In order to setup your WordPress website, you will first need to purchase a hosting package.
I personally love working with and highly recommend Bluehost.
Why I Love Bluehost:
- Their hosting package offers a FREE domain name for your first year + a FREE SSL certificate, which helps create trust with your customers and assure them that their information is safe and also ensures that your website is Google-friendly
- They offer a 1-click WordPress install making it super easy to connect your hosting account to the WordPress platform
- Their user dashboard is really simple and easy to use
- They provide 24/7 support and really do help you find solutions fast
- Websites load up to 5 times faster
In this post, I'll be walking you through the steps on how to setup your WordPress website with Bluehost, which should only take you a quick 5-10 minutes!
Ready to get started? Let's go...
*I am a Bluehost hosting affiliate and will receive a small commission when you purchase a hosting package through any of my links below. For more information, see my affiliate disclaimer.
To begin, click the button below.
This will take you to a page that looks like this:
Click on the green “Get Started Now” button.
This will take you to the next page:
Select the Basic package if you plan on building just 1 website. If you'd like to upgrade to another package you are totally free to, but the Basic package is really all you need to get started. If you think you might want to add more domain names or websites in the future, you can select the Plus package.
Once you select your hosting package you will be directed to this page:
You get a FREE domain name (ex: taratierney.com) for your first year with your hosting package, which you can enter into the first box to make sure it's available. If you need some tips on how to choose a domain name click here.
If you have already registered a domain name with Bluehost or somewhere else, you can enter it in the second box.
You do NOT need to transfer your domain to Bluehost if it was registered somewhere else: your domain can be pointed to Bluehost.
Final step:
Fill in your name, address, phone, email, etc. and then choose your account plan. The more months you pay up front, the more you save.
I highly recommend getting Domain Privacy + Protection (protects your personal contact information from marketers, spammers, and unwanted solicitation) and Codeguard Basic (automatic daily site backups) and SiteLock Security (protects your website from malware and malicious attacks.)
Fill in your credit card info, check off the agreement terms, then hit submit!
Keep in mind the credit card will be charged if you choose auto renew, which I recommend. Bluehost will send you a confirmation email with your login information and some other basic information. Make sure to save your login information in a safe place. I will also need this login information if I am going to be working on your site.
And that’s it!
If you'd like help designing your website, feel free to check out my services here!