In the last article, I talked about blogging and using free blog sites for people who want to test out blogging first. This article is meant for those people who know or have decided that they will be blogging for some time and want to have a much higher control over what goes into their blog such as their domain name, blog themes, plugins as well as advertisements and sponsored/paid posts.
Before I start, I’d like to repeat that this is only based on my experiences and I am not an expert on this, so if you don’t trust yourself with tweaking computer files and is really nervous doing so either choose the free blog sites or ask your hosting technical support to do it for you. Its not hard to setup your own blog, but you do need to have patience and the willingness to learn and try things. This tutorial would be talking about using the WordPress blogging platform because its what I use in all my self-hosted blogs.
So if you are starting your blog on your own, the following are the steps you’d have to consider:
1. Register your own domain.
This is needed if you are to setup your own blog. Just think of a name that you’d like people to remember if they will be going to your blog. There are many domain registrars available such as GoDaddy, Namecheap and others. I personally use GoDaddy (because I got my first domain there) and Namecheap (all my new domains are registered there). It is easier for me to keep them organized under one or two registrars. Also there are available coupons when your search the internet to get the domains cheaper than the current prices. I also find it cheaper compared to getting your domain registered by your hosting provider.
You can use domain name checkers to see if the domain you are interested in is still available. I use Whois.net to see if the domains I want are taken already or if they are still available.
Also note that some people recommend registering your domains with a registrar separate from your web host provider. I do this for my blogs because it would be easier to terminate my hosting if I find the service poor and lacking. It can be hard to terminate your hosting if they hold your domain, they might use it as a way to keep you from leaving and moving to another host. I have my domains in GoDaddy and Namecheap and my hosting in HostPrestige (Previously, I used Jumpline but their hosting was a bit expensive for me to renew so I moved).
2. Find a web hosting provider.
After registering your domain, you must get a web host provider. There are many web hosting providers and they all have different plans offered to suit your needs. Although if you can’t find the plan you want from them, you can send them a message and ask for a tailored plan and web hosts do that for their clients. As I’ve mentioned in the note above, I’ve used Jumpline. I chose them because earlier this year when I got my first domain from GoDaddy, Jumpline had a one year free hosting plan for new clients. All I needed was to have a credit card and I can avail it. I took the opportunity since I don’t have much money on hand, and I figured I can save the needed funds in a year. My free hosting hasn’t expired yet, but my bill is coming soon. Starting May, I’ll be paying yearly which is a bit of a sum for me but since I am comfortable and familiar with their services already, I will not change my web host. (Unless I get a similar plan or a much better plan for free or a lower cost from other web hosting companies.) I did find a new host which is Host Prestige, I’m happy with my current plan and the owner is very accommodating especially when I needed technical help in moving all my blogs and their databases from my previous host.
The only problem is that their location is in another continent from mine, so I can’t call them when I have problems since that would make my bills even higher. What I do is just email them and wait for their response. So it is important to include in your decision your web hosting company’s location. (Although based from my experience with Host Prestige, they reply very fast within 24 hours, which is really good considering the timezone differences.) If you think you need to contact them every now and then because you are new to all these computer stuff, it is better to choose one that is locally available and reliable.
3. Choose your blogging platform and download it. (WordPress for this case.)
So you have registered your domain and purchased your hosting, while waiting for your web host to give you their name servers (You need your web hosts nameservers, because you will use this in updating your domain. The updated name server in your domain will help point that domain to your site. If you don’t update it, it will simply stay there with the dummy page which says, “This is the future home of YourDomain.com”.), go ahead and download the latest stable release of WordPress’ blogging software.
4. Download and install FTP program. (I use SmartFTP in uploading my files to my server. Skip this if you have other programs available.)
While downloading WordPress, go get an FTP program as well. I recommend SmartFTP because I use it and thats what I’ll be using in my tutorials. Its very easy to understand and use.
5. Download and install a file extracting program. (I use Winzip to extract my files. Skip this if you have other programs available.)
Same as above, go get a file extractor such as Winzip, and install it if you still don’t have one installed on your computer.
I will continue this tutorial on the next article. This is quite long already and also you need to receive the following from your web host which usually takes a day or two:
- Name Servers
- FTP address
- Account Username & Password
Without them, you can’t do much still. 
The next tutorial would talk more about setting your FTP, uploading your files, creating the database WordPress needs as well as other basic info needed in setting up your blog.
Important Reminder: Most hosts now use Cpanel and they usually have Fantastico. If you have Fantastico available and you don’t want to go through manual uploading and installing of WordPress, you can use Fantastico to install it for you. I’ll be talking about that in the next articles of this series.
Note: You can choose and read the next article of this tutorial series from the Blogging Basics Category.
