How to Host a WordPress Website for $5 a Month
You can now create a free website with a WordPress platform as part of the SiteGround affiliate program. You’ll get a free domain, hosting, and between 3-5 months of premium support. All you need to do is follow the quick and easy steps below.
Step 1: Get a Domain and Hosting
The first step is to get a decent domain name and hosting. You can use a free domain name and sign up for a free hosting account from SiteGround. Alternatively, you can purchase a.com domain from a provider such as GoDaddy for about $12 a year.
The nice thing about SiteGround is that they provide you with a free domain and hosting along with their platinum package. It’s not a bad deal if you’re searching for a web host.
Step 2: Install WordPress
Now that you have a domain and hosting, you can install WordPress. Just click on the link below, and follow the onscreen instructions. You’ll be landing on the WordPress dashboard in no time.
SiteGround suggests that you complete the setup process by adding a WordPress theme and some content. Take your time and do this step slowly. Once this is done, you’ll be able to edit your website’s look and feel from the dashboard. There’s a lot that can be done with WordPress, including setting up a e-commerce store, posting blogs, or setting up a forum. You can learn a lot about WordPress from the official documentation.
Step 3: Activate WordPress
After you’ve completed the setup process, you’ll be presented with a login screen. Just type in the credentials for the WordPress account you created and click on the Login button to log in.
You’ll now be taking on a full-time role as the administrator of your website. Make sure that you log in regularly and add or edit content as needed. If you’re worried about forgetting passwords, you can use the password manager built into WordPress to create unique passwords for all of your accounts. This will also generate random token codes that you can use to access your content.
Step 4: Use your newly created WordPress account
Now that you have a functional WordPress account, you can use it to post articles, respond to comments, or create a blog. You can use this step to get started blogging and use the platform as a tool for marketing or content creation.
If you have more than one website, you can use the WordPress dashboard to manage all of them from a central location. Just log in to your account, click on the Sites icon on the left side of the page, and then click on the site you want to manage.
You can use the WordPress dashboard as a starting point for most of your website’s needs. The best part about this step is that it only takes a few minutes to set up. If you’re looking for a free and easy way to create a quick website, this is the perfect option.
Step 5: Customize your website
Once you have a functional WordPress account, it’s time to customize it to your needs. The first thing you might want to do is change the website’s theme. You can use the WordPress dashboard to search for and install a theme from hundreds of free options. Alternatively, you can purchase a ready-made WordPress theme from a company such as ThemeForest.
You can use this step to make small changes to your website’s design. For example, you can change the colors, layout, and a few other settings found in the dashboard. Remember, there are a lot of themes out there, so you’re sure to find something that suits your needs. After you install a new theme, you can click on the Theme button in the dashboard to see the theme’s options.
If you notice, almost all of the WordPress themes come with a design template. This is mainly because the plugin that powers WordPress, WP-Admin, offers a few different layouts to choose from. You don’t necessarily have to use them all, but you can to get a basic idea of how your site will look when it’s finished.
Step 6: Add more content
Now that you have a functional WordPress account, changeable templates, and a few articles, it’s time to add more content. You can use the WordPress dashboard to see how many articles you have stored in your Media Library. Just click on the Files icon on the left side of the page and then click on the Media tab to access your content.
If you have more than 200 MB of content stored on your website, you will need to either upgrade your account to a Pro package or purchase one of the storage add-ons from SiteGround.
You can use this step to either create more content or to add more features to your existing articles. For example, you can use the WordPress dashboard to write and schedule posts, or you can add a blogroll, photo gallery, or contact form to an existing article.
Step 7: Test your website
Once you have a working WordPress account and a few posts and articles, it’s time to put it to the test. Use the WordPress dashboard to access your website’s stats and performance. For example, you can use the Traffic option to see how many people are visiting your website, the Statistics option to see how many articles you have published, and the Performance option to see how your site is performing on different platforms (mobile, tablet, and desktop).
You can use this step to see if your content is appealing to your target audience and whether or not you should continue writing for this blog.
One important thing to keep in mind while you’re testing your website is that you should never publish something to a live site before you’ve tested it thoroughly on a local development version of WordPress. This way, you know for sure that you won’t break anything when you actually go live.
Step 8: Make minor adjustments
Once you’ve successfully tested your website on a local development version of WordPress, it’s time to make some minor adjustments. The first thing you might want to do is switch the website’s theme back to the original one you used when you first installed WordPress. You can also use the Dashboard to access your website’s settings and change things such as the domain name, email addresses, and other small details.
If you notice, almost all of the WordPress themes come with a design template. This is mainly because the plugin that powers WordPress, WP-Admin, offers a few different layouts to choose from. You don’t necessarily have to use them all, but you can to get a basic idea of how your site will look when it’s finished.
WordPress is a powerful tool that can do a lot, but it can also be a little complicated to set up and use. For $5 a month, you can have a functional, ready-to-use website with WordPress.