Buy a domain name

When you buy a domain name you should purchase it through your host. This makes it easier and faster to get your site up and running.

First things first – I will be discussing the use of Wordpress, so if you use another blogging software I apologize…

The first step to setting up a blog on Wordpress is to buy a domain name. You can use a free Wordpress blog (or software like Blogger.com orWeebly.com) if you aren’t doing anything too serious. But I recommend purchasing a domain name and using a host if possible. The costs aren’t significant and there are a lot of  advantages to having your own domain name.

If you want your own domain name and are using Wordpress you need to buy a domain name and also decide on the host. A host basically stores all your web site data and allows you to update and change these files via something called an FTP client.

Choose a host which supports Wordpress

Wordpress is written in a programming language called PHP. Most hosts support PHP, but some make it easier than others to install Wordpress. The one I use and recommend is Bluehost, but I have heard that others such as Bigdaddy are also decent. My experience with Bluehost has been generally good, noticeably their support which is 24 hours. Some of the support has been mediocre but most of the time they are polite and efficient.

The advantage of places like Bluehost and Bigdaddy is that you can purchase your domain name through their site which makes it easy to add your domain name to their admin area and get started straight away.