how to install wordpress

WordPress is one of the most popular blogging and publishing
platforms available, with more than 66 million sites around the
world. But free content management and sleek templates aren't the
only features WordPress offers — you can actually download software
from WordPress.org and set up your own custom website within
minutes.
The trouble is, the idea of building a site from scratch is pretty
daunting, and you may not know exactly where to start.
SEE ALSO: 34 Gorgeous WordPress Themes for Photographers
We've put together a basic guide for setting up your own hosted
WordPress site, including how to register for a domain name, sign up
with a hosting provider and successfully download and install the
WordPress.org software onto your computer.
1. WordPress.org vs. WordPress.com
You may wonder about the benefits of WordPress.org over the free
dotcom route. The difference between the two services really boils
down to flexibility and customization: WordPress.org allows for much
more freedom for blogging and uploading content.
Even though WordPress.com is essentially a one-stop shop and easier
to use, it's more restrictive, and automatically comes with a branded
WordPress.com domain (for example, yourblog.wordpress.com ).
WordPress.org, on the other hand, isn't an online-only content
management system; it's software that you download and install on
your hard drive, paired with a site that is hosted elsewhere on the
web. It's more advanced, and offers more options.
Another factor to consider is money. Both WordPress services are
technically free, but the downloaded software is only usable if you
pay for a custom domain name and web hosting.
2. Registering a Domain Name and Finding a
Host
Before anything else, find a reliable service to register your unique
domain name and host your WordPress site. There are thousands to
choose from, many of which can reserve your domain and provide
hosting simultaneously. Either way, make sure it meets WordPress'
minimum requirements, which can be found here .
WordPress' main site states that most of the available hosting options
work just fine, and it has "dealt with more hosts than you can
imagine." However, the publishing platform highlights three services
that you can trust will work particularly well with your website:
Bluehost: Features include auto-install, readily available
updates, unlimited disk storage, unlimited monthly data
transfer, hosting unlimited domains on the same account,
2,500 email addresses and more.
DreamHost : Features include one-click install, automatic
updates, unlimited hosted domains, a two-week trial, a free
domain name and several free add-ons.
Laughing Squid: The support team performs a default
installation for you, provides great customer support and
very cheap prices.
There are a number of perks for selecting one of these services. Since
they all partner with WordPress, they ensure a smoother setup
process, cheaper costs and special features you'll have trouble
finding elsewhere. Also, a small donation goes back to WordPress.org,
which is a great way to support the platform.
We recommend going with one of these three services, purely for the
ease of installation, but there are a number of other popular options
with which you may be more familiar, including Namecheap and
GoDaddy.
3. Downloading and Installing (Without One-
Click)
NOTE: If any of this has you confused or you feel in over head,
please resort to using a one-click installer or WordPress.com.
If you choose to download the software without the help of a one-
click install option, don't worry too much about a complicated start;
WordPress boasts about its five-minute installation process. The video
above, from Elliott Media Group , is a great tutorial that takes you
through the most complex parts of installation.
Before you start the installation process, make sure you have four
additional ingredients for the WordPress recipe. The first is a File
Transfer Protocol (FTP) client, which is the way you can upload files
to your website. You can download a free, legal copy of the
recommended FTP client FileZilla here. Another good option is
Cyberduck.
You'll also need access to your web server (your web host should
have this through its own software, via a tool like Apache), a plain
text editor (Notepad on PCs, TextEdit on Macs, etc.) and, of course,
your web browser of choice.
Now, go to the download page and click the button that says,
"Download WordPress 3.5.1." The software comes in a compressed
ZIP file — unzip the file onto your hard drive.
You'll need to create a database for WordPress on your web server
and a MySQL user that can access all of the stored posts, comments,
metadata and other information. Your hosting provider probably does
this for you already, or has its own specific instructions to set it up.
Otherwise, you'll have to create one manually using either cPanel
(your hosting control panel), phpMyAdmin, the MySQL Client or
Direct Admin — click here to find specific instructions for each. If
you're more of a visual learner, this part of the video starts at 1:55.
You'll need to enter this information into the file named "wp-config-
sample.php," and after that's complete, rename it wp-config.php
(this is very important). Next, you need to integrate WordPress and
your domain by moving all of the contents of the unzipped
WordPress directory (but not the WordPress directory file itself) into
the root directory of your web server. Note that this may take some
time.
Navigate to your URL by typing http://yourname.com /wp-admin/
install.php . Fill in your information, log in with the temporary
username and password WordPress provides, and now you have a
new website at your fingertips.
These last few steps are a bit complicated; with this basic outline in
mind, check out WordPress' extensive, detailed installation
instructions here , and if you're running into issues, look at common
installation problems and their solutions here .
4. Extras
Themes : Building your site's backend from scratch doesn't
mean you have to forgo the variety of themes WordPress
offers. Check out WordPress.org's directory of 1,764
themes and add some personality to your site.
Plugins: WordPress.org has a directory of 25,229 plugins to
add to your site, including Akismet to filter spam and WP
Optimize for thorough security.
Forums: With WordPress, there's always something new to
learn. Peruse the forums to find resources, articles and
discussions.