How to Use WordPress When Hosting a Website on Google Drive
WordPress is one of the most popular and versatile content management systems (CMS) available today. Even if you are not a professional webmaster, it is likely that you have heard of WordPress and its unique approach to content publishing. If you are interested in learning more about this powerful CMS, then this article is for you! We will cover three different methods of using WordPress to host a website, including the benefits and issues that arise from using each method.
The traditional approach to WordPress hosting
The first and most conventional way of using WordPress is through some sort of web host. A web host is a company that provides you with a space on the internet to host your website. They will sometimes charge you for this service and, depending on your needs, you can choose from a wide variety of plans that range from completely free to premium.
With a traditional web host, you get access to the WordPress dashboard, which gives you a quick way to publish new content to your web pages. Some web hosts provide you with a completely free version of WordPress, while others offer premium products that provide you with many additional features. Regardless, many web hosts will happily provide you with excellent service if you are looking for a simple, straightforward website.
The self-hosted approach to WordPress hosting
If you are looking for something more customized and want to take advantage of all the premium features that WordPress has to offer, then the self-hosted approach is for you. With this approach, you host your website on a server that is associated with your domain name. This server is physically located within your network, so all of the files (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) are stored in-house. The great advantage of this approach is that you have full control over the content that is displayed on your website. You get to choose which template you would like to use (there are plenty of free and premium templates to choose from), as well as the theme colors and layout. Even more significantly, you have complete control over the content that is published to your site.
The hybrid approach to WordPress hosting
The second way of using WordPress is through a so-called “hybrid” hosting approach. This is a combination of the traditional and self-hosted approaches. With a hybrid hosting approach, you get the power of a fully featured WordPress installation coupled with the ease of use and flexibility of a self-hosted solution. The great advantage of this approach is that you get the best of both worlds—the power of a traditional web host with the flexibility and customization of a self-hosted solution.
Why should you choose WordPress as your platform?
It would be best to answer this question by discussing some of the unique advantages of WordPress. First, let’s discuss deployment. When it comes to hosting a website, you have two options—you can use either WordPress or a static website platform. To put it simply, a static website is just that—a website that is made entirely of static content (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript). This approach has several advantages. For one, there is no installation needed. Second, since there is no back-end to administrate, you can easily deploy a static website anywhere you want, as long as you have a domain name. Third, if you have a “just for fun” website, you can use a free, basic web host like WordPress.com to launch and maintain your website. You do not need to purchase a premium product to enjoy these advantages. Finally, since there is no database to maintain, WordPress is undoubtedly the perfect choice for individuals and small businesses who are seeking to establish an online presence without having a dedicated IT staffer available to assist them.
How to Use WordPress to Host a Website
Whether you decide to go with a traditional web host, self-hosted solution, or hybrid hosting approach, you will need to proceed in a similar fashion when setting up your WordPress-hosted website.
First, you will have to purchase a premium product from a reputable web host that offers WordPress hosting. Second, you will need to install WordPress on your server. Third, you will need to connect your domain name to the WordPress installation. Fourth, you will need to adjust the configuration settings of WordPress so that it operates optimally. Finally, you will need to “point your domain name at” your newly created WordPress installation. To do this, you can use a free tool like Google Domains, which is part of Google’s “Cloud Platform.”
As you can see, setting up a WordPress-hosted website is not particularly difficult, but it is essential that you follow correct procedures, otherwise, you risk encountering problems down the line. If you are seeking to learn more, then continue reading the tips below.
Traditional Web Hosting
To set up your WordPress-hosted website using the traditional approach, you will first need to purchase a premium product from a reputable web host that offers WordPress hosting. Some great web hosts that offer WordPress hosting include Bluehost, Wix.com, and hosts that are part of the WordPress community. The most significant thing to keep in mind about a traditional web host is that you get access to the WordPress dashboard, which makes it easy to publish content to your various websites.
You should also read our guide to the best web host for WordPress to learn more about the different features that each web host provides. You might also be interested in reviewing our short list of the best free WordPress hosting platforms. Many of these hosts offer powerful tools to create and manage your website, as well as premium products that offer additional features. Keep in mind that you will need to be careful when choosing a free hosting provider, since there are many scammers out there who will try to trick you into purchasing fake “premium” products or stealing your personal information. If you want to be 100% sure that you are not being scammed, then you should consider paying for a web host or using a reputable, free tier product like WordPress.com.
Self-Hosted WordPress
If you do not want to purchase anything, you can also set up a WordPress-hosted website using the self-hosted approach. With this approach, you host your website on a server that is associated with your domain name. This server is physically located within your network, so all of the files (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) are stored in-house. As a result, with this approach, you have full control over the content that is displayed on your website. You get to choose which template you would like to use (there are plenty of free and premium templates to choose from), as well as the theme colors and layout.
Many web hosts provide you with a free version of WordPress, which is great for individuals and small businesses who are seeking to establish an online presence. If you are looking for a quick and easy way to get started, then this is the perfect option for you. You will not have access to the WordPress dashboard, but you will have all the features that WordPress has to offer.
Hybrid Web Hosting
The third way of using WordPress is through a so-called “hybrid” hosting approach. This is a combination of the traditional and self-hosted approaches. For starters, you get the power of a fully featured WordPress installation coupled with the ease of use and flexibility of a self-hosted solution. Depending on your needs, you can either choose a premium product that provides you with additional features or go with a free WordPress installation that is hosted on a server that is associated with your domain name.
The great advantage of a hybrid hosting approach is that you get the best of both worlds—the power of a traditional web host with the flexibility and customization of a self-hosted solution.
Set Up Your WordPress Server
Once you have chosen which web host you will use to host your WordPress-based website, you will need to proceed in setting up your WordPress server. This is where all the magic happens. To get started, simply follow the provided instructions that come with your hosting package or use a tool like cPanel to assist you in the process. A WordPress server is essentially a space on the internet that is associated with your domain name and is used to store and serve your website’s files. When setting up your WordPress server, you will need to make sure that it is accessible from the internet and available to serve files (this is different from your local server, which we will discuss later).
During the setup process, you will need to provide your WordPress server with a username and password, as well as pick a strong, unique password for yourself. You will also need to set the permissions of your new WordPress server to allow everyone access, as well as choose a strong, unique password for the WordPress administrator account. You will need to do this in order to upload content to your website, as well as edit existing content once it is published.