- Log into Bluehost: https://my.bluehost.com/web-hosting/cplogin
- Click on Advanced in the left column
- If you have hosting that should take you right into cPanel.
- Scroll down to the “Softaculous Apps Installer” and click on WordPress.
- Click on Install in the top right corner.
- Fill out the Software Setup section:
Protocol: Select whether you need http or https. Https is used for sites that have an SSL purchased. If you’re not sure if you have an SSL you can contact BlueHost to find out or just select http (this can always be changed later if you get an SSL later or you find out you have one).
Choose Domain: Select the domain name you want the WordPress installed on. If you don’t see the domain you want listed here then it’s not set up on your hosting yet. BlueHost has a help article explaining how to add another domain if you need to do that.
In directory: Enter a folder name if you want your WordPress site to show up on a specific link on your domain (for example mysite.com/wordpress). Typically people don’t want to have a /something for their WordPress site. Just leave this box blank if you want the WordPress site on mysite.com. - Fill out the Site Settings section:
Site Name: Your site or business name. This can easily be changed later.
Site Description: A short once sentence description about your site. This can easily be changed later.
Enable Multisite (WPMU): This is for advanced WordPress usage and most small businesses won’t need this, leave it unchecked. Chances are if you need it, you will know you need it and know what it is. If you’re still curious what it is, BlueHost has a post about it. - Fill out the Admin Account section:
This is the username and password you’ll use to log into WordPress so make sure it’s something you can remember but is also secure. For the username, you’ll want to make sure you don’t use ‘admin’ since that’s a very common username and hackers often try that first.
- Select your language.
- Select plugins.
Leave these unchecked. You can always install these later.
- Skip the ‘Advanced Options’ section.
All of the default selections here are ok but you may customize, if you’d like.
Database Name: This is for the back end of the server, the name of the database where all of your WordPress data is stored. You don’t typically need to use or reference this later unless you intend to have a lot of WordPress sites installed on your hosting account.
Table Prefix: Similar to Database Name, this is used as the name of the table inside the database where your content is stored. This is typically not needed again unless you plan on having multiple WordPress sites installed on this hosting account.
Disable Update Notifications Emails: Bluehost will notify you when updates are available. Check this if you do not wish to receive these emails.
Auto Upgrade Options: I typically recommend people update manually in WordPress instead of automatically updating. Sometimes an automatic update can cause the website to break and it’s best to manually update so you can see if anything happens to the website after updating. - Select a theme (this is optional).
Look through the themes and see if you like any of them, if you do click ‘select.’ If you don’t see any you like, that’s ok you can always install a new plugin later. - Click Install
- Once it completes install you will be able to go to your WordPress admin and get started.
You can access it at mysite.com/wp-admin and then log in with your username and password.
Everyone knows that when it comes to having a website the domain name itself is the arguably the most important part of that process. It’s your brand, it’s your name, it’s your online identity in a nutshell. So, how do you choose a good domain name? That’s what we’re here to help you with:
1. Choose something memorable
When it comes to picking a name you want something that your visitors will be able to remember, something that can stick in their brain. Once you’ve found a few that you like, mention it to friends and family members and see what they think. Then, ask them again in a few days which ones they remember. That will help test the domain to make sure it’s memorable.
2. Make it easy to type
You want people to be able to get to your site with as much ease as possible. If you come up with a name that you absolutely love, like mypinkfuzzysoxrox.com you’re going to end up confusing people with the soxrox part. You would be better off if you had mypinkfuzzysocksrocks.com. People will always naturally spell things correctly. Avoid things like u instead of you or 4 instead of for, etc.
3. Choose the ending that fits your business
There are tons of endings out on the market, .com, .net, .org, .me, etc. Everyone knows .com is king and that is the right ending for most business. However, in some types of business you should also get another ending. If you are a non-profit organization you should also register the .org. If you do most of your business in a particular country you should also register that country’s ending. For example, if the majority of your business is done in Canada you should register the .ca version of your domain.
4. Avoid hyphens
Hyphens make it hard to remember and hard to type. My-pink-fuzzy-socks-rocks.com is a lot harder to remember and to type than mypinkfuzzysocksrocks.com. Hyphens are pretty much never a good idea. Stay away from them.
5. Avoid numbers
Numbers again, are hard to remember. 4tipstosuccess.com is going to be harder for people to type and remember than fourtipstosuccess.com. Again, at the very least you should probably have both versions to protect yourself.
6. Watch for hidden words
When you choose a good domain name and you use these tips you’re going to have a domain with a string of words pushed together. You don’t want to end up with something that you didn’t mean to be there. For example, sallyjanetherapist.com can end up being read as ‘sally jane the rapist’ and you don’t want that.
7. Keep it as short as possible
You want a domain that’s short in length, ideally less than 15 characters before the ending. However, really the shorter the better. Try to eliminate extraneous words that don’t need to be there. For example, in thebestbusinessintexas.com could really be changed to besttexasbusiness.com to try and keep it short and sweet.
8. Try to include your location, if you’re a local business
If you do mostly local business then your domain should have the name of your city or area in it. This will help increase your search results and make sure you’re getting calls and emails from valid leads.
9. Try to include keywords
A domain that includes what you do is going to give you much better search engine results than one that doesn’t. For example, if you sell cars a domain like HansonsTexas.com doesn’t really tell people what you do. However, adding the word cars to your domain will help tremendously like HansonsCarsTexas.com.
10. Make it your own
Avoid any sort of trademark issues or something that could be confused with another business name. Choose a domain that’s unique to you and stands out, not one that’s a play on words from someone else.
Choosing a domain can be a daunting task and it may seem impossible to follow all of these 10 steps. To be honest, it can be an extremely difficult process. However, take it one step at a time and try to follow these steps as close as possible.