How to Create a Free WordPress Website with WordPress.org
WordPress.org is one of the most popular wordpress hosting providers currently available, with over 2.9 million downloads to date. the service is free which makes it an excellent choice for those looking to launch a wordpress website. It is highly recommended that you use this service to host your site as it provides you with features that you would otherwise have to pay for individually.
Step 1: Register A Domain Name
We recommend that you start by registering a simple.com domain name to host your website. If you are looking for a free domain, you could sign up for one with one of the many cheap domain registrars such as:
- 1&1
- Bluehost
- Namecheap
- GoDaddy
- Amazon AWS
It is also possible to purchase a.net,.org, or.ca domain name for a small fee from one of the many domain registrars listed above. Alternatively, you could use a free domain name that you find on one of the many available domain name registries, such as:
- 1&1
- Bluehost
- Namecheap
- GoDaddy
Step 2: Install WordPress To Your Server
After you have registered a domain name, the next step is to install WordPress to your server. You have two options here, the first is to install it from the zip file directly on your server, this method is the simplest and normally the preferred one. Your second option is to use a WordPress installation service such as:
- 1&1
- Wix
- Webhosting4u
- GoDaddy
- Bluehost
In either case, make sure that you backup your database before continuing, as it will be highly unlikely that you can recover it once WordPress is installed.
Step 3: Login To Your New WordPress Installation
After you have installed WordPress to your server and created a database with the appropriate username and password, you need to log in to your new WordPress installation. The first step is to visit your domain name (e.g. myblog.com) in your browser.
You will then be redirected to the WordPress login page where you can log in to your new WordPress installation. Continue through the login process and once you are logged in you will be presented with the WordPress dashboard.
From here you can install additional plugins and themes to further customise your site. It is highly advisable to perform some research before buying any plugins or themes as you will not want to buy something that you cannot replace later on if it turns out to be faulty or malicious.
Step 4: Set The Language And Currency
The next step is to set the language and currency of your site. As mentioned above, WordPress is very flexible, this means that you have a lot of leeway when it comes to choosing the language and currency of your site. As a general rule of thumb, we recommend that you choose a language and currency that you are familiar with. This will also make it much easier to find help if you ever need it.
You can choose from 19 different currencies to be used with your WordPress installation. Once you have selected your currency, you will need to enter the respective exchange rate from the country of origin. If you are unsure of the exchange rate, do some research online before making a choice as you could potentially save or lose a lot of money by doing this wrong.
Step 5: Activate The ‘Hello’ WordPress Theme
The last step before publishing your WordPress website is to activate the ‘Hello’ theme. This theme has a number of useful features that will make it suitable for a wide range of use cases. When activated, the welcome message that appears when a user first visits your site will be replaced with a link to your blog.
Furthermore, the theme supports automatic generation of a blogroll with all your favorite websites. You can also include a search bar below the blog list that will help users search for content as you will not want to clutter your blog list with too much text. In addition, the theme supports background images which can be used to create a visual identity for your site.
To activate the ‘Hello’ theme, simply log in to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to **Appearance** → **Themes** and click **Add New**. Once you have activated the theme, click on **Preview** to view your site.
Congratulations, you have now completed the process of creating a free WordPress website. You can take this opportunity to further customise the appearance of your site by changing the header image, text size, and color of your site.