In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to install WordPress on your new website at Bluehost with just a few clicks. WordPress is the most popular, easy to use content management system that powers over 30% of the internet. If you can use a word processing app such as Microsoft Word you’ll quickly get the hang of how to use WordPress.
If you don’t already have a domain name and a web host then please read the related article: Domain Names and Web Hosting.
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Table of Contents
Install WordPress
Log in to your Bluehost control panel using the username/email address, and password you set up when you created your account.
Click on the My Sites option in the side navigation bar on the left then click the Create Site button.
Look for the WordPress option and click the Start Building button.
Enter the Admin Information:
Site Name: This will be the name displayed on your site. This is not exactly your domain name, but simply the name to be used on your site. Type in the reader-friendly version of your domain name to help your visitors remember it.
Site Tagline: In a few words describe what your site will be about.
Email Address: Use your main email address as this will be where your login information will be sent.
WordPress Admin Username: Choose a name that you’ll use each time you log in to your WordPress website. You can use your own name or a pen name. For security reasons do not use Admin.
Admin Password: Make sure to create a strong password that can’t easily be guessed.
The installer will take just a few minutes to install WordPress on your site then you’ll be able to log into your website by typing yourdomainname.com/wp-admin into your browser’s address bar.
This is what your WordPress admin dashboard looks like.
You can now visit yourdomainname.com in a new tab to see what your site looks like to the rest of the world.
Change the Theme
Now we’re going to set it up so it looks pretty good.
Go to Appearance > Themes > Add New, click on the search box and type in GeneratePress. It’s light-weight, easy to use, and very customizable.
Click Install and Activate.
Now have a look and see how the site has changed.
Much cleaner, neater, and ready to customize to suit your own style.
Install Wordfence Security Plugin
No one wants a hacked website. So go to Plugins > Add New and install the Wordfence security plugin and activate. Follow the on-screen prompts to set up Wordfence so it can protect your website from hackers.
SSL Certificate
We’re not quite finished yet. There’s another very important thing we need to do and that’s to install a free SSL certificate.
In most instances, the SSL certificate will be installed automagically when you create your website. But sometimes you’ll need to install it manually.
From your Bluehost control panel click the My Sites option on the side menu. Locate the site you want to manage and click Manage Site.
Open the Security tab and toggle the Free SSL switch to ON.
It may take a few hours to complete the install and activate the SSL certificate. If you need to take any further action to complete the process you will receive an email from Bluehost with instructions.
It’s a Wrap
Congratulations! You’ve just created a new website with fast, secure hosting and an SSL certificate. You know how to install a new theme and add plugins.
Now get started writing some awesome content for your new website. And I’ll see you in the next video.
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