Find a Good Host, a la Martha Stewart
We’re talking hosts and platforms – where our blog will reside and what application or software we’ll use to build it. So that you know where I’m headed from here on out, I am self-hosting through BlueHost and using WordPress.org application. All information and steps will be relative to those two providers. Even if you choose to use other providers, I encourage you to keep reading through my series. I guarantee you’ll pick up some pointers that, while maybe not specific to what you’re using, the concepts should ring clear as a bell! Now…grab a beverage and keep reading….
Please be aware that I am an affiliate member of BlueHost. If you click on a BlueHost link and choose to purchase,
I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
My next step was to decide on a hosted or a self-hosted blog. What’s the difference?
TERMINOLOGY CHECKPOINT
A hosted blog is when your website file is stored (hosted) on the host’s server; it’s an all-in-one. There are several that are free. For example, WordPress.com, Blogger.com, Weebly.com, and Wix.com are hosted. There are many, many more available. You choose one of their layouts for your blog, and all the files that create your blog are housed by WordPress, Blogger, and the like on their server. Important to note it’s WordPress.com….the “dot com” piece. That’s your 
indicator of a hosted site. You can get your domain through them (which skips a step from if you’re following along), and oftentimes (depending on who you use) their name may be part of your web name (ie www.sample.blogspot.com where “sample” is your chosen name).
Hosted is a quick way to get started – you simply choose one of their pre-designed themes (the look/feel of your site) and start plugging in content. It’s also an inexpensive way to get started. But, you’ll have limits – you can’t change the layout, you limited advertising opportunities or control over advertising, limited bandwidth and memory (how fast it runs and how much space your website is allowed on the server, respectively) and you’ll always have the host’s domain as part of your name.
Consider the Future
The other key thing you should consider is if in the future, you want to convert to a self-hosted or change to using the full-blown WordPress as your platform, those far smarter than me will tell you the conversion doesn’t always go smoothly. So, if you’re thinking a self-host is a “good for now” option don’t forget to think a bit about whether it’ll still be “good for later”. I’d hate to see you put a ton of time and effort into your starter blog, then not be able to cleanly convert to another platform and risk losing, or having to re-do, all your hard work.
A self-hosted blog means you have your own domain name, and your website is stored on your own server or you pay for someone else to store your website on their server (a host) (i.e. BlueHost). Because you register your own domain, you don’t have the host’s name embedded in it. To me, even though I was aiming for cheap, the small up-front cost to this route was easily out-weighed by the benefits. When you self-host, you have full control over the look and feel, how it functions, advertising, branding…you name it. If you want to make money on your site, you need to go this route. And, self-hosting only costs a few dollars each month.
BlueHost, The Martha Stewart of Blog Hosting
I chose BlueHost for my hosting company. I’m cheap and they’re inexpensive…a match made in heaven. Product reviews are great, and they have scalable options…perfect for when I hit the big time! It was super simple to set up with them, and their support has been great. You can register your domain through them as well, or bring your own. Be aware that self-hosting also means the technical side sits with you (see Disclaimer #2…might be a problem, but so far so good!). The good news is I have the BlueHost team in my corner!
I didn’t want to invest a ton out of the gate in case I really sucked at this. So, I chose their Basic Web Hosting, a great plan for anyone to get started, and set up my hosting for 3-years…I’m all about commitment. Actually, paying for 3 years would force me to “git ‘er done.” Since I had my domain for 3 years it seemed pretty silly to not have someplace for put it for 3 years. One smart cookie, huh?
When you set up BlueHost, the very first time you log in it will give you the option to “choose a theme”. Skip this for now, and we’ll talk more about themes at WordPress, Themes and Losing Your Mind. At this point, BlueHost will install WordPress automatically for you….keep on reading, my friend!
Get on a Platform, and I’m not talking great shoes!
O.k…I have my domain. I have my host. Next up is my platform – what application am I going to use to actually design my blog? There are a number of online platforms available. Of course you could use something like Microsoft FrontPage or Adobe Dreamweaver. But, BlueHost made that decision super simple by providing WordPress.org for FREE (remember, I’m cheap).
WordPress, The Go-To Platform
WordPress is the go-to platform for blogging, both for beginners and advanced bloggers. It’s really a workhorse. I liked that it’s a web-based application that I can sign into anywhere. That way, if there’s a problem, as long as I have access to a computer with internet I can fix it immediately. What I really loved is that no matter what I googled, or who I talked with that was an active blogger, WordPress was the way to go. Good enough for me…I’m IN! WordPress downloaded to my MacBook as part of my BlueHost setup process, super simple, and I didn’t even have to go to another website. Now THAT was the easiest part of this whole process.
If you go back to the top of this post, you’ll see I mentioned WordPress.com and WordPress.org. When you self-host, as I’m doing with BlueHost, you can use WordPress.org and it’s FREE. The .com site is for a WordPress-hosted site.
Once you’re done downloading, BlueHost will take you to a log-in screen. Click on Hosting. This will take you right to WordPress. The first time you do this, it’ll ask you to select a Theme. You can skip this for now and learn more about themes at WordPress, Themes and Losing My Mind!
First Step on WordPress
The first thing you need to do is change your User Name. You do NOT want to keep it “Admin” – that’s just begging for trouble. Click on “Users” toward the bottom of the left column. Click Add New. Fill out the information on the next screen and be sure to mark your Role as ADMINISTRATOR! Click on Show Password, then write down, screen shot and take a photo of your password. Your password is going to be complicated. You can go back and change it later if you’d like.
To log in to your self-hosted WordPress application, your address will be htts://yourdomainname.com/wp-login.php. Once logged in, you’ll land on your WordPress home page so take a minute to look around.
The last thing you need to do for a self-hosted site, is point your domain to BlueHost Nameservers. Nameservers are essentially the roadmap to your blog site. When someone logs in, BlueHost is the GPS that takes someone onto your site. Log in to your domain registration account (if you’re following my same provider path, this would be Hover.com). Once there, you should find instructions on how to point your domain name to the right nameservers. The server names you will need are:
Nameserver 1: ns1.bluehost.com
Nameserver 2: ns2.bluehost.com
A Word About Passwords
Passwords need to be complicated so that it’s difficult to hack. Don’t think because you’re “just a blogger” in little old “east Jabip” (that’s a local term, meaning small unknown location) that you won’t get hacked! Don’t make it anything that might be relative to your site’s topic or niche, and for the love of Pete, don’t use your site’s name, or your name, your house number, your birthdate or any personally identifiable pieces. Cybersecurity folks will tell you to make it a long, unique phrase no one will ever think of, and include symbols, numbers, UPPER and lower case. Here’s a short sample…JoHn$N0z3 (that’s “John’s nose”!)
WOW…I’m cookin’ with gas now, huh? I have my domain, my host and my platform. I’ve got posts coming out my ears…what more do I need?
This landed me right before Christmas of 2018. I was looking forward to choosing a theme, customizing it, building out my posts….and as they say, “That’s when the fight started.” Holy hell….
If you’ve stuck with me this far….stay tuned. Much more to come! Here are quick links to other Blogging 101 posts…enjoy!
So You Want To Blog!
Hosts and Platforms – And I’m Not Talking Martha Stewart in Great Shoes!
Becoming a Social Blogger Butterfly
