How to start with WordPress – hosting advice and installation
Having a website in this day and age is a necessity which can easily be addressed with Content Management Systems like WordPress. Whether you want to have a personal blog or an online presence for you business, WordPress is the tool for you. With its user-friendly interface and advanced capabilities, it is also extremely flexible, giving you the opportunity to create anything you can imagine from a simple blog to complex ecommerce solutions.
When starting with WordPress, the first question you will find asking yourself is whether to use the service WordPress themselves provide at wordpress.com or self-host or your website at a hosting company. There are huge differences between the 2 options and it is important that you understand them before making your decision.
At wordpress.com you can get a free account and have a blog right away, much like with Blogger. You can’t use your own domain with the free plan however, and your website’s address will be something like yourblog.wordpress.com. This option is perfect for people just starting up or ones who just want to have a personal blog and share it with their friends and family. There are, of course, paid plans which give you a little bit more flexibility by allowing you to use your own domain, custom design, ecommerce features and premium themes. But there are still limitations when comparing them to the self-hosted alternative, certain plugins and functions are not permitted for security reasons which might seem limiting to experienced users.
Hosting your WordPress site with a hosting company like WebHostFace is where the true beauty of the CMS can be seen. You have access to all aspects of the script and more freedom, starting with a self-hosted website might be difficult for some though. You would first have to find a suitable and affordable hosting (I wouldn’t recommend choosing free ones), install WordPress and manage your website on your own. At WebHostFace we can install and set WordPress for our clients for free but this is not true for all companies so be sure to do your research before committing to one.
In my experience most people start first with a free blog on wordpress.com, learn the basics and then move their website to a hosting company. Everyone is different however, some people stay with the services WordPress provide as it is easier, others start with a self-hosted site right away as they want more features for a lower price. Don’t be afraid to ask questions before choosing the option for you.
Choosing between hosting companies is another topic entirely but don’t get fooled by hosting plans dedicated solely to WordPress. They are usually the same as the normal hosting plans but with some fancy dashboard and can only be used with WordPress. The application itself is comprised of files like your themes, plugins and images, and a database, so in the of the day the fancy dashboard will make no difference, the quality of the server is important as it affects your website’s performance and security.
Once you have chosen a hosting company, installing WordPress shouldn’t be too much of an effort. Different companies use different auto-installers like Softaculous and Fantastico, WordPress dedicated plans come with WordPress pre-installed but if none of the above options is available you can always install WordPress manually as a last resort.
We are using Softaculous, the most popular auto-installer, here at WebHostFace and I have written a detailed guide on how to install WordPress with it. If you are a client of ours, you can request a free WordPress installation at any time and we will gladly help you with any WordPress related questions and setup.
Don’t forget to leave your thoughts and questions in the comment section below and reach out to us for hosting advice and recommendations.
