How to Start Up a WordPress Blog with Your Own Web Site

This article is written with the assumption that you are semi-computer literate with a small amount of knowledge about computers and servers. Don't be intimidated; if you have any questions, then skip to the Web sites mentioned at the bottom of the article for a more in-depth look at how to create your own blogging site.

I've been blogging for years now, and I recently started my very own Web site. I believe I started with blogs on MySpace and went from there. I've always enjoyed writing and wanted to reach a larger audience. I thought about it for about two years on how I should go about the task of starting up my very own blog on my own website.

At the start of my idea I went to www.godaddy.com (the Super Bowl commercials do work) and purchased www.erikdell.com. I really had no idea what I wanted to do at that point. For some reason it seemed like a brilliant idea that I should own the rights to my namesake on the web. The cost was relatively cheap at around fifteen dollars. Then it just sat there.

I was talking to a friend one day who started up his own site for blogging (www.onefallinghope.com). He showed me a few things with a few clicks of the mouse and I was sold from that point on. Here are the steps to get your own blog site up and running. I just started my site and still got many improvements to come but it's up and it's running.

1) Purchase the rights for your namesake on the web - I was lucky enough to get the .com version of my name but you may not be so lucky. There is a new naming convention that ends with .me and you may have better luck at finding that available. I went to www.godaddy.com to get my domain name, feel free to use whatever site you prefer to purchase the domain.

2) Then you got to get a hosting account. There is free hosting available with a domain site at Godaddy but it's supported by ads so I recommend forking over the dough to get your site up and running. I would recommend getting the economy Linux hosting account, it is much more customizable.

It's probably best to by hosting and the domain name at the same time. I used a
coupon code found on the web and saved some dough. Try BTPS7. If that doesn't work then check Google for another code. I saved 20% off my entire order.
3) OK great now to get up and running you need to go to www.wordpress.com and download the latest version of Word Press (I think it's 2.5.1).

4) Now you need to log into your Godaddy account and go under the tab labeled Hosting and Servers on the homepage. Then go to manage your account. Click on the highlighted link to manage your account (you may have to answer some questions, I can't remember). This will bring you to your Hosting Control Center. Click on the Content tab near the bottom quarter of the page. Click on the FTP Client icon.

5) This is where you can upload files onto your website. You need to read the read me file you downloaded with the Word Press download and follow instructions. Basically you are setting up an admin account and transferring the files over to your server.

Once this setup is done you are ready to start blogging. There is a ton of options available with Word Press and I recommend you read up on the software before you use it. I may have missed a step but this is basically the 1-2-3 you need to get up and running. If you have any questions then use the Godaddy help online or visit http://codex.wordpress.org/Main_Page. This article is written with the assumption you are semi-computer literate.