Advice from a Pro: Setting Up Blogging Base Camp
Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from Chapter 3 of WordPress For Dummies, 8th Edition by eWebscapes founder and WordPress pioneer, Lisa Sabin-Wilson. This is the third in a series of excerpts from this book, which we have titled “Advice from a Pro.” In this blog post, you will learn about the importance of setting up a base camp, which will give you the foundation you need to get started on WordPress. Let’s begin.
Before you can start using WordPress, you have to set up your base camp. Doing so involves more than simply downloading and installing the WordPress software. You also need to establish your domain (your website address) and your web-hosting service (the place that houses your website). Although you initially download your WordPress software onto your hard drive, your web host is where you install it.
Obtaining a web server and installing software on it are much more involved projects than simply obtaining an account with the hosted version of WordPress that’s available at WordPress.com (covered in Chapter 1). You need to consider many factors in this undertaking, as well as cope with a learning curve, because setting up your website through a hosting service involves using some technologies that you may not feel comfortable with at first.
Key takeaways:
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While you may have downloaded the free open-source software WordPress onto your hard drive, you need a web host to upload it to, as well as a domain name (i.e., https://yourwebsite.com).
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Utilizing a web host service is a more complicated process than setting up an account at WordPress.com. Chapter 3 of this book takes you through the process.
Your journey to owning and running your own website does not begin and end with the initial download of WordPress. There are other steps to take just to get started. Setting up your domain and host service is equally important.
Purchase WordPress for Dummies, 8th Edition at a bookstore near you or online at Amazon.