How To Get a Cool Blog When You’re Technologically Challenged
Posted by: in Blogging, tags: customized wordpress blog, how to make a wordpress blog, self-hosted wordpress, use bluehost to set up wordpressDon’t worry- I am too.
I only have a self-hosted and customized blog for one reason and one reason alone, Bluehost (and a little help from my girl Amy at Taste Like Crazy Design on the Logo).
I don’t know a lick of CSS and can barely get my way through basic HTML- let alone navigate an FTP client, but Bluehost is a wordpress blog making machine for dummies.
Follow these easy steps and you’ll be on your way to having a cool, self-hosted blog (where you can use all the plugins in the world) in no time!
Step One: Register
The hardest part is signing up (but its only $6.95 a month- so well worth filling out the forms). You’ll then have access to your control panel login. Click here to go to the Bluehost site.
Step Two: Register or Transfer your Domain
You’ll need an address for the blog your’re about to make. If you already own a URL, scroll down to “Transfer Domain” on your control panel and follow the prompts to complete the transfer.
If you don’t have a domain name yet, Click on “Register Domain” and pick the URL of your choice.
Step 3: Create a Wordpress Blog using Fantastico De Luxe
Scroll down to the button that says “Fantastico De Luxe”. After you click on it, you’ll come to a page with a list of platforms on the left hand side. Choose “wordpress,” then click “new installation” from the next screen.
The following screen will give you a drop down box to choose which domain to use. Pick your domain, designate a username and password and hit the “install wordpress button.”
Step 4: Make It Pretty
Now that your wordpress blog is installed, you can go back to Google and find a wordpress theme of your choice. Download the theme, unzip the file and save it on your computer.
Once its saved, return to your control panel and click on “unlimited FTP”. The left side of the FTP contains documents from your computer. Browse through your files until you find the saved theme (you may have to click the theme folder to access the file you want to upload).
Once you’ve got it, click on the “public html” folder on the right side to select your domain name. After you click on your domain name, click on the “wp-content” folder. You should then see a folder that says “themes.” Leave your browser over that selection so its highlighted.
Go back to the left side to your theme of choice. Right click your mouse and choose “upload”.
Step 5: Activate Your Theme in Wordpress and Blog Away!
By now you should have received an email with a link to your wordpress admin section and login details. Follow the link and sign into wordpress.
At top of the menu, select “Design”, choose “Theme” and if you did it correctly, the your customized theme should be right there waiting for you.
Click on it, hit activate and you’re good to go!
All I can say is Thank God for Bluehost!
Entries (RSS)
Hi, Thank you so much for this.. I followed your instructions after reading your tweet… worked perfectly! You can tell Bluehost that I’m theirs because of you. Our first blog is working fine but I wanted a 2nd, more personal one that I wasn’t reliant on techies for. It’s not ready to reveal yet (obviously, as I only followed your awesome instructions 10 minutes ago) but I’m excited about it.
I am so sorry to hear of your recent loss. My heart goes out to you.
I’m a little confused.. do they design themes for you, or do you find a free theme on the net somewhere to use?? If it’s the latter, then there are several hosts that have one click installs for Wordpress.. My host, DreamHost is one example.. They’re a “green” company, and have a lot of cool offerings as far as space and bandwidth. I actually did a write up on them here: http://www.mommybrainreports.com/?p=220
If Bluehost actually does designs for you.. then I might have to check it out too! I’m in the market for some cool new designs for my site!
Thanks for the info!
oh, and if i’m not mistaken, you don’t have to transfer your domain to dream host either… so if you find one for less than dreamhost charges, you can pay for that.. ok.. off my soapbox now
Great post sistah! Very simple to understand. My last blog was set up using Bluehost, and I have to 2nd your love for them. They rock!
Blog on!
Yes, these are great instructions. I recently lost my entire Shopping Gems WP site and had to start from scratch. Good thing I type fast because now I have more posts than I had originally. I decided to go with Blogger because my other blogs are there but there are some things I miss about WP. I am a designer by nature and Blogger allows you to rearrange things much easier than WP. I guess you have to pick which one has the most features you are looking for.
Oh, by the way, I have “tagged” you in my Five Things Meme today. Check it out at http://tinyurl.com/5ezc3v. I hope you will continue the trend and be a part of it!
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