can find a work from home job. Starting my own business was never actually on my radar.
That’s until I started searching on Pinterest and came across so much information on becoming a Virtual Assistant and creating passive income through blogging and digital products.
I was honestly hooked.
There was one pretty big problem though, according to everyone else, I needed to create a WordPress Website. I had actually dabbled with WordPress a few years earlier and failed miserably.
And I mean miserably…. It took me 3 days to figure out how to even find the login page in the first place.
Now I actually help build WordPress websites for real, live, actual Lady Bosses and I know I have the right process and tools in place to make it as easy on you as possible!
So, stick with me on this one because I know where you’re at right now. I know how tough and frustrating this next little bit can be on you, and I can help you get there with less blood, sweat and tears!
Before We Can Begin
This is usually the part where everyone jumps right in to getting you set up with your website hosting provider.
But I’m going to assume that you’re completely new at this and I want you to see the bigger picture first.
Because how can you confidently follow a path when you don’t even know where you’re going or have an end goal in sight?
Also – if anyone tells you that you can have your WordPress website set up in 5, or 10, or 15 minutes, that’s a lie. You can have your web hosting and WordPress installed in that amount of time, but you are no where near having a functioning WordPress Website.
Let alone one that actually looks good.
So here’s the overview of what we’re going to cover over several blog posts:
- Website Hosting (Where your website lives).
- WordPress Installation (So you can create your site)
- WordPress Website Themes (Our Top Picks)!
- After Installing WordPress (update these settings)!
- WordPress Basics for Beginners.
- Elementor Basics (So your website looks amazing)!
- Your Main Website Pages.
- Writing Your First Blog Post
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s get right into step 1 of building your brand new and absolutely beautiful website!
Setting Up Your Hosting
Alright here we go…
So what the heck is hosting and why do you need it?
Hosting is the place where your WordPress website is going to live and what makes your website appear when someone types in the web address for it. All websites need to be hosted somewhere.
You can think of hosting as your cyberspace landlord, you want to deal with a landlord that is reliable, easy to deal with, and always available if something goes wrong.
This is where Siteground Web Hosting comes in. They have an easy to use interface, a quick automatic install for WordPress and 24-hour online chat support.
I recommend them because I use them for my own site and for any client sites that I create.
Now, as a sidenote, when I started my online business, I chose Bluehost because they were slightly cheaper. A year later, I had to switch everything over to Siteground which was a bit of a pain in the butt.
Bluehost wasn’t terrible by any means, but for a few extra dollars, I should have just gone with Siteground which has been much more reliable.
That’s why this tutorial will walk you through setting up your hosting with Siteground, at the end of the day though, the process is very similar and it’s entirely your decision to make! ☺️
Step 1: Choosing Your Hosting Plan
Some of the top perks of going with Siteground Web Hosting for your WordPress Website are:
- Reliability
- Free SSL Certificate
- 1-Click WordPress Install
- 24/7 Support
To get started, click on the image below to visit Siteground’s Website.
Here is where you can select the plan that works best for you.
You’ll most likely be good with the StartUp Plan and you can move up when you need to. It took me 2 years to move up to the GoGeek Plan.
And let’s be honest here, even paying $11.95/month is nothing to have a fast and reliable WordPress website that is making you money.
So go ahead and pick the plan you need and I’ll meet you on step 2.
Step 2: Choosing Your Domain Name
So now let’s talk domain names.
Here are a few things you should DO when picking your domain/business name:
- Find an available dot.com address (looks better and is worth more).
- Keep it short and sweet (don't make it harder for people to find).
- Say the name out loud a bunch of times.
- Include niche specific keywords (this helps with online searches).
- Avoid hyphens and special characters.
My main sticking point here is that you need to find a dot.com that is available. Don’t buy the .net or .biz or whatever other .something there is.
If the dot.com isn’t available that means someone else already owns it. They either already plan to create a business/blog under that name, or they will sell it to you for some obscene price.
Either way, find something that’s available here that works.
Don’t be discouraged if you need to go back to the drawing board a few times, it’ll be worth it when you find YOUR domain.
And while we’re on this topic. See if the domain of your name is available. If it is, please buy it.
There’s only one dot.com available for your name, so if you can, you should ALWAYS own it.
If you already own a domain name that you want to use, you can also choose that option and enter the domain you want to use.
Lastly, keep in mind that there is a difference between paying for hosting and paying to own your domain name.
Your hosting is your monthly fee (around $3.95) and your domain name is what you pay for once a year (around $15.95). I didn’t really understand that, my first time around!
Step 3: Confirmation and Billing
Here’s where we wrap up the confirmation and billing and then get to move onto installing your WordPress Website in the next post.
Fill in all of the relevant contact information – making sure you pick an email address you have direct access to.
The only other option I want to mention here is the domain privacy option you’ll see towards the bottom. I chose this right from the get go and still pay for it now on a yearly basis!
Once you’re ready and you agree to Siteground’s terms, you can move forward by selecting the “Pay Now” button.
Woo Hoo! You now have your website hosting set up.
That’s one step out of the way and now I want to make it as easy as possible to get your website set up and looking great!
Click to check out our Stunning WordPress Website Templates!
