subject: New To WordPress-Where To Start-A Complete Guide [print this page] New To WordPress-Where To Start-A Complete Guide
Recently I wrote an article about blogging. It's includes all the steps needed to get a blog up and running. In the article I talk about the importance of choosing Wordpress as your platform. I highly suggest you use this platform and here I want to show you how to set up WordPress.
I recommend you use Wordpress because, not only is it free, it was developed specifically for blogs. It was built by hundreds of community volunteers from around the world. And, it's the most flexible and expandable blog knowledge available, yet it's still very easy to use.
Building your blog with Wordpress is far more resourceful than using the old skills of manual HTML site-building. Wordpress makes adding posts, pages and links so easy that even a newbie can do it.
You could start a personal blog at wordpress.com, or use the Wordpress software to create a blog about any topic on your own web hosting. If you set up a blog within wordpress.com your website address (domain name) will look like this; www.myblog.wordpress.com. To look more professional I recommend you get your own domain name and hosting account. Now it will look like this: www.myblog.com.
It's quite simple to register a domain. Godaddy.com is a great site to register with, just go to the website and search for a domain name you prefer. Once you've found one that is not already taken go to checkout and the rest is straightforward.
I suggest HostGator.com to host your site. They have a tool called 'Fantastico' that installs WordPress for you automatically. You will only need the Hatchling Plan when you start out. When you sign up with Hostgator they will email you hosting information and DNS Namesevers. You will need to enter the nameservers in your Godaddy account under domain management. If you need help with this their support is awesome (both Godaddy and Hostgator can help).
Once Wordpress is set up you will be given a website address to edit your Wordpress site. It typically looks like this: www.myblog.com/wp-admin. This is your blog "hub", everything to do with your blog is done here. Go ahead and create a post but don't publish it yet. First you want to customize your site by selecting a theme. With WordPress you don't need to know any html computer language or have any design skills. There are thousands of free "Themes" available, and you can install them to your blog in seconds.
To install a theme:
1. Log in to the Dashboard of your WordPress (this is your "hub" www.myblog.com/wp-admin)
2. Under Appearance select on Themes
3. Choose the tab Install Themes
4. Use the filter to select the kind of site you want. For instance, a particular sidebar, number of columns, etc.
5. Install any theme that you feel is eye catching
6. Preview it by activating each theme, to see what looks best
What makes Wordpress such an effective tool is the Plugins. A plugin is an addon that adds additional features and capabilities to your blog. They can help get higher search rankings or automatically post your blog to several sites. The extra features the plugins bring to your site are endless.
Here are some plugins I use:
* All in One SEO Pack
* TweetMeme Retweet Button
* Advanced Text Widget
* Sociable
* Akismet
* Google XML Sitemaps
* OnlyWire for WordPress
* FeedBurner Widget
* MyBlogLog
* DiggDigg
* TanTanNoodles Simple Spam Filter
* Date Exclusion SEO
* WP Super Cache
To add a plugin simply click the Add Plugins link in the Plugins menus. The procedure is just like adding a theme. Type the name of the plugin, hit Search, Install, then Activate.
Running your own blog will let you control what people discover when they search for your name, or for questions about your company. If you want to start generating your own leads and stop paying for advertising, build your own Virtual Real Estate!
