How to Easily Add WordPress to GoDaddy Hosting
Many websites need websites, and WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS) around currently. No matter if you are running a personal blog or a business website, there is a good chance that you need to add WordPress to your hosting plan in order to make it functional. Fortunately, doing this process manually can be quite tiresome, so WordPress experts have provided a guide for adding WordPress to GoDaddy hosting that you should follow in order to have a relatively simple and smooth installation that does not require too much effort. Let’s get to it!
Step 1: Before You Begin, Ensure That You Have The Necessary Devices Required For The Process
It is a good idea to have all the necessary devices required for the process before you begin (just in case you run into issues). You will need a PC or Laptop with a connected internet connection, a tablet or phone with internet access, and a USB memory stick. It is also advisable to save all the necessary files (i.e. installation packages, etc.) to the memory stick before starting the process, just in case you run into problems while installing WordPress on your hosting account. Remember: you are ultimately responsible for ensuring that your hosting provider is running correctly, so make sure that all of your hardware and software meet the requirements for a successful installation. If you have questions about the devices that you have, or if you are not sure whether or not they are suitable for the process, ask your tech support person.
Step 2: Log In To Your GoDaddy Account
Logging in to your GoDaddy account is very straightforward – you just need to enter your username and password, and then click the Login button. Once you are logged in, you will see the dashboard screen of your GoDaddy account. From here, you can click on the Settings button to access the settings page for your account.
On this page, you will find a link to WordPress that will take you to the main WordPress.com website. If you are using a custom domain with WordPress, then this link will take you to the correct place. For example, if you are on the Settings page for www.helloworld.com, then the link will take you to the WordPress.com site for www.helloworld.com. Once you are on the main WordPress site, you can navigate to the Install WordPress page to begin the process.
Step 3: Choose The Right Package
The first step of adding WordPress to GoDaddy hosting is choosing the right package. You have three different options here: Basic, Plus, and Premium. Each package comes with a free domain, and gives you access to one website (1 page, no posts, no attachments, etc.). The Plus package also gives you access to 2 websites, along with all of the features from the Basic package. Finally, the Premium package gives you access to 3 websites, along with all of the features from both the Plus and Basic packages.
The choice of package that you choose really depends on what you are looking for. If you are just getting started and do not have a lot of websites to host, then the Basic package is a good choice – it’s Free, and it comes with a domain that you can use immediately. If you are looking for a more advanced option, then you should go with the Plus package – it gives you more features, and is also less expensive. If you are looking for the best value, then go with the Premium package – it gives you access to all of the features of both the Plus and Basic packages, as well as the ability to host an unlimited number of websites.
Step 4: Click The Install Button
After you have made your selection in the previous step, you will see a green button on the right side of the page. This button is called the Install button, and clicking it will begin the WordPress installation process. When the installation is finished, you will be taken to a page that confirms that WordPress has been successfully installed on your hosting account. You can then log out of your GoDaddy account, and close the settings window.
Step 5: Activate WordPress
After you have logged out of your GoDaddy account, you will see a message on the screen that says WordPress has been successfully installed. At this point, you can visit your new WordPress site by typing in your domain name (ex: helloworld.com) in the URL bar of your browser. Remember: you need to choose a.com domain for your site to be accessible by the general public. A common mistake that new WordPress users often make is going with a.net or.org domain and then trying to transfer the site to a.com domain (this is usually very difficult, and can even be impossible).
If you are unable to access your site using the domain that you have chosen, then you will need to click the Settings button on the dashboard screen of your GoDaddy account, and make sure that the DNS for your domain is set to the proper IP address (internet protocol) for your site.
Step 6: Test Your WordPress Installation
Once you have successfully installed WordPress on your hosting account, you can test the functionality of your new site by logging in to your WordPress dashboard and clicking on the “Create Post” button. You should see a form where you can enter the content for your post – including the headline and the body copy. If you enter the correct information, and click the Post button, then you will see a message at the top of the page that your post was published successfully. If you are still unable to access your site, then your DNS might be set up incorrectly, and you will need to ask your web host about their DNS settings (they can be found in the support section of your website’s hosting agreement).
Step 7: Make Sure That You Backup Your Data Before You Update The CMS
Before you begin the process of updating your WordPress site, it is a good idea to back up your data (content that you have already entered, images, etc.). This will ensure that you can easily restore your site if something were to happen, and it also prevents you from making any mistakes while updating the CMS. To do this, enter the WordPress dashboard, and click on the Tools button in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. From here, you can select Back Up Now to initiate a backup of your site’s data.
Depending on your connection speed, this could take some time to complete – it could take up to a few minutes to back up your entire site, and several hours to back up all of the data from your WordPress database. Once the backup is complete, click the Test Connection button to verify that all of your data was successfully backed up. If it was, then you can click the Update Now button to begin the process of updating your WordPress site.
Step 8: Browse The WordPress Codex For Help
If you are looking for help while using the WordPress interface, then browsing the WordPress codex is very helpful. The WordPress codex is a vast library of tutorials and helpful information about using the CMS – it really is a one-stop shop when it comes to learning how to use WordPress. You can find everything from how to use the dashboard effectively, to how to design a perfect blog post, and even how to write a plugin (an extension that adds additional functionality to WordPress).
Learning how to use WordPress is not as difficult as you might think – the codex walks you through the entire process, step by step, and even provides you with a cheat sheet at the end to help you remember important information.
Step 9: Review The Basics
Once you have successfully completed the WordPress installation process and are now editing your content, you should review the basics. This includes reviewing how to use the WordPress dashboard, reviewing how to write a post, and reviewing how to use the WordPress media library (where you can find and upload images, videos, and other content types). Learning how to use these tools can take some time, but is essential to being able to use WordPress effectively. Do not be afraid to spend a couple of hours learning these tools, as it will make using WordPress much easier in the long run…and that is what matters most. When you have completed your review of the basics, you can move on to the next step.