or How to Get Online with WordPress.org

Well, we know how to move a blog from WordPress.com to WordPress.org, but it’s kinda hard to do that without a domain and hosting. So…let’s go back in time a bit and figure it out!

I won’t be showing you screenshots of the process, but I will point you in the direction of some pretty nice host specific instructions and tutorials. Each web host is different so it’s best to hear it from the horse’s mouth.

Let’s Start at the Very Beginning…

First things first. In order to have your very own website, you need your very own domain and hosting plan. You purchase domains and hosting through a web host.

Currently, I am a happy DreamHost* customer, but many of my friends and colleagues use Bluehost and are quite happy as well. WordPress recommends both, so choose the host you feel best about – or the host that is most affordable.**

If the Shoe Fits…

Don’t feel obligated to use DreamHost or Bluehost – if you’d rather shop around there are plenty of hosts to choose from. The only thing you have to keep in mind is that WordPress requires a couple of things to run correctly. At the time of this writing, the following is what you’ll need to look for:
    1.) PHP 5.2.4 or greater
    2.) MySQL 5.0 or greater
    3.) The mod_rewrite Apache module.

That said, the beautiful thing about DreamHost and Bluehost is that they both offer painless (read: automatic) installation of the WordPress software. All you have to do is click a button and tell them where you’d like the directory. When I was first starting with WordPress, that little feature made me feel very powerful.

Okay, so step one is complete: we have a web host. On to step two: buying a domain. Wait a minute! Step two is already covered if you choose to go with DreamHost or Bluehost. They include a free domain with their yearly hosting plans! I told you this was easy as pie.

Don’t forget, buying a domain name is only part of the equation…before you can buy, you have to select a domain name.

Here are those links I promised…

I know you can do this!

* Let me tell you why I switched…

** Normally, I don’t encourage folks to ‘go for the cheaper one,’ but in this case it is of little consequence. Both hosts have a good reputation and their product/service offering is very similar. In my mind that’s the perfect time to save some green. :-)