How to Build a Blog With WordPress

Install WordPress

At the heart of every WordPress blog is a MySQL database that contains all of its posts and settings. It's a good idea to set up this database on your host server before you start working with individual WordPress files. That way you can customize your configuration file before uploading it, which is a significant time saver.

To create the database, log into your hosting service's control panel--cPanel, phpMyAdmin, Plesk, or whatever the interface may be. Somewhere in the main control panel, you should see a listing for MySQL databases. My host uses cPanel, so I clicked the MySQL Databases icon, typed in a name for my new database--'wordpress'--and clicked Create Database. I also typed in a new user--'blog'--and password, and then clicked Create User. You can choose whatever names you like for your database and user, but your process should be similar to mine.

If you haven't already, you should download the free WordPress software to your computer and extract the files onto your desktop. All of them should be contained in a folder labeled 'wordpress'. Within the wordpress folder, locate the file named 'wp-config-sample.php' and rename it wp-config.php. Then open this file in a plain-text editor (such as Notepad on Windows or TextEdit on a Mac), and replace 'putyourdbnamehere', 'usernamehere', and 'yourpasswordhere' in the file with your database name, your user name, and your password, respectively. Leave the other formatting--such as spaces and single quotes--intact.

Now upload the WordPress files--excluding the outer wordpress folder itself--to the root directory of your host account. You'll probably want to use one of the FTP programs mentioned earlier under "What You'll Need" to move everything swiftly, instead of pursuing the click-heavy method of doing everything within a browser-based control panel.

The folder that you place all of your content in will determine where visitors go to see your blog. If you want the root page to contain the blog, put everything into a directory on your host. If you want to store the page at another URL, such as 'http://mywwebsite.com/blog', create a folder named 'blog' at that level, and put the WordPress files inside. The root directory for your hosted Web site will usually have a name like 'public_html' or 'http_docs'. 

Finish the installation with your Web browser. Visit the directory where you made the installation, plus the extension 'wp-admin/install.php'. For example, if you put everything in a folder named 'blog', visit 'http://mywebsite.com/blog/wp-admin/install.php'. If the WordPress files are in your root Web directory, go to 'http://mywebsite.com/wp-admin/install.php'. Enter basic details such as the blog name and your e-mail address, and click Install WordPress.

That should complete the initial installation. Visit your blog URL in another window to see how the site looks to the outside world. If you notice a problem, consult the troubleshooting tips related to your specific situation at the WordPress Codex.