What do you need to build a website?
If you’ve been asking yourself, what do I really need to build a website then this guide is for you.
In order to startup your WordPress website, you can choose to employ one of two methods:
- The first is installing it by purchasing hosting service and domain name from a hosting company.
- The second is installing it locally using a free tool called XAMPP.
For this post, we’ll be focusing on how we can set up WordPress by engaging the services of a hosting provider.
To do this you need the following three things:
- A Domain Name – This is simply the name of your website just like sunacademy.com.ng
- Hosting for WordPress – This is what keeps the files of your website.
- 1 hour of dedicated time from you.
Domain Names
Domain names are gotten from hosting providers.
It is basically your address on the internet. It is the name which users will type into their search bar to visit your site. Another good example is sundimension.ng.
To get a domain name, all you have to do is to first of all make a list of possible domain names you would like your website to have. It could end with .com, .org, .edu, .gov, .ng, .tech, .store, .co.uk, etc. You just have to decide first.
After deciding, what you have to do is to is go to the website of a hosting provider (Popular ones include: whogohost.com, truehost.com.ng, godaddy.com, bluehost.com etc.) and then search if what you have in mind is available or has been used by someone else.
If it is, then you can go ahead and make the purchase but if it isn’t then you now see the reason why we suggested you make a list of names you have in mind because sometimes getting a domain name requires persistence and a never give up attitude.
As soon as you get the one you like, go ahead and make the payment. O yes getting a domain name is that simple!
Getting Hosting For WordPress
Now you’ve gone ahead to purchase your first domain name, congratulations! But don’t celebrate too much yet as you still have to purchase hosting. What is hosting you might ask? Hosting is what helps your file to be online. You could think of it as the home of your website, your territory on the internet space.
All your website files are hosted on another computer called a server and that is why it can be seen all over the world.
Since it’s hosted on another person’s computer, they have to charge you a fee for helping you store them properly and that is what paying for Hosting is all about.
1 hour of dedicated time from you
Doing anything significant requires a certain level of commitment and dedication. If you can commit one hour to building this website, you will definitely be able to do something you are proud of.
Now you have purchased a domain name and hosting, you are almost close to fully setting up your first WordPress website!
Once you have purchased hosting and a domain name, you will get access to manage the space that has been given to you on the internet. It’s called your Cpanel. The credentials to login to this platfrom will be sent to your mail but sometimes it takes a bit of time for you to be able to access your space on the internet which means you will have to exercise some patience.
As soon as you are able to get to the Cpanel, you’ll see a window like this:
Now scroll down to the software tab where you will find a link that says “WordPress Manager by Softaculous”. The position of this may vary due to the hosting company you are working with, but it is basically the same process.
Click it and you will find a blue button that says “install”.
When you hit install, you see something like this come up.
At this stage, you have to input what you want the name of the site to be. This is not the domain name, but it is part of the title that displays at the top of the browser tab
You also have to input the site description which is the second part of the title.
You can leave the two check boxes right below the site description input field for now since you are a beginner. You really don’t need them now.
Then you also have to input the admin username, password, and email address. You can leave every other thing for now, just scroll down and hit install.
The installation process takes about two – three minutes depending on the speed of your internet connection. After the installation it takes you to a page that shows you a blue login button right beside your domain name.
Click the button and you’ll be taken to the dashboard of your WordPress site. Guess what! You have just set up your first WordPress Website!!
If you find this article helpful, kindly leave a comment below and share it with your friends and loved ones.
Learning how to build websites all by yourself is great, but it’s not the most effective option out there. Rather than making mistakes over and over again, why don’t you take advantage of SunAcademy’s Modern Web Design With WordPress Course where you’ll be properly guided, interactively learn how to build amazing websites and web applications, and become a certified WordPress developer in just one month.
Sounds amazing right, our tutors are properly trained and ready to help you achieve success in your career as a developer.