Can I Build a Website on WordPress and Then Change the Domain?
You may be familiar with the WordPress platform. It is one of the most popular content-management systems (CMS) used for building websites. With over 26.5 million downloads and a 4.7 star rating on the Apple App Store, it’s obvious that many people love the platform. You may be considering using WordPress to build your own web portal or blog. If so, you can rest assured that you’re in the right place. In this article, we will discuss the steps necessary to make the switch and how you can take advantage of this popular platform to build your web presence.
Step One: Select The Right Hosting Company
One of the first steps to take before you begin making any design or development decisions is to secure the right hosting company. You won’t be able to do this step effectively if you don’t have the right server at your disposal. To put it simply, your website will not perform at its optimum capacity if you don’t have the right hardware to run it on. Luckily for you, we are experts in web hosting and know which companies to choose based on your project needs. If you’re looking for a company that offers high reliability, outstanding support and a money-back guarantee, then you’ve come to the right place. Each of the following hosting companies offer those things and more. Take a look at their packages and pricing plans to see which one is best suited for your needs.
1. GreenGarden
This German-owned company offers outstanding value for those seeking a managed WordPress hosting plan. In fact, their hosting plans are so affordable that it’s likely that you’ll find a coupon code or a special deal in their sales pitches. Although they are a relatively new company in the web hosting industry, they already offer an unrivalled level of service. You’ll love their user-friendly dashboard and how quickly they address any issues that you might have. As always, they back up their service with a money-back guarantee.
2. Bluehost
Another reliable hosting company that provides a managed WordPress platform is Bluehost. Like GreenGarden, Bluehost is also owned by a company based in Germany. However, unlike their German-based competitor, Bluehost focuses on web hosting and doesn’t provide any other services. Their pricing plans are very affordable, starting at just $2.95 per month. Furthermore, their hosting plans come with a free domain and they offer a money-back guarantee. You’ll find many plugins and extensions available for free from their official WordPress repository. Finally, if you’re looking for a company that provides a managed WordPress hosting platform, then Bluehost is a reliable choice.
3. Hostgator
Like Bluehost, Hostgator provides a managed WordPress hosting platform at a discounted rate. Like other companies in this list, Hostgator is also owned by a company based in Germany. However, their service is slightly different from the others. Instead of offering a traditional web hosting plan, Hostgator provides a self-hosted WordPress environment. In other words, you’ll need to install WordPress on your own server.
It’s often recommended that you don’t install WordPress on a shared server. Why? It’s because shared servers are usually less secure than dedicated ones. As a general rule, you should always install WordPress on a dedicated server. That being said, if you’re looking for a reputable company that provides a managed WordPress hosting platform, then Hostgator is a reliable option. Their pricing plans start at just $2.95 per month and they offer a money-back guarantee.
4. iPower
If you’re searching for a company that offers a rock-solid security and support for those seeking a professional-looking website, then you’ve come to the right place. Their WordPress hosting plans start at just $5.45 per month and they offer several different security packages to choose from. If you’re seeking a company that provides a completely secure and optimized environment for WordPress, then you may want to consider iPower. They are committed to providing the best possible service to their customers and stand behind their product with a money-back guarantee.
5. 11st
If you’re seeking an inexpensive but relatively reliable web host with a free domain, then you may want to consider 11st. One of the main advantages of using the WordPress platform is the massive amount of available plugins and extensions. It’s very likely that 11st provides just what you’re looking for. Their hosting plans start at just $5.45 per month with a free domain and a free one-click WordPress installer. You’ll also receive free backups and daily site health checks. Finally, they provide a 24/7 phone support via live chat as well. If you’re seeking a good value for your money without having to worry about anything, then 11st is the company for you.
Step Two: Install WordPress
Once you’ve settled on which hosting company to use, it’s time to begin the process of installing WordPress on your site. This process is very simple and can be performed in just a few minutes. Just follow these instructions:
- Go to the hosting company’s website
- Click on the link provided on the site that’ll take you to the WordPress directory
- Find the download link for WordPress
- Double-click on the link to start the process
- Once the installation completes, restart your web browser
As soon as you’ve done that, it’s time to input your site’s URL into your online store’s URL (if you’re planning to have one). Once again, if you’ve followed these instructions correctly, your online store will be up and running in no time.
Step Three: Customize Your Site
Once you’ve got WordPress up and running, it’s time to begin customizing your site. You can do this step effectively using the built-in functionality of WordPress or using a third-party tool. Just find the one that you prefer and begin working with it. As with most other steps in the process of building a website from scratch, this step is relatively straightforward. Just follow these instructions:
- Go to the Dashboard
- Click on the Settings icon to the right of the Dashboard
- Click on the option “Reading” in the drop-down menu that appears
- Scroll down to “Comments” and hit the Edit button next to it
- You’ll see that your site has a single comment on it. To add more comments, click on the Add New comment button at the bottom of the form
- Fill out the comment form and hit the Publish button
- You’ll see that your comment has been successfully published. If you’ve done this step successfully, congratulations! You’ve just created your first blog article. You can continue adding content to it by visiting this blog in the future.
This process of creating a website from scratch may seem daunting at first, but it’s an ideal way to learn how to build a website that will serve your needs. Plus, if you’ve followed these instructions correctly, you’ll have a fully functioning web store that you can use to promote your products. In the next section, we’ll discuss some of the basics of SEO which can help you get your site launched on the right foot.
Step Four: Optimize Your Pages For The Search Engines
If you’re truly seeking to succeed as a professional online marketer, then it’s essential that you learn the basics of SEO (search engine optimization). This step is critical to your success because it enables you to put keywords into your content and website design to increase the chance of your site being discovered when users enter search queries into the Google search bar. You can read more about SEO in this excellent guide by the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A’s).
You don’t need to become an expert in SEO to do it right. All you need is a basic understanding of what it means and how to implement it on your site. While you’re in the middle of customizing your site, make sure that you optimize the following:
- The homepage
- The blog article
- The product pages (for those who have products)
- The service pages (for those who offer services)
- The 404 page (which you’ll create if you don’t have one)
- The contact page
Make sure that you add your primary keywords into your content and template filenames along with your site’s URL. Your web host may also provide you with a free SEO tool that you can use.