How to Set Up a WordPress Website on Bluehost
Whether you’re a professional blogger looking for a way to showcase your work or a hobbyist blogging for fun, creating a website can be a lot of work. For those looking to get started with a WordPress website, here’s how to set up a premium account on Bluehost so you can get blogging.
Step 1: Register for a Free WordPress Account on Bluehost
One of the first things you’ll need to do to get started is register for a free WordPress account on Bluehost. Once you’ve got your account set up, you can use the WordPress dashboard to add content to your site. If you need help getting started, check out this comprehensive tutorial on how to create a WordPress website from scratch.
Step 2: Install WordPress To Your Account
After registering for a free WordPress account on Bluehost, you’ll need to download and install WordPress to your account. This will create a small webspace for you to play around with. It won’t have any specialized features, but it’ll be a stable and a safe place to start your WordPress journey. You can use the 1-click installer from Bluehost or you can follow our comprehensive guide on how to install WordPress manually. When installing WordPress manually, you’ll have the option to use a pre-made starter template or choose from a wide variety of free templates.
Step 3: Set Up Your Database
WordPress stores all of the content that you add to your site in a database that is accessed via a web browser. This database is called the WordPress Core database or more commonly known as the wp_database. If you’re installing WordPress manually, you’ll have to set up this database yourself. You can use this guide to help get you started.
Step 4: Activate Your Plugins
After installing WordPress to your account, you’ll need to activate the plugins that you’ve installed. This is especially important if you’re using any kind of free theme or plugin since many of them are designed to work with specific versions of WordPress. Once you’ve activated the plugins that you need, you can continue with the next step.
Step 5: Configure Your Website
After you’ve got WordPress and its associated plugins activated, you can start configuring your website via the WordPress dashboard. The first thing you’ll want to do is set up your WordPress blog’s name and theme. To set up your blog’s name, you’ll need to go to Settings → Writing and check the box next to Use your own blog name (instead of the default one).
For the purposes of this tutorial, we’ll be using the free TwentySixteen theme from ThemeForest (alternatively, you can use the demo and install the theme yourself). To set up your blog’s theme, go to Appearance → Theme Options and choose TwentySixteen. Hit Save Changes and you’re done!
Step 6: Add Content To Your Blog
Now that your blog is set up with a name and theme, you can start adding content to it. You’ll want to do this slowly and methodically. While it’s always fun to add a quick blog post every once in a while, try to post regularly and consistently to attract and retain more readership. When you have a sizable audience, monetizing your content via affiliate marketing and sponsorships becomes much more attractive.
Step 7: Maintain Your Site
Finally, you need to maintain your site. This means ensuring that your blog posts are fresh and that your content is relevant and well-written. One way to do this is to engage with your audience. Reply to comments, share other blogs, and stay connected with your readers. If you feel like your content is lacking, take a moment to step back and re-evaluate. Maybe you need to re-read this whole step process again to get a fresh perspective.
At this point, you probably realize that creating a WordPress website is a lot of work. However, if you want to build a blog that can effectively pull in the traffic and make money, you’re going to need to put in the time and effort to build a decent sized audience. Once you’ve got a decent sized audience, you can start monetizing your content and build a sustainable business around it.