Congratulations ~ You are Ready to Launch
You have put in a lot of hard work and have learned so much already.
Now it is finally time to put all of this knowledge into action.
In this post, I will guide you step by step, through the process of purchasing and setting up for brand new WordPress Business Website.
The Content Management post compared this process to building a house.
In this analogy, our Domain, Web Hosting and CMS are the roof, walls and floor of the house.
Today we are going to build the strong foundation and set up the framework of our business.
If you need to Catch up on this Series
Web Hosting that Works
Not only am I an Affiliate of Bluehost, I am a huge fan.
I changed my domain over to Bluehost this year and I have never been happier with any of my Business decisions.
Take a look at my Google Analytics graphs below for info on how much better my website is performing since I made all the changes this year.
This graph shows how many visitors I had on my website from January 2016 through December 2018.
That is 1,700 total in the full two years.
This graph shows how many visitors I have had on the website since January of 2019.
My traffic has well over doubled per year since I began using Bluehost as my provider.
I am not saying that this dramatic change is only related to using Bluehost, but I am saying that if you follow my lead in this series, you will be able to grow your business and Bluehost can help make things a lot easier for you.
Step 1 - Registering your Domain
Luckily for us, Bluehost will cover the cost of registering your Domain for you when you purchase your WordPress Hosting package from them.
If you already have a domain and website, they also offer Transfer Services to new customers.
Our focus today is on creating a new website.
There are two ways you can get started.
Option 1
Use the Domain checking tool on the right.
- Enter the name into the white box.
- Choose the extension you want from the drop down box.
- Click the Check Availability button.
Go ahead and give it a try.
Option 2
Once you have verified the availability of your new domain, head over to Bluehost.com and hover your mouse over WordPress then select WordPress Hosting.
Step 2 - Choose your Plan
Remember we have already discussed the importance of choosing a reliable web hosting provider and an optimal plan.
As Jeweler or Craft Artist, we want to make sure we get enough storage space for beautiful high resolution photos included in our plan. (Unlimited Storage Space)
It is also very important that our website performs fast when loading so our potential customers do not get frustrated and leave because of performance issues. (Unmetered Bandwidth)
Enter your new Domain Name or Transfer your existing Domain.
Click Next
Step 3 -On the Next Page
Fill in your Account Info
Verify your Plan and Options
Verify that you have the right plan and choose the duration you desire in the drop down menu.
Choose any package Extras you may want. Some to the extras are included in the Optimal Plans.
Add your Payment and Billing Information and Click Submit
Step 4 - Finalize your new Account
Click the Create Your Password Button
Use the Suggest Password feature or create your own.
Choose to display the characters option to make sure your created password is entered correctly in the confirm password box if necessary.
Read Bluehost’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service by clicking the links and check the Accept box.
Click Next.
Congratulations!
You have successfully created your account.
Click Log In.
On the next screen you will be asked to choose a default WordPress Theme.
Don’t stress out over this step, as you can change your theme anytime and as often as you want.
Choose any one by clicking on the image
Click Start Building
Welcome to Your WordPress Dashboard
Here is where you choose the Purpose of your Website.
The options are Business – Personal or I Don’t need Help.
Since our goal is to set up our new business – Click the Business Button.
Notice the Navigation Pane on the left.
The blue box tell you that you are on the Bluehost portion of the dashboard.
The word underneath – Home is highlighted to show your position and the work area you are currently managing.
Click the Image to enlarge it.
In the work area you will see the notice that your site is currently displaying a coming soon page.
That is exactly what we want at this point.
We won’t Publish the site until we have added our content and layout using Themes, Plugins and Page Builders.
Navigate to your WordPress Dashboard by clicking the word Dashboard in the panel on the left side of your screen.
This is your site’s main screen.
This area is customizable and provides much needed information every time you log in.
Before you begin to customize your site, there are a few things we will need to review.
Make sure to examine the URL for your new website in the address bar of your browser to determine if your SSL certificate has been added to secure your website for shoppers.
HTTPS:// represents a secure site.
Contact your web host if your site is not secure.
Website is Secure – https://
Website is Not Secure – http://
Managing your Bluehost Account
Manage your Bluehost Account and access the C-Panel at my.bluehost.com/hosting/app/#/
In my next post
I am going to do a deep dive into the WordPress Dashboard and show you how to adjust your settings.
We will take a closer look at my test site and use it as a working model.
Then we are going to take an indepth look at Themes.
I will fill you in on what WordPress Themes are and discuss how to use them to create the image you want for your brand and website.
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There will be a lot of info, so I may wind up breaking this down into more than one post.
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