WordPress is a content management and site-building system that you can use to build and manage your blog content.
There are two versions of WordPress:
WordPress.com offers a fully paid-for service. All the files for your blog are managed for you and you don’t have to get involved in hosting or updates. There are limits to how much you can change or customise.
WordPress.org offers the WordPress package as a free download. You can fully customise your blog if you use WordPress.org and you will have to pay for your own hosting.
With WordPress.org you can also use other features such as plugins to add extra features to your blog e.g. forms, social media icons and blog traffic tracking.
This article will focus on WordPress.org.
I use DreamHost for all of my hosting and the screen grabs will show how to install WordPress using DreamHost’s easy-to-use one-click installer.
Step 1
Log in to your panel and go to the home screen:
Then click on WordPress.
This screen (for one-click installs) will appear:
Click on the first WordPress image, ‘WordPress is free web-based software…’ to choose the one-click installer.
Step 2
On the next screen, in the Custom One-Click Installer section, select the domain you would like to install WordPress on.
If you have only one domain it will show in the mini window.
If you have more than one domain, you’ll need to click on one of the arrows and select the domain you want from the drop-down list.
The database for your domain will be automatically created and installed. Leave the boxes ticked for Deluxe install and the WP website builder.
Click ‘install if for me now!’
Step 3
A dialogue screen will appear confirming that WordPress is about to be added to the domain you chose and that you will receive an email telling you how to configure the software.
Step 4
Your confirmation email will look like this:
The email will also contain login information, including links to the WordPress admin panel.
Log in to your WordPress panel to check that everything is in working order.
WordPress.org files are updated regularly. The one-click installer option takes care of updates and all you have to do is click on the updates in the WordPress panel when they are available.
You’re now ready to startsetting up a WordPress theme on your blog.
