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Step-by-step guide to setup up your blog powered by Wordpress

1. Choosing your niche and getting a relevant domain.
2. Finding a web host that supports php script and provides MySQL database.
3. Installing Wordpress.
4. Designing your blog to look professional and authentic.
5. Writing good content.

Now that you know what a blog is, let’s see how to setup a blog powered by Wordpress. As mentioned in the previous post, Wordpress is a blogging software which can be downloaded free. Before you install wordpress, make sure your web host supports php script and provides MySQL database. You will need them. If you are finding it hard to find a cheap web host that fulfill these requirements, I suggest you visit 1and1 web hosting (aff) because compared to other hosting sites, it is dirt cheap and more reliable. This site is hosted on 1and1 and I have never had any problems with them (It has been two years now). Don’t pay for your hosting yet, you will need something else first.

Choose your niche and get a relevant domain name:

You might say, “hey, I know I need a domain name, tell me something I do not know”. Getting a domain name might be obvious but obvious is usually the hardest thing to see. It is always better to register a longer domain name easier to remember and that makes sense than a shorter one that doesn’t. Try sticking with just letters. Numbers, hyphens and other unknown characters can confuse your user. And register the ‘.com’ domain rather than ‘.net’ or ‘.org’. Last point about registering your domain- It is always helpful if your domain name is related to the niche of your site. For example, if you want to blog about celebrities, then having a word celebrity or something related with help your site gain SERPs ( search engine result page). And hopefully, I do not need to tell you how does ranking at the top help your blog. Your site’s niche defines its content. Blog about stuff that you know inside-out and love to talk about. If you choose your niche that you have no knowledge on, you will soon run out of stuff to write and there goes your blogging career down the drain.

Installing Wordpress

Now that you have registered a relevant domain name, pay your hosting fees and download Wordpress. Unzip the file and upload all the files to your server then enter your database details in wp-config-sample.php file and rename it to wp-config.php. Point the browser to the directory where your have uploaded the files and Wordpress will install itself and you are good to go.

Look and feel of your site

You will now need to find a good Wordpress theme that makes your site look professional and authentic. This is very important. Although the Cliché “Don’t judge the cover by its book” is absolutely true, good cover does attract more customers. There are literally thousands of ‘Wordpress theme’ sites. Just Google it. If you cannot find a decent theme, ask for professional help. There are many coders who will do it for you for a reasonable price. Remember: if your blog looks professional, people perceive you as a professional. And, if you cannot maintain that image among your readers, then you, my friend, will learn it the hard way.

Finally, sit back, relax and write good content

As important as site design is, if you do not provide good content, you might as well sell books with just pretty covers and empty pages. So, write good content relevant to your niche. If you are finding it hard to get started, find a free lance writer to do it for you. Make sure you have a legible writing skills in whatever language your blog is in, else the unprofessional factor will come to play again. Write regularly and try to make it original. If you are just worthless in creative writing, find an article written by someone else and paraphrase it or rewrite it. Never copy directly from others and not only for moral reasons but also for legal and search engine’s hatred reason.

I will provide some composition and formating rules in the upcoming posts.

Although we do not have a standard definition for a blog, we all pretty much know what it is. Blog is a short word for Weblog which simply means a log or a jornal in a website. Blogs are usually chronologically arranged posts written in any topic by virtually anyone with access to the net. Blogging is arguably the easiest thing to do in the Internet besides email and getting scammed. That is basically what a blog is. For in-depth details about different parts of a blog, visit this article by Problogger - What is a Blog? and Wordpress - Intro to Blogging.

Let us continue with where to start a blog. To start a blog, you need a blog software. There are literally hundreds of blogging software. Here are few of the free ones:

Free/Libre/Open-Source software

These software packages are offered under a Free/Libre/Open-Source Software license. Therefore they are free for everyone to use. Also, commercial support contracts are often available.

• Apache Roller (Java-based)
• b2evolution (PHP/MySQL)
• blosxom (Perl)
• PyBlosxom (Python)
• Dotclear (PHP/MySQL)
• Drupal (PHP/MySQL)
• Elgg (Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP)
• Livejournal (Perl) (Also available, developer hosted)
• LifeType (PHP/MySQL)
• Movable Type (also offered in developer-hosted form as TypePad)
• Nucleus CMS (PHP)
• Pixelpost (PHP/MySQL)
• Serendipity (PHP/MySQL,PostgreSQL,SQLlite)
• Slash (Perl/MySQL)
• Subtext (C#/ASP.NET)
• Textpattern (PHP/MySQL)
• Typo (Ruby on Rails)
• WordPress (PHP/MySQL) - also offered in developer-hosted form as Wordpress.com

Source

If you are looking for a free hosted blog and free domain too, then I would recommend Blogger.com but if you plan to get a hosting service and your own domain, then definitely go with Wordpress. This site runs of Wordpress and I am very happy with how it works. Follow the links given and read what they have to say. I will provide a step-by-step guide to set up your blog in upcoming posts.