How to Set up a WordPress Blog for Beginners

The other day I bumped into an old friend. Lucy. We went to college together.

And even though I was popular among girls for my signature perfume – Carolina Herrera for men; she only remembered me from the joint units we shared.

SMDH…

Our pep talks slowly transitioned into an unnecessary yet friendly discussion about my big belly, my overgrown beard then to-what-I-do-now.

You know how you meet a long lost friend or relative – then- since they perceive you as either VERY successful or struggling with life; they ask,

“By the way Kenn, what do you do now?”

(I hate that question with guts)

And you wonder if they are criminal investigators sent to find the source of your wealth.

Or if they are just concerned and innocently asking so they can fix you up with a job – if your answer be, “I’m currently in between jobs.”

But of course –  your guy – Kenn Omollo isn’t jobless;

I’m into different businesses. Tents for hire here, blogging there and web design almost everywhere.

I enjoy blogging more, though.

I wanted to tell her this…

But I quickly figured out that telling Lucy about the 3 businesses would only instigate unending conversations around each hustle.

In my mind I could picture her asking these questions: – but I didn’t have much time to engage.

– by the way Kenn, how is blogging? I hear people are making millions doing it.

Or Kenn, my friend mentioned that tent for hire business ain’t thriving anymore, is it true? And how do you cope? 

Then she’d give me that grayish woiyee look 

Or she’d just pull something like,

“Kenn, I want to start an eCommerce business but I don’t know how to develop a website, will you help me install WordPress for free? Please. Please…”

And being the sympathizer that I am, I will forgo charging her $79 for installing WordPress just to see her cognac smile glow again.

That’s just me. Helping people for free when I can’t figure how to ask for payment

Long story short, I gave Lucy my business card and promised to answer her questions as soon an I was free.

Because yes, she had lots of questions. And my number!

So, Did She Call? – Can you Guess? 

Of course, she did.

And guess what,

She wants me to help set up an eCommerce website for her cosmetic store.

FOR FREE.

And yes, I will help her for free.

Not because I don’t tire seeing her pretty face; but because yesterday she invited me to her salon, showed me what she does: –

crocheting hair extensions for salsa weaves and braids which she hopes to package and sell through her new website.

I loved her products

They are innovative

Precisely,

I loved the way she stitched those weaves with her hands.

Plus I quickly figured a way I could design her the website for free and still earn a commission by recommending a hosting company to her. Something a website can not do without.

But even more important, it gives me hope to see millennials start and own small successful businesses.

And for the very fact that Lucy (still under 30) already started her own? I can only show support by helping her where she feels underprivileged. Like in creating an eCommerce website which she needs.

You Can Also Take Advantage of My Generosity if You want

I don’t mind helping you too.

Regardless of your gender, age, religion, country of residence, or niche.

As long as you host with bluehost. I’ll do the rest of the work for you for free.

However, creating a website is simple and you can also DIY if you want to.

I’ll illustrate how you can acquire a FREE domain and how to choose the best hosting in the paragraphs that follow

Continue reading…

If you have previous experience with website creation though, you can access Bluehost here to begin creating your website right away.

I’ll help you set up your WordPress website for free

So what really goes into setting up a profitable website/blog?

Is there anything special to it?

Well, there isn’t.

All you need is to:

1. Pick a niche – a niche explains what your website is about and it also helps you figure topics to write about.

For example, Lucy’s website would be about beauty. So beauty is her niche

2. Register a website address (domain) – you can claim your FREE DOMAIN in the box below.

Mine is Joon.co.ke.

You can also use the name of your business e.g. mamamikestore.com as your domain

3. Hosting plan – this is the service that enables your website or blog to be seen on the internet. Hosting also acts as your storage on the internet.

I recommend you use Bluehost’s basic plan for starters. It costs $3.95 per month.

3. WordPress install – this is the engine that will run your website. It will be like your operating system. It is free to install.

Find the WordPress install button in your Bluehost control panel. You will access the control panel when you’ve created a Bluehost account.

If you find WordPress installation and blog set-up difficult let me know, I’ll help you install for free

4. Website theme – this is what holds your website in shape. There are thousands of free WordPress themes to choose from.

5. Plugins – You need them to customize your website for specific functions. Most WordPress plugins are free.

Better yet, I’ll illustrate the process of creating a website blow. Continue reading…

Follow this step-by-step guide to do it yourself.

How to Create a WordPress Website From Scratch.

1. Pick a Niche

Question is, what’s your business about?

Is it about finance, food, travel, consultancy services, marketing… name it… what’s your business about?

This process is very crucial because it helps explain what your business will focus on.

Having a niche in mind before claiming a domain also help you with picking a relevant domain name.

When you are satisfied with your niche;

2. Pick a Domain

Try to pick something which resonates with your business

For example, take a site like eatout.com, what comes to mind when you see this link?

Niche – Food 

Target – restaurants, hotels, and the people who love eating out.

Another example is travelstat.com

What comes to mind when you see this website?

You think about travel, cars, hotels, bookings, and accommodation 

Target audience – Travelers, hotels, and bookings 

And if you want to make a personal brand you can think of something like:

omollo.com – for a personal brand.

Your niche can be anything from what you love doing to something you studied in school or a DIY that you just learned the other day.

Try out some domain names in the box below to see if they are still available.

Tip: – Do not include symbols in your domain name.

Make it simple and easy to remember.

And if possible, use your name for a personal brand. 

Click here to claim your free domain in Bluehost. Or buy one for $5.99 from Truehost Kenya. Your choice.

Here’s How to Claim Your Free Domain.

Visit bluehost.com and click the get started button

You will be redirected to the packages available.

Choose the basic plan for now.

A basic plan can be anything from $2.55 per month.

If you already checked a domain name earlier and identified what you want.

Now it’s time to use it

Type your domain name under the new domain box as below and click next.

If you have a domain which you bought prior to reading this post, type it in the box marked; I have a domain name. And click next

The next part is to create your Bluehost account and set up your billing information.

You can also change your package information at this stage.

For example, instead of going for the basic plan that lasts one year for $59.40  ($4.95 for 12 months);

You can go for the basic plan for three years that costs – $95.40  ($2.65 for 36 months).

Without noticing, you will have saved – $192.24 (66% off).

This means – for the next three years your content will be online making you money. No downtime.

How to Set up Your WordPress Website 

If you followed all the steps outlined in this post to the end,

Then chances are you finished setting up your Bluehost account and received an email with login details.

If you are yet to go through the process, click here to the Bluehost website.

Make payment for your hosting then use the login details sent to your email to access your account.

Now login to your Bluehost account for the final touches.

Bluehost has a special feature called the Bluerock – this feature ensures that all accounts come with WordPress pre-installed.

This is a relief because now you only have to worry about setting up your theme to start doing business with the world.

With Bluehost, there is no more struggle with installing WordPress CMS or working with the FTP account.

How to Set a Professional Theme for Your WordPress Blog

Like signing up for a Bluehost account,

Setting up a blog theme is easy.

Login to your Bluehost account.

Go to appearance > then themes, then click on the add new button to access thousands of free theme options

When the theme is installed, you are ready to write and post your first article, picture, or podcasts.

Whatever you want to blog about,

Happy blogging from me.

Kenn Omollo

Ps. To Lucy, if you find this installation guide simple, DIY.

Otherwise I’m still open to helping you set up your blog for free

Tagged With : I'll help you set up a blog for free • set up a wordpress blog • Wordpress blog • Wordpress website