How to Set Up a WordPress Website with Paid Hosting

If you’re looking to set up a WordPress website without spending a fortune, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we will discuss how to achieve this goal.

What Is WordPress?

WordPress is the world’s most popular CMS (Content Management System) and is used by millions of websites around the world. Its popularity stems from its openness and user-friendliness. Anyone can use WordPress without special training and be able to create a professional-looking website with little to no experience. This is what makes WordPress so great for beginners who are looking to build a portfolio website or blog. You don’t need to worry about whether or not you’ll be able to navigate the software correctly without guidance. WordPress is also completely free to download and install.

Why Should You Try WordPress?

WordPress is incredibly popular and easy to use, making it a great choice for anyone who wants to set up a website. If you’re looking for a free, open-source alternative to pricier content management systems, WordPress is the one to choose. Not only that, but since WordPress is completely open-source, you have the freedom to run and customize the software however you see fit. This, in turn, can provide you with endless opportunities for growth as a web designer or developer.

How To Install WordPress On Your Own Server

If you’re looking for a hosted solution, you can always opt for one of the many WordPress hosting providers out there. However, if you’d rather install WordPress onto a server that you control, you can follow the steps below. Doing this manually will require some technical knowledge, but it’s nothing that can’t be mastered by anyone who’s determined to learn.

Before you begin installing WordPress, you will first need to choose a suitable server platform. For this article, we will be using the open-source platform, Ubuntu. You can download the Ubuntu 16.04 LTS (Long Term Support) distro from the the official website here: https://www.ubuntu.com/

After installing Ubuntu on your server, you can proceed to install other necessary applications such as the Apache web server. This will allow you to access your WordPress installation via a web browser no matter what location you are accessing the server from. To keep things simple, you can also choose to use a dedicated IP (Internet Protocol) which will provide you with a unique address on the Internet. When configuring your Apache web server to point to your WordPress installation, enter the following URL in the browser: https://yourdomain.com/

Where yourdomain.com is the domain you chose for your website when registering with a domain registrar. For example, if you choose to register your domain with Google, yourdomain.com will be resolved to Google’s IP address whenever someone types it into their browser. For security purposes, you can enable HTTPs on your website which provides an added layer of encryption. This can be enabled in your WordPress administrator area under Settings > General.

Installing WordPress Using a Package Manager

If you’re looking for a hassle-free way to install WordPress, you can always choose to follow the automated steps provided by a reliable WordPress package manager. Some of the most popular and well-known software installers for WordPress are:

  • Installing WordPress Using a NOOB (New On the Block) Installer
  • WPS (WordPress Setup)
  • WP Adminer
  • One Click Install
  • ESP (Easy Site Pro)
  • Jetpack
  • Cachet

You can download and install any of these software installers to get started with WordPress setup. Doing this through a package manager will minimize the possibility of human error and ensure that your WordPress installation is configured correctly. This, in turn, can provide you with a smooth and pleasant user experience as you navigate your newly installed WordPress website.

Configuring WordPress For SEO

You can use several free tools from Google to easily optimize your WordPress installation for SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Popular SEO tools for WordPress include:

  • Google Keyword Planner
  • Hummingbird
  • WMT (WordPress Monitor Tool)
  • XML Sitemap

Configuring these tools for SEO will allow you to easily find and analyze the keywords that you’re currently missing out on and add them to your vocabulary. Don’t worry, finding keywords isn’t as difficult as it seems. Just open up a new tab in your browser and enter the following URL: https://www.google.com/keywordtool/. Then simply enter the text you’d like to target in the “Find keywords” field and hit enter. You can repeat this process as many times as you’d like to find as many keywords as possible.

For an even simpler method, you can use the free Keyword Suggestion Tool at https://www.keywordmarketingtool.com/ to find the keywords you’re looking for. Simply submit the URL of your latest blog post or article, and the tool will provide you with a list of suggested keywords for your blog or website.

Creating A Theme For WordPress

If you’re looking for a way to make your WordPress installation stand out from the crowd, you can take advantage of the many free themes available for download. Some of the most popular themes for WordPress are:

  • Divi
  • Genesis
  • Gardenia
  • Elegant Themes
  • Luma
  • Arrow

Choose a theme that speaks to you and your personality as a user. Then, click on the theme’s button to download the zip file. Once you’ve downloaded the theme, unzip the archive and navigate to the downloaded folder. Next, rename the extracted folder to something that makes sense to you (e.g., MyTheme. Your-name-Here). From here, you can install the theme by following the on-screen instructions or move into the Theme Options area where you can configure some of the aspects of the theme. You can then activate the theme by clicking the option marked as “Active” under Theme Options > Appearance.

Pricing For WordPress Hosting

Pricing for WordPress hosting can vary from as little as $2.95/mo to several dollars more per month. The price is based on various factors such as the size of your website, the region you’re in, and the type of service you choose. For a more affordable alternative, you can try the Bluehost platform which provides you with a free domain and makes your website instantly available for browsing with a custom-made landing page. This is great for someone who’s just getting started or someone who wants to reduce their monthly expenses. The drawback of this plan is it doesn’t allow for much customization and can get rather limiting if you’re looking for a high-powered, professional-looking website. Remember, the more you pay, the more you get.

The Bottom Line

WordPress is an incredible piece of software and one of the most popular websites out there. Its popularity among bloggers and content creators is no doubt due to its easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface, which makes designing a website a breeze. With WordPress, the possibilities are endless and it’s a good choice for anyone looking to set up a free website.