Hosting a WordPress Site on Godaddy With a Pointed Domain

If you’re looking for a one-stop-shop for all of your web hosting needs, then you’ve come to the right place! We’ll show you how to set up a hosted WordPress site on your Godaddy account in just a few simple steps.

Start With The Very Basics

When you sign up for a web host, the first thing you’re going to be asked to do is to pick a domain name for your site. Having a pointed domain is essential for any serious website, and it means that your domain will be directly connected to the www address of the website you’re building (e.g., mysite.com instead of a more generic mysite.com). A pointed domain also indicates that you’re owning the URL – there is no question about it being your site!

What is also essential is to choose a web host that is reliable and offers a good value for your money. Let’s get to the details.

The Best Host For You

In the world of web hosts, there are several tiers of service that you can choose between. The most basic level of service is ‘shared hosting’, which provides you with a free domain name and installs WordPress on your behalf. You don’t need to do anything else to use this hosting service – once set up, all of the incoming traffic will be distributed among the other sites hosted on the same server. This is usually a good fit for people just getting started or for individuals or families that want to keep their site private and don’t need to make it public yet.

The next level up is ‘VPS hosting’, which is basically just like shared hosting but offers you the option of installing a virtual private server (or ‘VPS’) on your behalf. A VPS acts as a layer between your content and the Internet. This gives you more control over your site and decreases the chances of your content being accessed by unauthorized parties. For example, if you visit www.yoursite.com and the server is currently hosting websites with the words ‘gangnamstyle’ and ‘fashion’ in the URL, you’ll see a page not found error since your site hasn’t been configured to handle these words yet.

If you’re looking for a free domain name and don’t want to commit to a web host yet, then the best option is to use a ‘free domain name generator’ to find a suitable domain name that is already setup and has a good reputation. Some of the best free domain name generators are:

• 1&1 (open source – available for Windows, Mac, and Linux)
• Namecheap (crowdfunded – available for Windows, Mac, and Linux)
• Windscribe (Windows, Mac, and Linux)
• Nuwber (Windows, Mac, and Linux)
• GoDaddy (Windows, Mac, and Linux)
• Bluehost (Windows, Mac, and Linux)
• HubSpot (Windows, Mac, and Linux)
• Wix (Windows, Mac, and Linux)
• Squidoo (Windows, Mac, and Linux)
• Typeform (Windows, Mac, and Linux)
• WordPress (Windows, Mac, and Linux)

Once you’ve picked a suitable domain name, the next step is to set up the hosting service. If you’re using a free domain name generator, then all you have to do is enter the domain name you’ve chosen and click the ‘Create Domain’ button. For those using a GoDaddy account, this process is a bit more complicated since you’ll have to link your account to your newly created domain name. The steps are the same, but please note that you’ll have to confirm your email address before continuing.

Step 1: Create A GoDaddy Account

If you picked a domain name with one of the big four registrars – namely, GoDaddy, Namecheap, 1&1, and WordPress.com – then you can simply click “Create Account” on their websites and you’ll be taken to a page where you can enter your email address and create a password. After entering your payment information, you’ll be asked to set a nickname for your account. If you don’t have a GoDaddy account yet, then you can click the ‘Create Account’ button to get to the signup page. Once you’ve created an account, you can easily log in and proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Link Your Godaddy Account To Your New Domain

Once you’ve created a GoDaddy account and logged in, click on the ‘Domain Management’ tab in the top navigation bar.

This will take you to the domain editing screen, where you can enter the details of your new domain name. Enter the domain name and the next available domain extension (e.g.,.com,.org,.net, or.ca) in the two text boxes respectively. You can also set up a CNAME record (canonical name) if you want to point your domain to another website (e.g., brand.com to go with your brand’s name).

Once you’ve entered the relevant information and confirmed the changes, you’ll be able to click the ‘Save Changes’ button at the top of the page.

Step 3: Install WordPress To Create A Blog

Now that you have a domain name and a GoDaddy account, you can install WordPress on your site. Simply click the ‘Install WordPress’ button on the Account Dashboard of the Domain Management screen and follow the onscreen instructions. When the installation is finished, you’ll be presented with the login page for WordPress. Enter your email address and password and click the ‘Login to WordPress’ button. You’ll then be redirected to the home page of your freshly installed WordPress site.

This is the end of the very basic setup process. You can now begin adding content to your WordPress site or use the dashboard to administer the site. You can also click the Help button in the upper-right corner of the dashboard to get help with using the software or contacting customer support.

Final Takeaway

The very basics of setting up a WordPress site on Godaddy is relatively simple. You can use a few tools to save you time and make the process much easier. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, having a hosted WordPress site on Godaddy is a good choice since it takes the complexity out of the equation. Plus, there are a lot of benefits to having a hosted WordPress site including security, speed, and a backup.

Once you’ve launched your blog, be sure to check out our step-by-step tutorial on how to increase your blog’s SEO and drive more traffic to it. And if you’re looking for more help, then be sure to check out our online SEO guide to get the most out of your blog content.