How to Create a WordPress Website on Bluehost
If you’re looking for a simple and free way to create a professional-looking website, then you’ve come to the right place! In this post, we’ll show you how to set up a WordPress website on Bluehost, a popular web host that supports both free and premium plans. Once you’ve got your site up and running, you can begin to build a following and gain some advertising revenue. You’ll also learn how to optimize your site for SEO and how to make the most of mobile search traffic.
Why Bluehost?
Bluehost is the #1 web host used by WordPress itself. This means that Bluehost is a reliable choice for WordPress websites looking to take their site offline during an emergency or to simply expand their reach. Because of its popularity, you’ll also find many reputable websites using Bluehost to host their content.
There are many reasons why you might want a WordPress site, but the best part of Bluehost is the free domain registration. You can grab a.com,.net, or.org domain for free through Bluehost. Other web hosts may offer you free domains with a premium plan, but you’ll have to pick a catch-all domain (.web host) if you want to do this.
Step 1: Create an account on Bluehost
To get started, visit www.bluehost.com and click the button to sign up for a free account. As you’re probably aware, WordPress itself is hosted on Bluehost, so this is the perfect place for you to begin your journey as a content creator.
After you’ve signed up, you’ll be taken to a login page. To login, click the button to Create an account or use your email address and password to Log in. Creating a login via email address is an easy way to keep track of your account and avoid password fatigue. (If you’ve got another email provider, such as Gmail, you can create a second account using that as your login).
Step 2: Select a plan
With your free account now logged in, scroll down to the Plan Selection section and click the button to Select a plan. The selection will be between the Basic plan (This is the recommended option as it’s the most basic and features the most essential hosting functions) and the Pro plan (if you’re looking for a fast, reliable site).
If you’ve got a specific reason for wanting to use Bluehost (e.g., a large audience or you want to brand your site), then go with the Basic plan. However, if you’ve got a growing audience, then you may want to consider the Pro plan as it offers the same features as the Basic plan and also provides additional perks.
Step 3: Install WordPress
Now that you’ve selected your plan, it’s time to install WordPress. To do this, visit www.bluehost.com and click the button to Install WordPress. This will take you to a page asking you to install WordPress or grab a.zip file and upload it directly to your computer. Alternatively, you can also follow the on-screen instructions to manually install WordPress on your server.
The manual approach is recommended if you’re looking for an educational experience or to practice web development on a new platform. However, we’ve all been there, so we won’t judge.
Step 4: Configure your blog
Once you’ve installed WordPress, it’s time to configure your blog. To do this, visit yourblog.com and click the button to Dashboard. This will take you to your WordPress dashboard. From here, you can access all of the core functions of your site. To begin, click the button to Add New and then click the button to blog post. This will bring you to a page inviting you to write your first blog post. Once you’ve written your first blog post, it’s time to publish it.
You can add more blog posts by returning to the Dashboard area and clicking on the Writing tab. From here, you can write new posts or edits existing posts. (Be sure to read the posts before you publish them so that you don’t end up overwriting something important).
You can also find and follow other blogs that are relevant to your niche, helping you to find new ways to grow your audience.
Step 5: Generate a sitemap
WordPress makes it easy to generate a sitemap for your blog. This is a detailed map showing all of the pages on your site. When a web browser accesses a site, it will usually first check the sitemap to see if it’s updated recently. If it’s not, the browser will begin to cache the results of the search, preventing unnecessary trips to the server.
To access the sitemap, click on settings and then click on SEO. This will bring you to a page with three options:
- Update Automatically (Recommended)
- Only For Blogs
- No Optimization
If you choose to update automatically, you’ll be prompted to enter an email address. Then, click the button to activate this feature. Once activated, you’ll see a sitemap icon and a link at the end of every blog post. You can click on this to generate an updated sitemap.
Step 6: Configure your Advertise
WordPress makes it easy for you to configure your advertising, as well. Once you’ve installed the WordPress service, head to http://yoursitename.com/faq/ and click the button to FAQ. This will bring you to a page with frequently asked questions about setting up a WordPress site. The first article is titled, How Do I Set Up a WordPress Blog?; it’s a one-stop-shop for all the information you need to get started.
Next, click Settings in the top right corner and then click Advertise to bring you to a page with all the functions you can configure to grow your business.
You can verify your domain by clicking on the button to the right of the A domain is required line and follow the on-screen instructions.
You can also choose between free and premium ads, as well as set the budget for your ad campaign. Once you’ve set everything up, click the button to publish. You’ll then be redirected to your blog’s front page where you can test the adverts.
Step 7: Customize your blog’s appearance
You can customize the appearance of your blog with a range of premium features. To do this, visit yourblog.com and click the button to Settings. This will bring you to a page with all the options available to customize the way your blog looks. You can change the background image, change the colors, and add animations to make your blog stand out.
You can also choose your own domain, if you don’t have a free one from Bluehost. To do this, return to your blog’s dashboard and click the button on the General area of the page.