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How to Set Up a WordPress Blog in 5 Minutes

5 Minute WordPress SetupPlugins for every job, beautiful themes, great SEO value, user-friendly interface – when it comes to blog content management, WordPress is one of the very best systems available. If you’ve done your homework and decided WordPress is the system for you, it’s time to get the software set up at your domain so that you can begin publishing awesome stuff to it. Often, this is where people get start to get confused. Lucky for you, the solution is actually much simpler than you imagine. So read on, ambitious blogger, and learn how to set up your new WordPress blog in 5 minutes flat.

One-Click or Manual Install?

Before selecting a web host or registering for your WordPress account, you need to decide between a “one-click install” and a manual one. As the name implies, one-click installs are incredibly simple and only take a moment or two to get up and running. Furthermore, one-click installs are offered by your hosting company, so often it’s as simple as buying a hosting package, clicking the “install WordPress” button in your CPanel, and presto — you’re all set.

So, if it’s so easy, why doesn’t everyone just do this? The answer is control — manual installs allow advanced users much more control over their WordPress set-up, especially those who plan to set up multiple pieces of software in a single database. Blogging resource OptNiche explains that this option may be best “…if you plan to have a shopping cart, affiliate software solution, a CMS, and a blog all for one site… In the long run, it will help to keep everything organized.”

Manual Install

If you’re going to install WordPress yourself, you must verify that your web host uses MySQL and allows PHP scripts, as these are staples of the WordPress system. To begin, download the zipped WordPress install file from WordPress.org. If you want your main page to be your blog, upload the install file to your “Public HTML” folder using an FTP client or your web host’s CPanel. If you want it in a separate folder, such as YourDomainName[dot]com/Blog, create a new folder called “Blog” and upload the install file there. Next, extract the uploaded zip file and you’re ready to move onto the hard part — installing and configuring MySQL.

If you have never dealt with MySQL before, SiteGround offers a very helpful visual tutorial to make sure you get it right the first time around. Once you have MySQL set up, all that’s left is to rename the file “wp-config-sample.php” to “wp-config.php” and edit it with your new MySQL information. Once this is done, visit YourDomainName[dot]com/wp-admin/install.php (or YourDomainName[dot]com/Blog/wp-admin/install.php, if you put it in a new folder) and customize your blog. If this page does not load properly, it means the install wasn’t done correctly and you need to double check the steps for any errors you may have made.

One-Click Install

For those who want their blog installed as fast and painless as possible, the one-click install is the way to go. As mentioned earlier, this service is offered by many web hosting companies and can be easily called upon from the user’s CPanel. After clicking the Install WordPress button, you will be guided through a quick and easy configuration without having to see any code or confusing settings. In just a few minutes your WordPress blog will be ready to rock and roll.

If this is the route you want to take, the next step is to find a hosting company that fits your website’s needs and offers one-click installation. Since not all hosts offer this service, we will now discuss three highly-reputable companies that do to help you make the right choice.

WPWebHost

WPWebHost is a hosting company focused on a single objective — providing the best possible WordPress hosting on the web. Their servers are custom designed for optimal WordPress compatibility and performance, and their hosting plans are designed to give the user complete control of their new blog. One-click installation is standard, and their support team is available to help you with any WordPress installation, configuration, plug-in, or theme questions. If you’ve decided that your new website will be WordPress all the way, WPWebHost is the hosting company to work with.

BlueHost

BlueHost is a terrific hosting company offering one-click installation of WordPress and other useful software including the Zen Cart shopping cart system. Unlike many other web hosts, Blue Host does not offer different packages for different needs — instead they provide you with absolutely everything for a single low monthly fee. This includes 50+ one-click software installs, unlimited server space, unlimited bandwidth, unlimited domain hosting, and support for a wide variety of scripts and databases.

WebFusion

WebFusion is another hosting company that offers one-click WordPress installation as a part of their unlimited package. Like BlueHost, WebFusion offers unlimited space and bandwidth, and supports as many domains as you want to buy. In addition to WordPress, WebFusion offers one-click installations for many other applications and content management systems, such as forum system phpBB. Your hosting package also comes with a handy statistics tool to help you analyze your traffic and gain insight into your visitor’s activity.

About the Author: Jerrimie Allen is a freelance writer for Invesp. Invesp helps businesses improve their online revenue, reduce customer acquisition cost, and provide their visitors with a better user experience through landing page design.

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