So you have decided to use WordPress for your blog and want to know what to do? Maybe you have already paid for hosting and need to upload it, or maybe you have not even done that. Here are the basic steps to go through.

Step 1 – Find Your Host
If you have not already done so, then you need to decide on where you will be hosting your website. Look around for a website host that offers the services that you need at a price you are happy to pay. To install WordPress, you will need basic hosting along with a MySQL database, so look at the price of that. If you are creating more than 1 blog then maybe look at accounts that will host multiple websites, even reseller accounts.

If you are lucky you might choose a host that has one click WordPress installation. If so, then do the next step and the one click installation and forget the rest of the steps!

Step 2 – Buy Your Domain Name
Usually this is part of setting up your hosting. Think of a good domain name, check if it is available (your potential hosts will have a tool for this) and go for it! Do not be tempted to stuff the domain name with keywords. Keep it short and snappy and good looking. If keywords fit into it, then fine. But a name that describes the blog or is based around your name can attract more visitors long term.

Step 3 – Install A Database
This may be automatic with some hosting packages and with others you need to click a button to install the database and set-up an admin user id and password. Make a note of the access details your host gives to you.

Step 4 – Download WordPress
Go to WordPress.org, click download and get a copy of the latest version. Save it to your computer then using Windows Explorer look for the folder that you have downloaded to. It arrives as a zip file, which you simple unzip by opening the zip file in Explorer then dragging the WordPress folder into another folder. It will take a minute or two to unpack.

Step 5 – Customise the Installation
Look at the readme file in the unpacked folder, but basically you take a copy of the wp_config file and edit it with the user id, password and maybe database location from step 3.

Step 6 – Upload WordPress
Now the hard part, if you are not used to it! If you have an FTP package then just use that to upload the unzipped contents of the WordPress folder to your website (the contents only).

If you do not have FTP software, the you can use Internet Explorer to do the trick. Type into the address bar the address your hosts have given you for FTPing, sign on and then navigate to the folder on the website you need to upload to. (Certain versions of Internet Explorer require you to confirm you want to use FTP by selecting an option under the tools menu on the top right.) Now, just drag the contents of the unzipped folder to the folder on the website.

Step 7 – Install
Type in your blog address and follow the instructions on the screen, you are seconds away from having a new blog! Choose a password and (on WordPress 3.0 onwards) choose a user id and you are running.

Now, you just need to start customising WordPress and change some security settings. Easy when you know how.