How to Start a WordPress Blog Using Bluehost

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As a Tech Entrepreneur and Digital Space Creator, the most common question I get is, “how much does a website cost?”. When that price is over their ideal investment, the next question becomes, “how can I create my own website?” If you’ve asked these same questions, you’ve come to the right post!

Many folks believe that it is too challenging to build their own website. Whether it’s a service-based business or blog, you can quickly get up and running. Establishing a digital space for yourself is the foundation for success in the online space. In this article, I will show you how to get started toward building your own website.

To get started, you will need a domain and a hosting provider for your website. Although there are many hosting providers out there, I prefer and currently use Bluehost. Over the years, I’ve tried many hosting providers for myself and my clients. However, Bluehost has some leverages for hosting WordPress and is excellent for beginners.

Here are some benefits Bluehost has to offer:

• Bluehost has excellent uptime (the amount of time your website remains up without going offline), which is essential when you are selling products and services to your industry’s audience.
• Bluehost offers an initial free domain (your websites address URL) AND SSL Certificate (https) so that your visitors can securely purchase products and services from your website. The SSL Certificate is the biggest win as most companies do not include this for free. 
• Bluehost offers low prices for their hosting plans. Your business will incur many expenses, and your website is sort of a forever bill for your company’s life duration. Staying lean, especially in your hosting, should be a priority.
• Bluehost has an easy to follow wizard that will get your WordPress website up and running, which is super easy for beginners.

So here is an easy to follow blueprint toward setting up your website through Bluehost.

Step 1: Get to the Bluehost website by clicking HERE.

It’s best to open the link in a new tab so you can follow the tutorial while you are signing up. Click the “GET STARTED” button on the homepage.

Step 2: Select your hosting package.

The first glimpse of the image below could seem overwhelming but no worries, I’m going to help you understand some of the differences.

Bluehost offers 4 packages, Basic, Plus, Choice Plus, and Pro. Upfront, I will tell you that if you’re just starting out and only require one website with not a ton of traffic (yet), there isn’t a need to sign up for the pro package.

All packages come with Unmetered Bandwidth, at least 1 free domain, 1 free SSL Certificate, and have standard performance except for the Pro package. What I like the most about Bluehost is the free SSL Certificates and free domains. Every website should be in the business of making money for yourself, so a URL with “https://“ is required for your buyers to securely use their credit cards on your website.

If you need to learn more about each option, the words in blue are links to further explain the details of that capability.

Bluehost also offers pro add-ons to some of the packages to help you manage your backups, domain protection, and protect you from spam. These options are not mandatory. However, I would consider the CodeGuard Basic add-on so that you can always back up and restore your website. On the other hand, if you decide to go with the basic package, you can add the backup later (see step 5).

Step 3: Set up your domain.

The domain is your website’s URL.

When choosing your domain, make sure your domain is:

• Easy to remember
• Easy to spell
• Reflect your business
• Contains “.com” unless you are a unique organization (edu, org,etc.)

Remember that your domain is how people find you, so make it easy for them to do so. You may face the challenge of your domain not being available. So play with verbs, nouns, and adjectives and be creative.

Bluehost allows you to create a new domain or bring over a domain you already own. Why do folks transfer hosting accounts? Usually, because of pricing, uptime, and customer service. Bluehost has the best of all three.

Step 4: Fill out your account information.

Step 5: Select and review your package information.

All hosting providers charge you for a specific amount of time, all at once. For example, the total would be $3.95 * X months. You save more money per month by selecting longer terms. You also get the option to add on package extras allowing you to build a package according to your website’s needs. If you’re just starting out and only need one site, you can still purchase the backup add-on even though it did not formally come with the package.

Step 6: Fill out payment information.

Step 7: Create your Bluehost account.

Step 8: Login and begin the website install wizard.

The wizard will walk you through installing the WordPress installation and website details.

One of the benefits of using Bluehost’s wizard to install the WordPress site is that it loads the necessary plugins to get you started. The questions below are to determine which WordPress plugins are best for your business goals. If you are planning on selling products or services, Bluehost will load WooCommerce, an E-Commerce plugin, into your site. How cool is that?

The last step of the wizard will allow you to pick a theme for your website. They’re all great to get you started. My Techie Lifestyle website uses the DIVI theme by elegant themes. It’s not included with Bluehost, but it is my go-to theme for all my websites because of its flexibility. For now, choose a WordPress theme that appeals to your business goals and see how well you’re able to work with it.

Step 9: Once you are finished with the wizard, you are now at your Bluehost home screen. Click on the “View My Site” button, and you will be taken to your WordPress Admin page.

By default, Bluehost places your website in “Coming Soon” mode, giving you time to work on your setup and content before you launch.

When you’re ready to launch your website, Bluehost places a BIG blue button called “Launch” in the dashboard. When your “Launched,” it means the search engines (google, bing, etc.) can now see your website and releases it to the public.

I always recommend having at least 12 – 15 blog posts ready before you launch. If your site is more for services, have all your vital pages up and ready to go before launch. Essential pages will include the Homepage, About me, Our Services, and Contact Us.

Congratulations! You’ve set up your hosting provider and WordPress Site on your own! Have any questions about setup or your website? Join our Facebook tribe and ask away. Introduce yourself and join the party of other folks who refuse to let technology be the barrier to their business success. Can’t wait to see you inside.