How to Host Your WordPress Site on Google Cloud Platform
Google Cloud Platform recently launched the beta of their new web hosting service, and it is absolutely phenomenal. I have been using it for a while now, and you will likely have a good chance at getting in on the action too if you want to host your own wordpress site.
In this article, you will learn how to host your WordPress site on Google Cloud Platform, including setting up the basic configurations needed to keep your site alive.
Features
One of the great things about Google Cloud Platform is that it offers so many features built right into the service. You don’t need to purchase additional software or plug-ins to get the most out of it. For instance, you can use their load balancer feature, which is included in the pricing scheme, to direct all the traffic to your site to improve your loading times and enhance your user experience. You also get a free domain with your hosting plan, and you can install one or more WordPress sites on the platform. Plus, you can install and configure basic and advanced caching solutions to further improve page load speeds.
Set Up Your WordPress Site On Google Cloud Platform
Just like any other web host, you will first need to install WordPress to use it as a blogging platform. The great thing about Google Cloud Platform is that they will take care of all the maintenance and administration of your WordPress site for you. You will only need to log in once or twice a month to configure settings, such as the WordPress theme and plugins you want to use. In order to make the most of this feature, you will need to make sure you install WordPress on the platform.
First, you will need to create a free account at wordpress.com, and then you will use the ‘one-click-install’ option from WordPress.com to install WordPress on the Google Cloud Platform. You can also choose to install WordPress in a subfolder named after your website, for example, example.com/blog.
Note: You will need to run WordPress on the Google Cloud Platform as a free ‘personal’ account. This is because the platform offers many features that are only available to personal users. If you want to use some of these features, such as the free custom domains, you will need to become a ‘business’ user.
Basic Configuration
After you have installed WordPress on the Google Cloud Platform, you will need to set up some basic configurations so that it works optimally. The great thing about Google Cloud Platform is that they take care of all the heavy lifting for you, so you don’t have to worry about too many settings. For example, you can use their ‘cPanel’ to install and configure one or more WordPress sites on the platform. You can use their MySQL Database to store the content of your WordPress sites, as well as any other data you might want to keep.
If you are new to computer technology, setting up a WordPress site on Google Cloud Platform might be a bit challenging. That is why the platform provides you with prepared templates for users with little to no technical know-how. Just choose the one that suits your needs the best, and then you will be up and running in no time. Once you have configured the basic site settings, you can proceed to the next stage.
Additional Configuration
The next step is to use their ‘one-click-install’ feature to install and configure one or more WordPress themes and plugins. Just like the previous step, this is a fairly simple process that you can complete in just a few minutes. As you would expect, there is a massive variety of WordPress themes and plugins to choose from, and you can install each and every one of them with the click of a button. Once you have installed and configured the required themes and plugins, you can begin adding content to your WordPress site. If you are doing this for the first time, simply follow the on-screen instructions to create a post or page.
Monitoring And Maintenance
One of the great things about the Google Cloud Platform is that they offer great monitoring features built right into the service. You won’t have to purchase additional software or plug-ins to get this functionality. For example, you can use their ‘Health Check’ to check on the status of your WordPress site, as well as any other sites you might have installed on the platform. This feature allows you to monitor all your sites from a single place, so you can track the health of each and every one of them. It also provides you with performance metrics such as page speed and loading times, along with detailed reports about each site.
As a WordPress user, you will likely be eager to try out the new hosting platform from Google Cloud Platform. Not only does it provide you with many benefits, but you can also install the popular wordpress blog in just a few minutes. Just make sure you visit wordpress.com to get started and follow the step-by-step instructions for setting up your wordpress site on the platform. You will discover that everything is pretty much provided to you from the get-go, so you won’t have to worry about configuring basic things such as DNS or web forwarding. The entire process will be a lot smoother and faster.