1) The document provides step-by-step instructions for creating a self-hosted WordPress website from scratch, including signing up for web hosting, installing WordPress, customizing settings, adding pages and posts, choosing a theme, and using plugins. 2) Key steps include registering a domain name with a web host like Bluehost, using the cPanel to assign the domain and install WordPress, customizing site settings and profiles, and building out the site structure and content through pages, posts, menus, and a theme. 3) Maintaining the site may require ongoing tasks like adding new posts and content, using plugins, and getting support through WordPress resources.

1. Creating a Self Hosted Wordpress Website from Scratch Neil Kearney Kearney Realty Co. / Metro Brokers

2. Static Website vs. Blog Static Cyber billboard Not sticky No reason to come back At the mercy of a developer Lock and leave or post and cross your fingers Blog Easy to update Attract repeat visitors Be a “go to” resource Good Google juice! You’ve Got Options

3. Blogger.com Typepad.com Weebly.com Wordpress.com Squarespace.com Pro’s: Fast setup, ease of use. Con’s: sub-domain www.coolsite.blogspot.com (don’t own domain, poor Google linking), fewer appearance options. Which Blog Service?

4. WordPress.orgBenefits Ability to upload themes Ability to upload plugins Great community Complete control to change code if you’re technically minded You own the domain and email WordPress.orgCons You need a good web host, which generally costs $7-12 a month, or thousands of dollars per month for a high traffic site Requires more technical knowledge to set up and run You’re responsible for stopping spam You have to handle backups You must upgrade the software manually when a new version comes out If you get a huge spike in traffic (like Digg or Slashdot) your site will probably go down unless you have a robust hosting setup Wordpress.orgSame as Wordpress.com but

5. Sign up for web hosting I have found Bluehost offers a good plan and great customer service. I moved from GoDaddy after each change took longer than necessary and each site required its own hosting plan. The hosting should allow for multiple sites to share one account and should cost between $6 -$8 per month. To sign up click here Step 1 – Web Hosting

6. Own your own name – www.yourname.com Name your niche – www.BoulderCondos.com Register a new name at Bluehost or transfer an existing domain you already own. Step 2 – Your Domain

7. You may ask at this point what is a CPanel? This is the hub of BlueHost. This allows you to work with your domains. To assign your BlueHost registered domain to your Cpanel. Go to the “Domain Manager” tab and choose Step 3 – Assign Domain to CPanel

8. Once your domain has been assigned to the Cpanel you can install Wordpress. To do this you simply click on the Wordpress icon. Step 4 – Install Wordpress

9. After Installing Wordpress you will receive an email with your login link and your password. Save the email and then click on the link and login. Bookmark your login screen and login. Step 5 – Confirmation and Login

10. After logging in you will see your website dashboard. This is where you can access and change all aspects of your website. Along the left sidebar you will find actions grouped under headings. Each of the headings expands by clicking on the triangle on the right hand side of the name. Step 6 – The Dashboard

11. Go to Settings > General Site Title - Type into box what you would like to name your website. Tagline - This goes below your site title on the header. Step 7 – Naming Your Website

12. By default the time of your site is based on GMT. So unless you are in the United Kingdom change the timezone. For me I chose Denver from the drop down menu. The date format is how the date is displayed on your website. Make a choice and save changes. Step 8 – Set Time and Date Format

13. Near the top right hand corner of the Dashboard you will see “Howdy admin”. Click on “admin”. Here you can change your color scheme, enter your name, email address, a bio and change your password. After completing make sure to click on “Update Profile”. Step 9 – Change Your Password

14. Check your site by opening a new tab on your browser and going to your URL or website address. Your site is generic at this point. The only thing you have changed so far is your title. Let’s start adding content. There are two ways to add content to your website one is to add a post and the other is to add a page. Right now you have one page with one post “Hello World”. Step 10 – Adding Content

15. This is a good point to put some thought into your website design. Here are some questions to ask yourself: What information do I want the viewers to see first? What other pages do I want to include? How often will I update the website? The answers to these questions will dictate the pages to add. Adding Content

16. This is the design of the website. Thouands to chose from. Form follows function. What are you looking to do? Go to Appearance > Themes > Install Themes Step 11 – Choosing a Theme

17. From the Dashboard click on Pages > Add New Step 12 – Adding Pages

18. Adding Pages For now just enter a page title like “About me” or “my services” and hit publish. After publishing check your website and see that you now have two pages, “Home” and the one you just added. At this time add any other pages you think you will use.

19. When new posts are added they are automatically included at the top of your Home page. Your existing posts move down and are accessible and searchable forever. Adding new posts give your website life. It also gives your website a better ranking in search engines. Currently you have one post “Hello World” To delete that post go to To add a post go to Posts > Add New Step 12 – Adding Posts

20. You can select any photo from your computer and add it to your post or page. Size it Align it Caption it Describe it Adding Photos

21. You have total control over the order your pages show up on the navigation bar. To adjust menus go to – Appearance > Menus Choose what pages you want to appear in a menu and then drag them into an order. Step 13 – Creating Menus

22. These are outside programs that work within the Wordpress structure. Examples are photo slideshows, site statistics, spam blockers … Step 14 –Plugins

23. Resources: http://codex.wordpress.org/Main_Page http://wordpress.org/support/ More to Learn