How to Host WordPress at Home
WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS) in the world, with 170 million active monthly users as of January 2020. Introduced in 2005 by Mike Little and Matt Mullenweg, the open-source platform is used to create web content — such as blogs and web pages — effortlessly.
While WordPress offers a lot of functionality out of the box, you can extend its capabilities with the use of different plugins. Some of these plugins are quite popular and can be a great asset to your blog. Knowing how to host WordPress at home can significantly increase your productivity as a blogger, and give you a better understanding of what plugins are out there and how they can help you build and grow your blog.
Step 1: Familiarize Yourself with WordPress
This step is crucial and should not be overlooked. Before you start building your blog, you need to be familiar with WordPress. This CMS is fairly complex and has an intimidating interface, but it’s important to remember that you don’t need to be an expert to use it. It’s a free and open-source platform, which makes it incredibly accessible to anyone.
Once you’re familiar with the basics — such as creating and editing posts and pages, adding pictures and videos, and connecting to social media — you’ll be able to get started building your blog in no time.
Step 2: Choose a Hosting Service That Suits Your Needs
There are many features to consider when choosing the right hosting service for your WordPress blog, so it’s important to take a little bit of time to research and compare different hosting providers. Different features such as reliability, flexibility, pricing, and compatibility with WordPress are all important considerations.
When it comes to hosting services, you want to look for a company that is reliable and offers a good support team, along with being forward-thinking and up to date with the latest technology.
Step 3: Install WordPress On Your Server
The final step in the process of hosting WordPress is installing the software on your server. This step can be a little complicated, so be sure to follow the instructions carefully. Once you’ve installed WordPress on the server, you’ll need to create a database and a login for the platform. This will be required so that users can log in and access the content that you’ve published on your blog.
Also, you’ll need to configure user roles and permissions so that the correct access controls are in place for different user groups and individuals. A special role named “administrator” should be given to the person who is running the blog. This role gives the individual or group full control over the entire blog. Other user roles such as writer, editor, and contributor should only have access to the content that they’re responsible for.
Step 4: Configure Credentials For External Users
One of the most important steps in the process of hosting WordPress is configuring your blog so that it can be accessed by external users. This step is crucial because once you’ve done this, other users will be able to subscribe to your blog and read the content that you’ve published. External users will also be able to post comments on blog entries, and you’ll be able to reply to these comments as well.
To do this, you’ll need to log in to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to the settings area. From here, you’ll want to set the privacy options for your blog so that only those with a subscription are able to see the content, and others are prevented from doing so. Further, you’ll want to choose a secure password for your blog’s login, as well as set a memorable moniker for this login. It’s also a good idea to protect your blog with a free HTTPS certificate from LetsEncrypt, as this will also improve the security and privacy of your site.
Step 5: Test And Make Sure That Everything Is Working Properly
This step is important because you don’t want to start building your blog and then discover that it doesn’t work properly after all. You also don’t want to start hosting WordPress and then discover that a critical component is missing. To test that everything is working properly, you’ll want to log in to your WordPress dashboard and visit each part of your site individually. This will ensure that everything is up and running, and it will also allow you to discover any glitches before they’ve become major problems.
WordPress Hosting: The Basics
Once you’ve completed the initial setup process of WordPress, you’ll be able to log in to the dashboard and begin publishing content to your blog. From here, you’ll be able to choose a theme that suits your aesthetic, along with selecting a suitable domain for your site (i.e., blog.com, blog.net, or blog.org).
If you visit any of these URLs directly, you’ll be sent to your WordPress dashboard, where you can select a theme and begin the process of creating an informative resource that serves as a springboard for your audience.
Basic WordPress Hosting
Basic WordPress hosting is, as the name would suggest, basic or standard WordPress hosting. This form of hosting offers the simplest and most straightforward way to get started with WordPress, and it’s completely free. You won’t need to adjust any settings afterward because the platform has been configured in a way that is suitable for beginners.
As the name suggests, basic WordPress hosting is very basic. This form of hosting doesn’t come with a lot of functionality, and it doesn’t offer any advanced tools to grow your blog. It’s mainly used for creating blogs and online communities, and it’s quite reliable. The major downside to this form of WordPress hosting is that it doesn’t allow for much customization, so if you’re looking for a bespoke experience, you might have to seek out a different form of hosting.
Enhanced WordPress Hosting
If you feel that yours is a relatively basic blog and you want to give it an extra boost, you might consider looking into enhanced WordPress hosting. This form of hosting is, as the name would suggest, enhanced or extra. It offers a variety of tools and functionalities that can help you grow your blog. The most important feature of enhanced WordPress hosting is the inclusion of several different tools that can significantly increase the functionality of your site. These tools can be accessed from your dashboard after you’ve logged in.
Some of the tools that are available to you through enhanced WordPress hosting include a spellchecker, a sticky-post manager, a carousel slide show, and a featured media manager. You’ll also have access to a selection of pre-built templates that can be used to speed up the process of site building. If you’re brand new to WordPress, this is a good option. The downside is that you’ll need to pay for this form of hosting annually.
Pro WordPress Hosting
If you’re looking for the absolute best experience when using WordPress, you might consider paying for professional WordPress hosting. This form of hosting is the most popular amongst bloggers and news websites because it offers the best of both worlds: the simplicity of use that you get with basic hosting plus all the additional tools and functionalities that are available with enhanced hosting.
As the name would suggest, premium WordPress hosting is more expensive than basic or standard hosting, but it offers a completely customized experience. Along with a personalize dashboard, you’ll get access to a team of experts who’ll be able to assist you in every step of the way. Further, you’ll get access to all the latest versions of WordPress, along with getting regular backups and security updates automatically. It’s also a good idea to register your domain with a reputable company such as Bluehost, which offers a free domain registration along with premium WordPress hosting.
The downside is that premium WordPress hosting is, obviously, more expensive than basic or standard hosting, and it’s not as user-friendly as the other two options. Still, if money is no object to you and you’re looking to get the absolute best out of WordPress, this is the option for you.
Recommended Hosting For Beginners
If you’re relatively new to WordPress and don’t have a lot of experience or knowledge in the platform, it’s a good idea to choose a hosting plan that is beginner-friendly. This way, you’ll be able to get up and running quickly with little to no problems. To begin with, we recommend Bluehost, as this is one of the most popular and beginner-friendly hosting providers out there. It’s also the preferred host of WPDesigns, the creators of the Ultimate Blogger Bootcamp course. If you’re interested in signing up with Bluehost, use this link to get $2.95 off your first month’s bill.